Introduction

Question 1

What is Psychoanalytic Therapy?

Answer 1

• Psychodynamic approach.
• Founded by Sigmund Freud.
• Psychoanalytic Theory is based largely on insight, unconscious motivation, and reconstruction of personality.
• Attention is given to the first 6 years of life, as determinants of the later development of personality. - It has had a major influence on all other forms on psychotherapy.

Question 2

What is Adlerian Therapy?

Answer 2

• Psychodynamic approach.
• Founded by Alfred Adler, and later popularized by Rudolf Dreikers in the United States.
• Growth model that stresses assuming responsibility, creating ones own identity, and finding meaning and goals to creating a purposeful life.
• Does not focus on unconscious dynamics.
• Key concepts are used in most other current therapies.

Question 3

What is Existential Therapy?

Answer 3

• Experiential and relationship-oriented therapy.
• Key figures: Viktor Frankl, Rollo May, Irvin Yalom.
• Reacting to the tendency to view therapy as a system of well-defined techniques, this model stresses building therapy on the basic conditions of human existence, such as choice, the freedom and responsibility to shape ones life, and self-determination.
• Focuses on the quality of person-to-person therapeutic relationship.
• Philosophy of counselling that stresses the divergent methods of understanding the subjective world of a person.

Question 4

What is Person-centered Therapy?

Answer 4

• Experiential and relationship-oriented therapy.
• Founder: Carl Rogers
• Key Figure: Natalie Rogers
• Developed in 1940s as a nondirective reaction against psychoanalysis.
• Rooted in humanistic philosophy, emphasizes the attitudes of the therapist.
• Subjective view of human experiencing, places the faith in and gives responsibility to the client in dealing with problems and concerns.

Question 5

What is Gestalt Therapy?

Answer 5

• Experiental and relationship-oriented therapy.
• Founders: Fritz and Laura Perls.
• Key figures: Miriam and Erving Polster.
• An experiential therapy stressing awareness and integration; it grew as a reaction against analytic therapy.
• Therapists take an active role, but follow the lead provided by the client.
• Emphasizes emotion to bring about change.
• Integrates body and mind.

Question 6

What is Behaviour Therapy?

Answer 6

• Cognitive behavioural approach
• Key figures: B.F. Skinner, Arnold Lazarus, Albert Bandura
• Applies principles of learning to the resolution of specific behavioural problems.
• Results are subject to continual experimentation.
• Methods of this approach are always in refinement process.

Question 7

What is Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy?

Answer 7

• Cognitive behavioural approach.
• Key figure: Albert Ellis.
• Highly didactic, cognitive, action-oriented model of therapy that stresses the role of thinking and belief systems as the root of personal problems.

Question 7

What is Reality Therapy?

Answer 7

• Cognitive behavioural approach.
• Founder: William Glasser.
• Key figure: Robert Wubbolding.
• Short term approach based on choice theory and focuses on the client assuming responsibility in the present.
• Process for client to learn more effective ways of meeting their needs.

Question 8

What is Feminist Therapy?

Answer 8

• Systems and postmodern approach.
• Key figures: Jean Baker Miller, Carolyn Zerbe Enns, Olivia Espin, Laura Brown.
• Concern for the psychological oppression of women.
• Focusing on the constraints imposed by the sociopolitocal status to which women have been relegated, this approach explores women’s identity development, self-concept, goals and aspirations, and emotional well-being.

Question 9

What are Postmodern Approaches?

Answer 9

• Systems and postmodern approach
• Solution focused brief therapy cofounders: Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg.
• Narrative therapy major figures: Michael White and David Epston
• Social constructionism, solution-focused, narrative all assume there is no singular truth; reality is socially constructed through human interaction.
• Approaches maintain that the client is an expert in their life.

Question 10

What is Family Systems Therapy?

Answer 10

• Systems and postmodern approach
• Key figures: Alfred Adler, Muarry Bowen, Virginia Satir, Carl Whitaker, Salvador Minuchin, Jay Haley, Cloe Madanes.
• Key to changing individual is by understanding and working with the family.