Psychological Interventions

Question 1

Counselling and supportive psychotherapy
-How long is its duration?
-What type of pt is it usually recommended for?
What does the emphasis rely on?

Answer 1

• Usually brief
• pts with minor mental health or interpersonal difficulties. Also used for grief or bereavement. It may also help for pts with anxiety and depression in primary care/
• Emphasis is on the client using there own strength with the therapist being reflective and empathetic. Also includes given advice and information, which is done by all healthcare professionals

Question 2

What would person centred counselling involve the therapist doing?
-How does it compare to problem solving counselling?

Answer 2

-Therapist takes an empathetic and reflective role, allowing the pt to discover their own insights

Problem solving counselling is more directive and focused as pts are actively assisted in finding solutions to their problems

Question 3

Psychodynamic/ Psychoanalytic psychotherapy

• In this therapy what is assumed to give rise to distressing symptoms?
• At what stage are these thought to occur?
• What is the aim of the therapy?

Answer 3

Unconscious thoughts, feelings and fantasies

Thought to arise in childhood if an individual does not progress through the various stages of psychological development

Aims to make the symptom causing unconscious processes c conscious. It is the therapists job to interpret these processes and help the pts understanding in the context of a safe and caring environment

Question 4

What are the 3 main principles of psychoanalytic psychotherapy?

Answer 4

1. Transference; where the pt inappropriately transfers feelings or attitudes experienced in an earlier significant relationship onto the therapist
2. Counter - transference; the revere of transference
3. Defence mechanisms; ways of defending ourselves from mental pain or upset, used by everyone but can be maladaptive if used in the wrong situation.

Question 5

How long are the sessions?

If the problem has a focus does this speed things up?

Answer 5

• Usually once a week for 50 mins, but can be open ended. It depends on the severity of the problem. `
• May be possible to work within a shorter time frame e.g. 6 months

Question 6

CBT
What is the concept of this therapy?
What are some of the cognitive techniques?

Answer 6

That the way individuals think about or interpret things determines how they feel and behave

Cognitive techniques include eliciting autonomic thoughts and dysfunctional assumptions and then testing their validity

Question 7

What are autonomic thoughts?

Dysfunctional assumptions?

Answer 7

Autonomic thoughts; thoughts that involuntarily enter an individuals mind in response to a specific situation e.g he doesn’t like me, i’m such an idiot

Dysfunctional assumptions; are the faulty rules that individuals live by which, when broken, lead to psychological distress e.g. If I don’t come 1st then i’m completely useless. These can be challenged by behavioural experiments

Question 8

How does CBT vary from psychodynamic/ psychoanalytic therapy?

Answer 8

• CBT tends to be time limited 12-25 sessions
• CBT is goal orientated and focuses on the presenting problem, and hence is less concerned with how the problem develops
• The client and CBT therapist are strongly collaborative in deciding on the sessions agenda and case formulation
• CBT involves the pt doing homework assignments

Question 9

Other therapy
What is interpersonal therapy?
Family therapy?
Therapeutic communities?

Answer 9

• Evaluating social interactions and skills
• Provides a supportive and effective environment, the pt sees that they are not the only one.
• Cohesive residential units that consist of about 30 pts for 9-18 mnths. Residents are encouraged to take responsibility for themselves during this time. Particularly useful for personality disorders

Question 10

Indications for psychological treatment

What counselling is given for Depression?

Answer 10

CBT, IPT, group therapy, psychodynamic therapy

Question 11

What counselling is given for anxiety?

What counselling is given for PTSD?

Answer 11

CBT

Systematic desensitization,
hypnotherapy, psychodynamic
therapy

Question 12

What counselling is given for Schizophrenia?

Eating disorder?

Answer 12

CBT, family therapy

CBT, IPT, family therapy

Question 13

Borderline personality disorder?

Alcohol dependence?

Answer 13

Psychodynamic therapy, therapeutic communities, cognitive analytic therapy

CBT, group therapy