Psychological Perspectives and Treatment of Disorders

Question 1

Psychotherapy

Answer 1

Psychologist or other trained professional working with an individual or group to identify a problem and develop solutions. Usually that process involves a lot of talking and thinking. Psychotherapists and psychiatrists are required by law to protect the confidentiality of their clients. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), sets limits on the way patient or client information can be shared.

Question 2

Behavior Therapy

Answer 2

The techniques used in this type of treatment are based on the theories of classical conditioning and operant conditioning

Goal is to extinguish unwanted behavior and replace it with more adaptive behavior

Behavioral therapy is action-based .

Question 3

Exposure Treatments

Answer 3

Exposure therapy is a technique in behavior therapy to treat anxiety disorders. Exposure therapy involves exposing the target patient to the anxiety source or its context without the intention to cause any danger. Helpful treatment or treatment component for a range of problems, including:
Phobias
Panic Disorder
Social Anxiety Disorder
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Question 4

Flooding

Answer 4

Exposing people to fear-invoking objects or situations intensely and rapidly
It is often used to treat phobias. During the process, the individual is prevented from escaping or avoiding the situation

Question 5

Systematic Desensitization

Answer 5

Developed by Joseph Wolpe, a client makes a list of fears and then learns to relax while concentrating on these fears

Client learns to practice deep relaxation
Client creates hierarchy of anxieties (lowest to highest stimulus)
Led by therapist, client is introduced to the least feared object during deep relaxation then next, etc.
Starting with the least fear-inducing item and working their way up to the most fear-inducing item, the client confronts these fears under the guidance of the therapist while maintaining a relaxed state

Question 6

Aversion Therapy

Answer 6

Pairing an undesirable behavior with an aversive stimulus in the hope that the unwanted behavior will eventually be reduced

Unpleasant consequence will eventually stop the behavior

Aversion therapy & flooding could be harmful if done carelessly
Antabuse is used to discourage the use of alcohol, when paired with alcohol can cause extreme nausea

Question 7

Token Economy

Answer 7

Behavioral strategy relies on reinforcement to modify behavior. Clients are allowed to earn tokens that can be exchanged for special privileges or desired items

Tokens: Items include poker chips, stickers, point tallies, or play money

Examples of typical target behaviors include self-care, medication adherence, work skills, and treatment participation

Question 8

Biofeedback

Answer 8

Mind-body technique that involves using visual or auditory feedback to gain control over involuntary bodily functions
It’s particularly useful for managing stress as well as symptoms of conditions that may be exacerbated by stress

Question 9

Cognitive Behavioral Therapists

Answer 9

Human emotions and behavior are predominantly generated by ideas, beliefs, attitudes and thinking

All of our feelings come from our thoughts

Almost all negative feelings come from distorted thoughts

We have Automatic thoughts that come into our head with little to no effort. We tend to generate thinking errors when suffering conflict, poor stability, or stressful events

Question 10

Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT)

Answer 10

Developed in 1950s by Albert Ellis, psychological problems arise when thoughts are irrational and lead to behavioral consequences that are distressful

Restructuring, bring client’s attention to the unrealistic thoughts.

Question 11

Aaron Beck’s Cognitive Therapy

Answer 11

Researched by Aaron Beck, based on the idea that how we think (cognition), how we feel (emotion) and how we act (behavior) all interact together

You will learn skills that help you change your thinking patterns so they are more accurate with respect to a given situation.

Question 12

REBT (Albert ELLIS)

Answer 12

Therapist DIRECTLY challenges the identified “irrational” thoughts (more direct)
Challenged thoughts with restructuring

Question 13

CBT (Aaron BECK)

Answer 13

“Maladaptive” thoughts are treated like hypotheses to be tested, and both the therapist and patient work together to investigate and test those hypotheses

Use of behavioral techniques, liked graded exposure or systematic desensitization (hierarchy) to change or confront thoughts.