Psychotherapy Flashcards
What is psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy is when a doctor talks to a patient to gain more insight about a disorder and their thoughts and feelings around it. It is done in all specialities. It is dependent on a good relationship between the doctor and the patient.
What are the 4 ways the ego deals with symptoms of anxiety?
Denial= don’t recognise a symptom or emotion
Projection = seeing something you don’t like about yourself in others
Displacement = taking out your emotions on a different person or object
Reaction formation = do the opposite of how you actually feel
What is psychoeducation?
Provision of information to people to help them understand and cope with the illness. It can take place individually or in groups
What is counselling?
People are helped to cope or overcome problems in their life by talking to a counsellor who is supportive and can give advice. It is usually used in non-psychiatric settings
What is supportive psychotherapy?
A formal version of a friendly chat where the therapist listens and is non-judgemental
What is problem-solving therapy?
Structured mix of counselling and CBT to help the patient deal with life’s problems. The problems are discussed and a plan is made to deal with each one
In what patients is psychodynamic therapy very useful in?
Personality disorders (mainly cluster C)
Recurrent anxiety
Depressive disorders which are resistant to drug treatment
In what patients is psychodynamic therapy not useful in?
Psychotic patients
Paranoid or antisocial personality disorder
What is transference in psychodynamic therapy?
The ideas the patient has about their therapist. The patient often projects relationships from their past onto the therapist.
What is countertransference in psychodynamic therapy?
The feelings the therapist has towards the patient which can be based off the patient’s transference or previous patient experiences.
What are the main principles of psychodynamic therapy?
- Psychological problems are from unconscious processes which are derived from experiences and thoughts from early life
- Explores the pattern of previous relationships
- The therapist makes connections between things the patient says
- The patient is expected to gain insight into their emotions
- The therapeutic effect comes from greater understanding and so they are able to change their emotions and behaviours for the better.
What is the main principle that behavioural therapy is based around?
Adaptive behaviours can be learnt and maladaptive behaviours can be unlearnt.
What disorders is behavioural therapy useful in?
Anxiety disorders –> phobias and OCD
Behavioural problems
Learning difficulties
Explain the process of behavioural therapy
Patient is slowly introduced to a situation or behaviour they have avoided or they learn to stop an inappropriate response. Over time the exposure causes their anxiety levels to drop (habituation) and the patient can cope with the stimuli they were once anxious of. Form of operant conditioning
What are the main components of cognitive therapy?
- Therapist understands the patients thoughts about a certain problem
- Therapist provides an explanation for why the patient may feel this way
- The patient is taught how to become aware of negative thoughts and emotions and to practice thinking in a more positive way
What techniques are used to reinforce positive thinking in cognitive therapy?
Thought diaries
Doing personal experiments
What is CBT?
CBT is a combination of cognitive and behavioural therapy so aims to change how a person views a situation by evaluating their thought processes and gradually exposing them to the situation
What conditions is CBT able to treat?
Depression Panic disorder Phobias Bulimia Can reduce psychotic symptoms in schizophrenia Can prevent relapse in bipolar
What is CAT (cognitive analytic therapy)?
Combines cognitive therapy and a psychodynamic approach
What is IPT (interpersonal therapy)?
Uses cognitive, behavioural and psychodynamic therapy to focus on patient relationships and the problems arising from them. Used in depression and bulimia
What is DBT (dialectical behavioural therapy)?
Combines psychoeducation with behavioural skills training. Used to treat borderline personality disorder
What is EMDR (eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing)?
Used in patients with PTSD. They eyes are moved in a certain pattern as the patient talks through their trauma
What is group therapy?
Psychotherapy which treats lots of people at once.
When is family therapy used?
When there is a suspicion that the problem is not in the individual but rather a response to a dysfunctional family life. Commonly used for children. It used to treat substance misuse, eating disorders, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
