Psychotherapy Flashcards
Spectrum of therapy techniques
Interpretation →
Confrontation →
Clarification →
Encourage to elaborate →
Empathic validation →
Advice/Praise →
Affirmation
bringing the unconscious thoughts to the surface (conscious)
Interpretation
openly addressing suppression through confronting the patient
Confrontation
reformulation, “So do you mean to say….”
Clarification
request more information
Encourage to elaborate
“That must be really hard for you”
Empathic validation
therapist gives concrete advice or direct praise to the patient
Advice/Praise
Affirmation
“uh-huh,” “I see”
Transference
patient’s unconscious redirection of feelings from the past toward therapist.
Unconsciously, “Hey this therapist reminds me of my overbearing mother”
Countertransference
therapist’s unconscious association of feelings from the past directed at the patient.
Unconsciously, “Hey, this patient reminds me of my jerk ex-husband”
Resistance
unconscious and conscious forces within a patient that resist treatment.
Example: patient repeatedly comes to sessions late due to unconsciously resisting treatment
Free Association
undirected expression of conscious thoughts and feelings as an attempt to “tap into” the unconscious.
Basically, say the first thing that comes to your mind, as it may be related to unconscious stuff
Classical Psychotherapy (famous person association)
Freud
Ego psychology (famous person association)
Anna Freud
Objects relations psychotherapy
Melanie Klein (Object relations are related to drives; “ego splitting;” infant-mother relationships; “depressive/paranoid/schizoid positions”) and
Donald Winnicott (transitional object; “good enough mother”)
Self-psychology
Heinz Kohut (“mirroring;” stuff on narcissism)
Transitional object
Winnicott
Depressive/paranoid/schizoid positions
Melanie Klein
Brief psychotherapy (famous people)
Franz Alexander first started to alter traditional psychodynamic therapy by shortening sessions, decreasing frequency, and other measures to develop modern short-term therapy.
Others: Mann, Malan, Sifneos
Essential Features of Brief Therapy
Specific inclusion criteria
- moderate emotional distress
- desire for relief
- a specific problem to work on
- functional, ability to commit to treatment
exclusion criteria
- psychosis
- substance abuse
- risk of self-harm
Limited to 12-20 hour-long sessions, after which therapy is terminated.
Brief therapy - session elements
- Begin with summary of last session
- Restating focus
- Homework is given
- Clarification is important
- Transference must be quickly identified and worked through.
Goals of brief therapy
four common foci
- losses
- being out of step with expected developmental stage
- interpersonal conflicts
- symptom reduction
Phases of Brief Therapy
- Initial phase: (evaluation thru session 3) evaluates the patient, selects focus, and establishes working alliance
- Middle phase: (session 4-9) where patient starts to worry there won’t be enough time in treatment, issues of separation and aloneness, feels worse during this phase
- Termination phase: (sessions 8-16) patient accepts treatment ending, discuss termination of therapy relationship
ITP problem areas
- Unresolved grief: facilitate grieving process
- Social role disputes: make plan of action to solve interpersonal role disputes (conflict with co-worker, spouse, etc)
- Social role transitions: mourn and accept the loss of an old role (demotion in job, children move out of home) and earn self-esteem in mastering a new role
- Interpersonal deficits: learn to establish healthy relationships and decrease social isolation
Types of behavioral therapy
- Systematic desensitization
- flooding
- EMDR
- Positive reinforcement
- DBT
Systematic Desensitization
Wolpe
Counterconditioning to decrease maladaptive anxiety.
Works on decreasing response to anxiety-provoking stimuli.
Treats phobias.
Example: patient is afraid of heights. Make a hierarchy of least feared to most feared. Think about less feared and use relaxation techniques (mental imagery, relaxing muscles and decreasing autonomic responses) to desensitize self to fear/anxiety. Now go up on the hierarchy (increased anxiety-provoking) and repeat the above to desensitize gradually up the hierarchy
Flooding
Similar to systematic desensitization in that a stimulus is presented and the goal is to desensitize oneself to fear/anxiety. However, no hierarchy, no relaxation techniques, and has in-vivo exposure (actually presented with real fear rather than imagining it). Example: patient fear of heights, go to top of highest building and sit there until fear subsides
EMDR
saccadic eye movements used to treat PTSD
Positive reinforcement
using a “token economy” to reward patients for desired behavior. Good use in Schizophrenics. Can also be used in addicts, similar to methadone maintenance, where abstinence from illicit drugs leads to positive reinforcement with methadone
DBT
treats BPD/personality disorders using combination of supportive/cognitive/behavioral techniques.
Works to improve interpersonal skills and decrease self-destructive behaviors.
Addresses ambivalence, increases motivation, seeks to not reinforce maladaptive behaviors, learn new skills, and restructure the patient’s environment. Uses homework, advice, and confrontation
What is biofeedback?
Designed by Miller to assume voluntary control of the autonomic nervous system and other biologic systems using operant conditioning.
Conditions treated by biofeedback
include Reynaud’s, tension HA, migraines, TMJ, epilepsy, asthma, arrhythmias, fecal incontinence, HTN, and many others
Biofeedback methods
uses EMG, skin temperature, BP, and other measurements to monitor physiologic states. The patient uses relaxation techniques to self-modify autonomic functions to produce resolution of multiple symptoms.
CBT Overview
focuses on the interplay of maladaptive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that cause mental disorders.
Combines cognitive therapy (identifying and challenging underlying cognitive errors) with behavioral therapy (removing unwanted behaviors).
Occurs over the course of 15-20 weeks.
How long does a CBT course run?
average 15-20 weeks
Goal of therapist in CBT
Teach the patient to become their own therapist through a series of assignments, homework, and close interaction between therapist and patient
CBT indications
CBT is proven to help with patients with MDD, BMD, Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, GAD, OCD, Phobias, EDO, Psychotic Disorders, and Substance Abuse.