Checkpoint – Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is geared toward helping individuals discover thenature of their mind’s inner workings by examining the processes in their three regions of consciousness, the id, the ego and the super ego. Sigmund Freud developed the Theory of Psychodynamics through the process of identifying four characteristics that he deemed to be essential for a psychologist to make a diagnosis in mentally ill patients. The process involved the use of free association and transference, as well as dream analysis. In contrast, psychologists who practice Humanistic-Existential work will deal with patients to help them surmount those situations that disturb their functioning. This work does not focus on the past likepsychodynamic theory, but uses the Gestalt method of patient-centered therapy to treat patients. The Behavioral psychologist will employ methods of conditioning to assist patients in surmounting fears and personal obstacles that arise from their personality traits. Here, the four characteristics are also known as Essentials. The psychologist will use methods of fear reduction, aversive conditioning, biofeedback and operant conditioning to help their patients.

The Behavior therapist implements procedures that they deem appropriate for allowing a patient to learn through application of trials to overcome their problem. Cognitive psychologists work to change a patient’s way of thinking to help them overcome their problems. They instruct their patients in themethods that they can use to retrain themselves toward positivethinking. They use adaptive thinking and progressive thought to treat their patients. Cognitive therapy is intended to work in a rational-emotional way to change behavior and thought patterns away from irrational behaviors. The use of biomedical treatments is applied a bit differently. In thesetreatments, patients are subjected to the therapist’s view of whatmedical therapy may be of benefit to them. Some types of biomedical treatments used in psychology are psychosurgery, drug therapy and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).