Therapy

Insight Therapies

Freud’s Psychoanalysis: 4 basic techniques to treat general unhappiness, unresolved childhood problems

1. Free association = patient reveals whatever thoughts or images come to mind allows unconscious material to surface (especially childhood trauma

& memories) analyst pieces together free-flowing associations, explains their

meaning, helps patient gain insight into troubling thoughts/behavior 2. Analysis of resistance = patient’s attempt to avoid revealing painful

or embarrassing feelings hesitates, visibly upset, “forgets” appointment, etc. = topic assumed

to be important by analyst

3. Dream analysis = areas of emotional concern repressed in waking life are sometimes expressed in symbolic form in dreams

Examples: dancing = love-making gun = male erection, lake = waters of the uterus old age = wisdom teeth = loss of virginity tree = penis monsters = desire, anger

4. Analysis of transfer = patient inevitably reacts to the analyst w/same feelings present in another significant relationship (usually parents) unresolved childhood conflicts can be worked out

Humanistic Therapies Treat general unhappiness & interpersonal problems encourages personal growth, teaches how to fulfill their potential, take

responsibility for their behavior (focus on current relationships) Person-centered = client directs therapy; explores issues & grows

therapist creates warm atmosphere, gives support, understanding, & encouragement, but doesn’t propose solutions

Interactive Therapy: 1. Interpersonal = work on interpersonal conflicts & disturbed

relationships that contribute to depression 2. Family/Marital = entire family involved b/c assumed that person’s

problem is caused &/or maintained w/in familyespecially helpful with schizophrenics; family can help modify behavior

3. Group = 7-10 clients meet regularly with 1-2 therapistssense of belonging, feedback, emotional supportpsychodrama = act out problem with help of group• role-reversal = act as person who causes the problem

Behavior Therapy: treat fears, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bad habits uses classical, operant conditioning, &/or social learning to eliminate inappropriate behavior 3 therapies based on classical conditioning

1. Systematic desensitization = train client in deep muscle relaxation then confront hierarchy of fears (minor to most-anxiety producing)

2. Flooding = treat phobias by exposing client to feared object for long period of time until anxiety decreases• imaginary experience• real-life experience (works faster & more effective)

3. Aversion therapy = pair undesirable behavior with painful or sickening stimulus until behavior becomes associated with pain & discomfort• ex. Give alcoholics Antabuse to make them wretch/vomit

Social Learning Therapy participant modeling = appropriate response is modeled in graduated steps & client attempts each step,

encouraged & supported by therapistex. Phobia of snakes: therapist calmly approaches cage, shows you how to handle snake in cage, urges

you to touch it, remove snake from cage, your behavior will imitate therapist’s until you reach the point of allowing the snake to crawl freely on you

Cognitive Behavior Therapy = change thoughts & behavior treat depression, anxiety, general unhappiness rational-emotive therapy = challenge/modify irrational beliefs that cause distress

Ex. Replace irrational belief: “Everyone must love me” with a rational belief such as “I want my family and friends to love me.”

Beck’s Cognitive therapy = treat depression & anxiety by stopping automatic, negative thoughts as they occur & replacing them with more objective thoughtsie. “Power of positive thinking”

Biological Therapy: Drug therapy to treat schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety

antipsychotic drugs = inhibit dopamine activity in schizophrenics• do not CURE schizophrenia, but can reduce & control the major symptoms

Antidepressants = mood elevators for the severely depressed & treat anxiety disorders• balance serotonin & norepinephrin in brain• most popular/widely used = Prozac

Side effects of drugs:• antipsychotics = dry mouth, drowsiness, abnormal muscle contractions, difficulty

moving• antidepressants = fatigue, nervousness, weight gain, sexual difficulties

Electroconvulsive Therapy = a.k.a. ECT; treatment for severely depressed who are suicidal or unresponsive to other treatment electric current passed through the brain, client loses consciousness, & has a

seizure that changes biochemical balance that temporarily lifts depression no pain & no memory of experience Possible side effects of ECT = permanent memory loss of events 6 months prior &

2 months after treatment Psychosurgery:

drastic procedure to treat severe, persistent, & debilitating disorders (depression, anxiety, obsessions) or severe chronic pain

lobotomy = nerve fibers connecting frontal lobes to deeper brain (emotions) are severed (1935-1955)

mid 1950s = antipsychotic drugs replaced lobotomies today: electrical currents destroy much smaller areas of brain tissue

ex. Cingulotomy destroys small nerve bundle connecting cortex to emotional center of brain to help obsessive-compulsive disorder

Effectiveness of Therapies

0 20 40 60 80 100

Psychodynamic

Person-centered

SystematicDesensitization

BehaviorModification

Cognitive-Behavioral