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Glossary of Types of Mental Health Therapy |
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Art Therapy -- A human service profession that uses art media, images, the creative process, and patient/client responses to the created products as reflections of an individual's development, abilities, personality, interests, concerns, and conflicts.
Art therapy practice is based on knowledge of human developmental and psychological theories and integrates educational, psychodynamic, cognitive, transpersonal, and other therapeutic means of reconciling emotional conflicts, fostering self-awareness, developing social skills, managing behavior, solving problems, reducing anxiety, aiding reality orientation, and increasing self-esteem.
Christian Counseling -- Christian counselors provide similar services as other counselors, but do so within a framework of Christian faith. For some, this means simply using typical therapeutic methods between a Christian counselor and a Christian client. Others may integrate theology and prayer into counseling sessions and some may use the Bible as the basis for advising clients. For people of a Christian faith, Christian counseling may provide a good format for dealing with issues related to spirituality, family, and relationships, or to receive premarital counseling. Pastoral counselors and Licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapists (LCPT) may provide specifically Christian counseling and many psychologists, social workers and counselors also practice Christian counseling.
Client-Centered Therapy -- Empathy is the foundation of Carl Rogers' client-centered therapy (also known as Rogerian therapy). He asserted that empathy alone is healing. A client centered therapist strives to provide an environment of empathy, unconditional positive regard, and acceptance. Therapists are trained to accept the client where they are at the moment. Client-centered therapists consider diagnosis and treatment planning to be much less important than being supportive to the client. Instead they act as an understanding listener, helping the client by providing advice and alternate interpretations to past events only when asked.
Clinical Neuropsychology -- the subfield of clinical psychology devoted to the diagnosis of brain disorders.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) -- a form of psychological therapy that focuses on directly modifying both cognitive processes and behavior. CBT draws heavily on cognitive theory and research, as well as more traditional techniques of behavior modification.
Counseling -- The term counseling can be used to refer to a wide range of activities involving the provision of advise or the exchange of ideas between two or more individuals, with the goal of helping the client or clients to improve some aspect of their lives. In the mental health field, counseling is a general term to describe the work done by several types of professionals, including psychologists, marriage and family therapists, and social workers. A variety of techniques and approaches are encapsulated by the word counseling, ranging from art therapy to relationship counseling. In general, counseling is aimed at helping clients grow emotionally, adjust more successfully to life challenges, or help cope with loss or childhood issues.
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Dance / Movement Therapy -- Dance/movement therapists use movement and the body as a whole as the medium for effecting change, growth and healing in the individual. Dance/movement therapy is defined by the American Dance Therapy Association as "the psychotherapeutic use of movement as a process which furthers the emotional, cognitive and physical integration of the individual."
Drama Therapy/Psychodrama -- Drama therapy is defined by the National Association for Drama Therapy as "the systematic and intentional use of drama/theater processes, products, and associations to achieve the therapeutic goals of symptom relief, emotional and physical integration and personal growth." Drama therapy is an active approach that helps the client tell his or her story to solve a problem, achieve a catharsis, extend the depth and breadth of inner experience, understand the meaning of images, and strengthen the ability to observe personal roles while increasing flexibility between roles. Drama Therapy is also useful in social skills training for individuals with developmental disabilities.
EEG Biofeedback Therapy -- EEG biofeedback therapy, also known as neurofeedback, is a type of biofeedback therapy specifically utilizing brain-wave information. EEG biofeedback is most commonly used to improve the attentional control in children and adults with attention-deficit disorders, but researchers are studying the effects of EEG biofeedback therapy for a number of cognitive and mental health problems.
Family Therapy -- a therapeutic method which involves assessment and treatment with all immediate family members present. This therapy places emphasis on the family as a system rather than focusing on one person who might be deemed the identified patient.
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Geriatric Psychiatry -- Geriatric psychiatry, or geropsychiatry, is the area of psychiatry dealing with older adults and the emotional and cognitive changes associated with aging. These may include depression, anxiety, issues related to pain or illness, sleep disorders, loss of independence and end-of-life issues. Geriatric psychiatrists, or geropsychiatrists, also diagnose and evaluate dementia and other memory disorders, assess functioning, prescribe appropriate medications and work with family members to better understand and cope with illnesses.
Geriatric Psychology -- Geriatric psychology or geropsychology is a specialty within clinical psychology dealing with issues related to older adults. Geriatric psychologists, also called geropsychologists, may work with individuals or in group settings such as nursing homes to provide counseling and services related to the later years of life. Such issues may include bereavement, loss of independence, depression, anxiety and health-related issues. They may also diagnose and assess cognitive affects of aging including dementia.
Hypnosis -- Hypnosis is a naturally occurring altered state of consciousness in which the critical faculty is bypassed (mind in the conscious mode) and acceptable selective thinking established. This simply means that the reasoning, evaluating, judging part of your mind (conscious) is bypassed.
Marital Therapy -- a treatment in which a therapist consults with both the husband and wife to help them learn to communicate better, to provide more support to each other, and to understand their interactions.
Marriage Counseling -- In marriage counseling (also referred to as couples therapy or relationship counseling), both partners of a couple visit a therapist to address problems related to their relationship in a neutral, supportive environment. Many people seek counseling in an attempt to save a marriage heading for divorce. These couples often need to address dysfunctions such as excessive fighting, infidelity, sexual problems and substance abuse.
However, marital therapy can also help untroubled couples learn skills related to communication, co-parenting, setting common goals and keeping the spark alive in the relationship. Couples typically meet with a counselor once a week. They may require just a few sessions in order to resolve a specific conflict or ongoing therapy. While the majority of the work is done in joint sessions, therapists may wish to meet with each partner separately beforehand to learn about their personal strengths and concerns or later on, in order to address individual problems affecting the relationship. Those seeking marriage counseling or couples therapy should look for a counselor who is state-licensed and specializes in working with couples. Licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFT) are counselors trained in marital and familial counseling while many psychologists, pastoral counselors and social workers also specialize in helping couples.
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Music Therapy -- Music therapy unites the fields of music and therapy to provide a creative treatment and medium. More specifically, music therapy combines music modalities with humanistic, psychodynamic, behavioral, and biomedical approaches to help clients attain therapeutic goals. These goals can be mental, physical, emotional, social, and/or spiritual in nature. Problems or needs are addressed both through the therapeutic relationship between the client and music therapist, as well as approached directly through the music itself.
Premarital Counseling -- Sometimes called premarital education, premarital counseling is intended for couples who are considering becoming engaged or for couples who have already decided to get married and would like to prepare for the road ahead.
Goals of premarital counseling include deciding if engagement is a good choice, informing couples about realities of married life, teaching communication and conflict resolution skills, establishing mutual goals and reducing risk of divorce. Topics covered may include finances, division of labor and household duties, in-laws, sexuality, how many children to have and how to raise them, career goals, religious perspectives, living arrangements and blending families from previous marriages, where applicable.
Programs come in many formats and may include lectures, workshops, homework, group or individual sessions or a combination of these. They may involve personal and relationship inventories, role-playing, communication exercises, and mentoring. Many people choose to consult a religious leader for premarital counseling (and may even be required to do so to be married within the church). A pastoral counselor can provide these services and some counselors and psychologists also provide Christian counseling for couples. Secular or non-religious premarital counseling has also been growing in popularity and is available through independent programs, professional counselors, psychologists, marriage and family therapists and social workers.
Progressive Relaxation -- a form of relaxation training that involves alternatively tensing and relaxing different muscle groups. It is now widely used to treat various stress-related problems.
Projective Tests -- Psychological tests used to infer a person's motives, thoughts, perceptions, and conflicts on the basis of the person's interpretations of ambiguous or unstructured stimuli, such as ink blots or vague pictures.
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Psychiatry -- Different from psychology, psychiatry is a branch of medical science: the branch dealing with mental health. It combines the study of social, psychological and biological factors to diagnose, treat and prevent a wide range of mental health issues ranging from minor mental disturbances to behavioral disorders to severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. Psychiatrists may at times employ psychopharmacology, prescribing medication in conjunction with psychological approaches to treat disorders.
Psychoanalysis -- an approach to psychology that emphasizes unconscious motives and conflicts. It encompasses both a theory of personality and a method of psychotherapy. In psychoanalytic therapy, the effort to bring unconscious material into consciousness, often through dream recall and free association.
Psychodynamic Therapy -- Four major schools of thought are encompassed by psychodynamic theory: object relations, self-psychology, drive theory, and ego psychology. In psychodynamic therapy, the patient (as opposed to the client in other types of therapy) talks, and the therapist makes interpretations about the patient's words and behaviors. Dream interpretation may be a part of psychodynamic therapy. As with other types of therapy, some psychodynamic therapists may utilize other methods of therapy such as cognitive-behavioral techniques for specific problems.
Psychology -- the study of the mind and human behavior. Psychology also sometimes refers to the use of this knowledge to help people deal with their problems in a therapy setting.
Psychopharmacology -- the management of psychiatric illness using medication such as antidepressants, antipsychotics, anti-anxiety medications and more.
Psychotherapy -- the treatment of mental disorders, emotional problems, and personality difficulties through talking with a therapist. There are dozens of different styles of psychotherapy, including psychoanalysis.
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Rehabilitation Psychology -- the helping profession dedicated to assisting people--individuals, family members, and caregivers--who are struggling with the effects of a disability and are seeking to restore hope and meaning to their lives.
To become specialists in the care of people affected by disabilities, Rehabilitation Psychologists must complete a doctoral degree in psychology and an internship or other, focused, intensive training program in which they acquire experience serving people with a wide range of disabilities. The services provided by Rehabilitation Psychologists include: assessment; counseling; compensatory strategies; wellness promotion; stress management for caregivers; education and consultation to involved community members, such as employers or teachers; and referrals to other specialists when needed. Rehabilitation Psychologists are the specialists trained and dedicated to helping people affected by a disability succeed in reclaiming their sense of belonging, of contribution, of value, and of meaningful participation in the world.
Relationship Counseling -- any type of counseling in which two parties attend therapy together to resolve conflicts and improve their relationship. Family members, coworkers and people in other types of relationships may attend relationship counseling. However, the term is most commonly understood to relate to counseling intended for two people involved in a romantic relationship, also called marriage counseling (whether or not the couple receiving it is actually married). Couples typically meet with a counselor once a week. They may require just a few sessions in order to address a specific issue or ongoing therapy. While the majority of the work is done in joint sessions, a therapist may wish to meet with each partner separately to learn about their personal strengths and concerns or to address individual problems affecting the relationship. Those seeking relationship counseling or couples therapy should look for a counselor who is state-licensed and specializes in working with couples. Licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFT) are counselors trained in marital and familial counseling while many psychologists and social workers also specialize in helping couples. Pastoral counselors, meanwhile, commonly provide pre-marital, marital and relationship counseling from a faith-based perspective.
Self Psychology -- At it's core, self psychology is psychoanalytic, but there are crucial differences in how the patient-therapist relationship is viewed. In psychoanalytic theory, the psychoanalyst keeps an emotional distance from the patient in order to objectively analyze the information received from the patient. In self psychology, the therapist uses empathy to gain the patient's trust. Once the patient trusts the therapist, he or she will talk more, thus enabling the therapist to gather more and better information and thus to make more accurate interpretations.
Self psychological theory proposes that healthy self-development proceeds from adequate responsiveness of caregivers to the child's vital emotional needs. If these needs are not met in childhood, and throughout the lifespan, problems will occur. Neglectful parenting - either physical or emotional neglect or worse - abuse - can result in derailments of self development and impair the individual's ability to form healthy relationships. Adequate parental responsiveness to the child's affect states (moods and feelings) is particularly vital if the child is to achieve affect differentiation (emotional health and stability) and tolerance.
Self psychology stresses that individuals need relationships throughout life (relationships that serve to evoke and maintain the integrity and cohesiveness of the self will always be required). Insufficient self-object responsiveness may lead to fragmentation, a distressing affective (emotional) and cognitive (mental - thoughts) state indicating threatened self-cohesion. Fragmentation experiences may range from mild dysphoria (a general feeling of ill being, anxiety, discontent, and physical discomfort) to a panicked sense of impending annihilation or disintegration.
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