Transcription of THERAPEUTIC APPROACHES
1 Chapter 5 THERAPEUTIC Approaches89 THERTHERTHERTHERTHERAPEUTIC APPROACHESAPEUTIC APPROACHESAPEUTIC APPROACHESAPEUTIC APPROACHESAPEUTIC APPROACHESN ature and Process of PsychotherapyTherapeutic RelationshipType of TherapiesSteps in the Formulation of a Client s Problem (Box )Psychodynamic TherapyBehaviour TherapyRelaxation Procedures (Box )Cognitive TherapyHumanistic- existential TherapyBiomedical TherapyAlternative TherapiesRehabilitation of the Mentally IllCONTENTSKey TermsSummaryReview QuestionsProject IdeasWeblinksPedagogical HintsAfter reading this chapter, you would be able to:familiarise yourself with the basic nature and process of psychotherapy,appreciate that there are different types of therapies for helping people,understand the use of psychological forms of intervention, andknow how people with mental disorders can be rehabilitated.
2 NCERTnot to be republishedPsychology90 NATURE AND PROCESS OF PSYCHOTHERAPYP sychotherapy is a voluntary relationshipbetween the one seeking treatment or theclient and the one who treats or thetherapist. The purpose of the relationshipis to help the client to solve thepsychological problems being faced by heror him. The relationship is conducive forbuilding the trust of the client so thatproblems may be freely aim at changing themaladaptive behaviours, decreasing thesense of personal distress, and helping theclient to adapt better to her/hisenvironment. Inadequate marital,occupational and social adjustment alsorequires that major changes be made in anindividual s personal psychotherapeutic APPROACHES havethe following characteristics : (i) there issystematic application of principlesunderlying the different theories oftherapy, (ii) persons who have receivedpractical training under expert supervisioncan practice psychotherapy, and notIn the preceding chapter, you have studied about major psychologicaldisorders and the distress caused by them to the patient and others.
3 In thischapter, you will learn about the various THERAPEUTIC methods that are usedby psychotherapists to help their patients. There are various types ofpsychotherapy. Some of them focus on acquiring self-understanding; othertherapies are more action-oriented. All APPROACHES hinge on the basic issueof helping the patient overcome her/his debilitating condition. Theeffectiveness of a THERAPEUTIC approach for a patient depends on a numberof factors such as severity of the disorder, degree of distress faced by others,and the availability of time, effort and money, among THERAPEUTIC APPROACHES are corrective and helping in nature. All ofthem involve an interpersonal relationship between the therapist and theclient or patient.
4 Some of them are directive in nature, such aspsychodynamic, while some are non-directive such as person-centred. Inthis chapter, we will briefly discuss some of the major forms An untrained person mayunintentionally cause more harm than anygood, (iii) the THERAPEUTIC situation involvesa therapist and a client who seeks andreceives help for her/his emotionalproblems (this person is the focus ofattention in the THERAPEUTIC process), and(iv) the interaction of these two persons the therapist and the client results inthe consolidation/formation of thetherapeutic relationship. This is aconfidential, interpersonal, and dynamicrelationship.
5 This human relationship iscentral to any sort of psychological therapyand is the vehicle for psychotherapies aim at a few or allof the following goals :(i)Reinforcing client s resolve forbetterment.(ii)Lessening emotional pressure.(iii)Unfolding the potential for positivegrowth.(iv)Modifying habits.(v)Changing thinking patterns.(vi)Increasing self-awareness.(vii)Improving interpersonal relations andcommunication. NCERTnot to be republishedChapter 5 THERAPEUTIC Approaches91(viii)Facilitating decision-making.(ix)Becoming aware of one s choices inlife.(x)Relating to one s social environment ina more creative and RelationshipThe special relationship between the clientand the therapist is known as thetherapeutic relationship or alliance.
6 It isneither a passing acquaintance, nor apermanent and lasting relationship. Thereare two major components of a therapeuticalliance. The first component is thecontractual nature of the relationship inwhich two willing individuals, the clientand the therapist, enter into a partnershipwhich aims at helping the client overcomeher/his problems. The second componentof THERAPEUTIC alliance is the limitedduration of the therapy. This alliance lastsuntil the client becomes able to deal withher/his problems and take control of her/his life. This relationship has severalunique properties. It is a trusting andconfiding relationship. The high level oftrust enables the client to unburdenherself/himself to the therapist and confideher/his psychological and personalproblems to the latter.
7 The therapistencourages this by being accepting,empathic, genuine and warm to the therapist conveys by her/his wordsand behaviours that s/he is not judgingthe client and will continue to show thesame positive feelings towards the clienteven if the client is rude or confides all the wrong things that s/he may have done orthought about. This is the unconditionalpositive regard which the therapist has forthe client. The therapist has empathy forthe client. Empathy is different fromsympathy and intellectual understandingof another person s situation. In sympathy,one has compassion and pity towards thesuffering of another but is not able to feellike the other person.
8 Intellectualunderstanding is cold in the sense that theperson is unable to feel like the otherperson and does not feel sympathy the other hand, empathy is presentwhen one is able to understand the plightof another person, and feel like the otherperson. It means understanding thingsfrom the other person s perspective, oneself in the other person s enriches the therapeuticrelationship and transforms it into ahealing THERAPEUTIC alliance also requiresthat the therapist must keep strictconfidentiality of the experiences, events,feelings or thoughts disclosed by the therapist must not exploit the trustand the confidence of the client in , it is a professional relationship,and must remain classmate or friend of yours or yourfavourite character in a TV serial mayhave recently experienced a negativeor a traumatic life event ( , deathof a loved one.)
9 Break-up of animportant friendship or relationship)of which you are aware. Try to putyourself in the other person s shoes,try to experience how that person isfeeling, what s/he is thinking and tryto take her/his perspective of theentire situation. This will help you tounderstand better how that person isfeeling.(Note : This exercise may be done inclass, so that teachers can helpstudents in overcoming any distressexperienced).TYPE OF THERAPIEST hough all psychotherapies aim atremoving human distress and fosteringeffective behaviour, they differ greatly in NCERTnot to be republishedPsychology92concepts, methods, and may be classified intothree broad groups, viz.
10 Thepsychodynamic, behaviour, and existentialpsychotherapies. In terms of thechronological order, psychodynamictherapy emerged first followed bybehaviour therapy while the existentialtherapies which are also called the thirdforce, emerged last. The classification ofpsychotherapies is based on the is the cause, which has led to theproblem?Psychodynamic therapy is of the viewthat intrapsychic conflicts, theconflicts that are present within thepsyche of the person, are the source ofpsychological problems. According tobehaviour therapies, psychologicalproblems arise due to faulty learning ofbehaviours and cognitions. Theexistential therapies postulate that thequestions about the meaning of one slife and existence are the cause ofpsychological did the cause come into existence?
