Psychotherapies
Date of Submission Psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy, are approaches that are used by professional psychologists and other trained experts to assist people experiencing mental or emotional challenges to function better. Psychotherapeutic approaches help clients process their emotions, address underlying issues behind their behavior, and develop positive coping mechanisms (Haverkampf, 2017). Day to day life issues and adversities affect the general functioning and mental well-being of most individuals, hence the need for psychotherapy to help people negotiate these life challenges
There are various approaches applied in psychotherapy. The techniques vary depending on age, psychological issues presented by the client, and the severity of such problems. An example is Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which focuses on the thought processes of individuals. This model helps people to identify and understand their thought patterns. Once one is more aware of their thoughts, they can alter the disturbing thought pattern that negatively impacts their behavior and well-being by replacing them with more positive thought systems (Haverkampf, 2017). For example, thought cognitions that make one believe they are not good at anything can be altered to direct the person towards more positive thoughts of self-confidence and improved self-esteem.
Another psychotherapeutic approach is psychodynamic psychotherapy, which is based on the theory of sigmoid Freud. Psychodynamic therapy focuses on the unconscious mind and how it drives behavioral patterns. According to this approach, past unpleasant occurrences in peoples, unconscious minds affect how they act and relate with others (Haverkampf, 2017). If not resolved or well negotiated, past experiences can lead to depression, anxiety, and other personality disorders. For example, obsessive-compulsive disorders, including constant handwashing or double-checking, are linked to past occurrences or strict upbringing in early childhood developmental stages.
The two psychotherapeutic approaches have various similarities. For example, both methods believe that behavior is controlled by the issues affecting the mind, hence addressing the problems to resume normal functioning and mental well-being. According to both models, behavior change is a process that should be addressed in stages. For example, CBT focuses on identifying the negative thought patterns, then seeks to understand the causes of the designs, and then moves to change them. The case is similar in psychodynamic therapy that first aims to identify the unresolved past experiences to address the behavior linked to them. Both interventions also focus on helping the client be more conscious of their behavior to control their actions and thoughts (Soares et al., 2018). The interventions also seek to understand behaviors by explaining the reasons behind every behavior or personality pattern.
However, the interventions also have their differences. For example, psychodynamic approaches focus more on the past, while CBT focuses on the present thought cognitions. For example, when one is presenting aggressive behavior, Psychodynamic therapy would focus on the childhood adversities linked to the action. On the other hand, CBT will focus on the present negative thought patterns that contribute to the aggressive behavior presented. CBT is a more objective intervention and therefore utilizes less time than psychodynamic theory because retrieving past experiences in one’s unconscious mind may take some time. In some cases, the process can be longer if the issues were very unpleasant and severely affected the client’s emotional and mental state (Soares et al., 2018). The challenge is because such clients use avoidance as a coping mechanism to block the memories, making them difficult to retrieve within a limited time.
While dealing with my clients, I would prefer to apply psychodynamic approaches instead of CBT. The variance is that the CBT model focuses on handling the current thought cognitions without identifying the root causes of the issue or the disturbing behavior patterns. The intervention, therefore, does not address the issue comprehensively. Clients who undergo psychotherapy using the CBT approach are at risk of presenting the same or worse problems if faced with other challenges in life that trigger negative thought cognitions (Soares et al., 2018). These risks make CBT ineffective for clients presenting complex issues. I consider CBT a practical approach when used alongside Psychodynamic interventions.
References
Haverkampf, C. J. (2017). CBT and Psychodynamic Psychotherapy-A Comparison. J Psychiatry Psychotherapy Communication, 6(2), 61-68.
Soares, M. C., Mondin, T. C., da Silva, G. D. G., Barbosa, L. P., Molina, M. L., Jansen, K., … & da Silva, R. A. (2018). Comparison of clinical significance of cognitive-behavioral therapy and psychodynamic therapy for major depressive disorder: A randomized clinical trial. The Journal of nervous and mental disease, 206(9), 686-693. doi: 10.1097/NMD.0000000000000872