Psychotherapy and Mental Health

Having the courage to seek mental health services is a significant step and one that is worth celebrating. If you have been looking at treatment options, you have probably come across psychotherapy in the process. The plethora of therapies available can seem vast and confusing when searching for treatment – so, what is psychotherapy exactly?

What Is Psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy, also referred to as talk therapy, is an evidence-based approach to several treatment techniques that help individuals identify and adjust distressful emotions, thoughts, and behaviors.

Psychotherapy is a way to allow individuals to face their mental health issues and symptoms and learn how to process thoughts and behaviors. This encourages new coping skills that manage symptoms effectively.

In addition, psychotherapy can help individuals identify and understand triggers that cause them to act impulsively and create strategies that help control their reactions, improve self-reliance, and enhance conflict communication.

Some of the reasons for seeking psychotherapy include:

• Displaying symptoms with no physical rationalization, such as fluctuations in sleep or appetite, decreased energy, a lack of interest in activities that were once enjoyable, insistent irritability, worry, or a feeling of discouragement that will not go away
• Struggling with severe stress from difficulty at a job, family issues, losing a loved one, or relationship problems
• A recent diagnosis of depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Types of Psychotherapy

Now that you know what psychotherapy targets, it’s essential to know the different types of psychotherapy. Since everyone is unique, what works for one person may not work for the next.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a short-term, goal-oriented therapy that links thoughts and actions. It is established through a balanced model of the relationships between cognition, emotion, and behavior.

CBT functions under three aspects of cognition that address how a person thinks, how they behave, and how they cope with trauma. It is intended to support people in modifying thought patterns that trigger unhealthy, unproductive, or unbearable behavior. Therapists often use CBT for individuals struggling with anxiety, depression, stress, or phobias.

Psychodynamic Therapy

Psychodynamic therapy concentrates on how particular past experiences influence their current behavior. It is intended to help people acknowledge and understand negative feelings and inhibited emotions so they can resolve internal psychological conflicts and enhance life experiences, self-esteem, and interpersonal relationships. This therapy is often used to treat individuals who suffer from depression.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a form of CBT that focuses on techniques to change behaviors through acceptance. The primary goal of DBT is to give the client the skills to regulate emotions, manage stress, and enhance relationships. Through DBT, the mind is rewired, and the client learns new ways to approach what were once distressing situations.

Humanistic and Existential Therapy

Humanistic therapy involves two types: client-centered and gestalt. The holistic approach of humanistic and existential focus on the whole person, their positive behaviors, their ability to grow and heal, and finding their self-actualization through self-exploration.

While humanistic therapy focuses on acceptance and growth, existential therapy emphasizes the responsibility and freedom of the client. Individuals with depression, anxiety, or low self-esteem can benefit from humanistic or existential therapy.

Client-centered therapy eliminates the idea that the counselor is the expert, emphasizing care and concern to enable individuals to make their own choices in their reality.

Gestalt therapy focuses on the entirety of a person’s experience, encouraging clients to accept responsibility for themselves and pushing them towards self-actualization and awareness of being in the here and now.

Holistic Therapy

Holistic therapy applies more than one type of therapy. Counselors that use holistic approaches blend different elements to personalize treatments to the client’s needs. Using a holistic approach allows the client to progress psychologically and physically. Holistic techniques encourage a sense of personal fulfillment during treatment, which becomes an inspiration to keep going.

Benefits of Using Psychotherapy

Psychotherapies offer improvement in many aspects of a person’s life. Some of the benefits of applying psychotherapy can include:

• Increasing understanding of self and others
• Acknowledging and accepting a broader range of emotions
• Progressively becoming more adept at confronting challenges
• Increasing self-esteem
• Developing the capability to acquire rewarding relationships
• Increasing confidence in individual abilities

Finding Psychotherapy Treatment

Psychodynamic therapy provides clients with a more profound acknowledgment of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors so that they can make positive changes moving forward.

To find a psychodynamic therapist, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) offers a behavioral health treatment services locator to assist in finding mental health treatment centers that provide specialty care in your area.

Psychotherapy can be a powerful treatment approach for different mental health conditions. It helps get to the root cause of symptoms and any self-destructive patterns. If you or a loved one struggles with anxiety, depression, borderline personality disorder, co-occurring disorders, or other mental health disorders, Crownview Co-Occurring Institute in San Diego, CA, can help. Our unique program provides individualized quality care with positive and proven outcomes. We develop individualized and comprehensive treatment plans tailored to the needs of each client. The full range of services offered at Crownview Co-Occurring Institute helps our clients take control of their lives. We will support you from crisis to independence in a therapeutic environment with a compassionate team of professionals. Let us help you achieve a long-term recovery with the quality care you deserve. One of our team members is available to answer your questions.