What Is Psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy is an interpersonal series of talk interventions, used by trained clinicians, to aid clients in problems of daily living and/or a time of crisis.

It is important for clients, before working with a specific psychotherapist, to call the Regulatory Board with whom that clinician is governed and make sure the clinician has an excellent record.

Psychotherapists utilize a wide range of therapeutic techniques, "tailor made" to the individual and/or family.

Establishing an empathetic and mutually respectful working relationship, between the therapist and client, is of the utmost importance, to begin to create and maintain positive and permanent changes in one's life.

History of Psychotherapy.

Starting in the 1950s, two main orientations evolved, cognitivism and existential-humanistic therapy. The humanistic movement largely developed from both the Existential theories of writers like Rollo May and Viktor Frankl and the Person-Centered psychotherapy of Carl Rogers. These orientations all focused less on the unconscious and more on promoting positive, holistic change through the development of a supportive, genuine, and empathic therapeutic relationship.

During the 1950s, Albert Ellis developed Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) and few years later Aaron T. Beck developed cognitive therapy. Both of these included therapy aimed at changing a person's beliefs, by contrast with the insight-based approach of psychodynamic therapies or the newer relational approach of humanistic therapies. Cognitive and behavioral approaches were combined during the 1970s, resulting in Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Being oriented towards symptom-relief, collaborative empiricism and modifying core beliefs, this approach has gained widespread acceptance as a primary treatment for numerous conditions.

Since the 1970s, other major perspectives have been developed and adopted within the field. Perhaps the two biggest have been Systems Therapy—which focuses on family and group dynamics—and Transpersonal psychology, which focuses on the spiritual facet of human experience. Other important orientations developed in the last three decades include Feminist Therapy, Somatic Psychology, Expressive Therapy, and Applied Positive Psychology. Clinical psychology in Japan developed towards a more integrative socially-orientated counseling methodology. Practice in India developed from both traditional metaphysical and ayurvedic systems and Western methodologies.

With the advent of more robust research findings regarding psychotherapy, there is growing evidence that most of the major therapies are about of equal effectiveness, with the key common element being a strong therapeutic alliance. More training programs and psychologists are now adopting an eclectic orientation. This integrative movement attempts to combine the most effective aspects of all the schools of practice.

Susan B. Jacobson, L.M.H.C.