The majority of people who have not studied the Degree in Psychology, when they hear the word psychotherapy The first thing they imagine is a patient lying on the couch and an older man (the therapist) with a notebook writing down what the therapist tells him.
There is great ignorance in the population about psychology and psychotherapy. Many do not know the difference between a psychologist, a psychoanalyst and a psychiatrist, or the difference between a psychologist and a coach, nor do they know the different types of therapy that exist.
Regarding this last point, the problem arises when they decide to go to psychological therapy and encounter the different professional categories: psychoanalytic therapist, cognitive behavioral therapist, systemic therapist…then they ask themselves: “What is that?”
In the world of psychological therapy There are different theoretical and practical perspectives that treat problems differently.
For those who would like to know what types of psychotherapy exist, in this article we collect and explain the different psychotherapeutic approaches through a summary of the types of psychological therapy currently used.
Patients come to psychological therapy for different reasons. But it’s not easy to make the decision to see a therapist.
Unfortunately, There are still prejudices regarding this practice especially due to false beliefs about what psychotherapy is and who it is aimed at. Furthermore, many individuals think that going to a psychologist is synonymous with being a weak person, although going to psychological therapy helps to be a stronger person emotionally and provides tools for better adaptation to complicated situations that may appear on a daily basis.
In summary, psychological therapy provides these benefits :
The reasons why you should go to psychological therapy
Psychotherapy is effective in overcoming many psychological problems and improving well-being. Despite the many studies that support its effectiveness, there are people who, even if they need help, are not aware that they have the problem or avoid facing reality.
The following list shows Some signs that may indicate that it is time to go to the psychologist :
Types of psychological therapy
If you have never gone to psychological therapy, the experience can be a bit mysterious at first and even intimidating, since there are different types of psychotherapy with different ways of solving problems, and at first it can be difficult to know how to navigate between them. Next We explain the psychotherapeutic approaches or models that exist.
1. Psychoanalytic and psychodynamic therapy
The psychoanalytic therapy has its origin in the theoretical model proposed by Sigmund Freud father of psychoanalysis. His theory explains the behavior of human beings and is based on the analysis of unconscious conflicts that originate in childhood. To understand dysfunctional thoughts, psychoanalysis places emphasis on instinctive impulses that are repressed by consciousness and remain in the unconscious, affecting the subject.
The psychoanalyst It is responsible for bringing unconscious conflicts to the surface through the interpretation of dreams, failed actions and free association. “Free association” has to do with emotional catharsis, and is a technique that aims for the patient to express, in psychotherapeutic sessions, all their ideas, emotions, thoughts and images as they are presented to them, without repressing them. Once the patient has expressed himself, the psychoanalyst must determine which factors, within these manifestations, reflect an unconscious conflict.
This psychotherapy model also focuses on defense mechanisms which are incorrect ways to resolve psychological conflict and can lead to disorders in the mind and behavior, and in the most extreme cases to the somatization of the psychological conflict and the physical dysfunctions that express it.
If you like know more about psychoanalysis we recommend the following readings:
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
The psychodynamic therapy follow the line that includes the psychoanalytic thought of postmodernity. Therefore, it is derived from psychoanalysis, although more briefly, by focusing the intervention on certain conflicts highlighted in the patient’s current condition.
Since it leaves the classical vision behind, it includes contributions such as the analytical approach to the self or that of the object relations of Kleinian current. In addition to Melanie Klein’s contribution, other psychologists such as Adler or Ackerman have participated in the development of psychodynamic therapy.
To practice this form of therapy, changes have been proposed in the ways of carrying out the therapy, however, the objective remains the same: Help the client gain insight into their hidden motives and conflicts. Currently, psychodynamic therapies still coexist with psychoanalytic therapies, the latter continue to focus on Freud’s vision and are called “psychoanalytically oriented psychotherapies.”
The clearer differences between both orientations They can be:
2. Cognitive-behavioral therapy
From the cognitive-behavioral perspective It is understood that thoughts, beliefs and attitudes affect feelings and emotions and behavior. Therefore, this form of therapy combines different methods derived from cognitive therapy and behavioral therapy. That is, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) consists of a series of techniques that focus on teaching the patient a series of skills to better cope with different problems.
CBT is based on the idea that what we think about different situations affects the way we feel and behave. For example, if we interpret a situation in a negative way we will experience negative emotions as a result, and that will cause us to behave in a maladaptive way. It is the treatment par excellence for anxiety disorders such as phobias, since it is understood that. In this case, a traumatic situation causes analogous situations to be interpreted as threatening. This causes the patient to avoid exposing himself to these situations due to the intense and irrational fear he feels.
In CBT the patient works with the therapist to identify and change dysfunctional thought patterns. To identify the problem, the therapist performs what is known as functional analysis of behavior. The functional analysis of behavior attempts to find out the factors responsible for the production or maintenance of behaviors classified as maladaptive and the relationship of contingencies that is established between them.
Once the problem is detected and analyzed, different cognitive-behavioral techniques are used, such as training in social skills, expository techniques, problem-solving techniques, cognitive restructuring, etc. The objective of these forms of intervention is to modify behavioral patterns both in the way of thinking and feeling and in the way of interacting with others and the environment.
3. Humanistic Therapy
The humanistic psychology is considered the third wave of psychologycontemplating the cognitive-behavioral and psychoanalytic perspectives as the two predominant forces prior to the humanistic one. This emerged in the middle of the 20th century, through the proposals and work of Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers mostly.
It is strongly influenced by phenomenology and existentialism. The first highlights the fact that we are never able to experience “reality itself” directly, while the opposite occurs with those subjective aspects of which we are aware. The legitimate sources of knowledge are intellectual and emotional experience. From existentialism, this form of therapy includes reflection on human existence itself.
Therefore, from this humanistic perspective The individual is a conscious, intentional being, in constant development whose mental representations and subjective states are a valid source of knowledge about oneself. The patient is seen as the main main actor in his existential search. This search forces him to go through a series of stages or subjective states in which he asks himself the “why” of what is happening to him, the meaning of what he is experiencing, and what he can do to improve his situation.
The humanistic therapist has a secondary role as a facilitator of the process, allowing the subject to find the answers they are looking for on their own. One of the key concepts of this type of therapy is self-realization of the human being.
Maslow’s Pyramid and the self-realization of the human being
Maslow was the author of the Maslow’s pyramid which is a psychological theory that explains human motivation. According to Abraham Maslow, our actions are motivated to meet certain needs. That is, there is a hierarchy of human needs, and he argues that as the most basic needs are satisfied, human beings develop higher needs and desires. At the top of the pyramid are the needs for self-actualization.
Carl Rogers and Person-Centered Therapy
Another famous humanistic psychologist, Carl Rogers developed what is known as person centered therapy whose goal is to allow the patient (whom Rogers prefers to call the client) to be in control of their own therapy.
Person-centered therapy allows the client to enter into a process of becoming aware of the real experience and restructuring their self through establishing a strong therapeutic alliance with the therapist and listening to the deep meanings of your own experience.
To achieve this, the therapist is:
Authentic/congruent. The therapist is honest with both himself and the client.
Empathic. The therapist places himself on the same level as the client, understanding him not so much as a psychologist but as a person he can trust. The therapist is able to put himself in the other’s shoes, and through active listening shows that he understands the client.
Shows unconditional positive regard. The therapist respects the client as a human being and does not judge him.
4. Gestalt Therapy
The Gestalt Therapy It was developed by Fritz Perls, Laura Perls and Paul Goodman in the 1940s, and It is a type of humanistic therapy since it conceives the human being, his goals and his range of needs and potentialities. Therefore, from this position it is understood that the mind is a self-regulating and holistic unit, and is based on the basic principle of Gestalt Psychology that “the whole is more than the sum of the parts.”
Gestalt therapists use experiential and creative techniques to enhance patient self-awareness, freedom, and self-direction. This is a therapeutic model that not only has its roots in Gestalt Psychology, but is also influenced by psychoanalysis, Reich’s character analysis, existential philosophy, Eastern religion, phenomenology, and Moreno’s psychodrama.
For many, Gestalt therapy is more than a therapeutic model, It is an authentic philosophy of life, which contributes positively to the individual’s way of perceiving relationships with the world. The present moment and the self-awareness of the emotional and bodily experience are of great importance, and the individual is seen from a holistic and unifying perspective, simultaneously integrating its sensory, affective, intellectual, social and spiritual dimensions. That is, it understands him in his global experience.
Therapy sessions revolve around “insight” regarding the patient’s experiences, and They encourage him to creatively explore ways to find his own satisfaction in the different areas of his life. and in this way, the patient can live and experience new solutions. This is more of an educational approach than a medical one. The therapist is not directive, that is, he does not tell the patient what to do, but rather uses the educational capacity of dialogue and is more concerned with the bond of trust with the patient, with the aim of increasing the authenticity of the relationship to allow the patient to explore the experience in its entirety.
5. Systemic therapy
Systemic therapy takes into account the representation of reality seen from a holistic and integrative perspective where the important thing is the relationships and the components that arise from them. In therapeutic sessions, relationship and communication are very important in any group that interacts and that affects the patient (or patients), understood as a system.
It is applied in the treatment of disorders conceptualized as the expression of alterations in the interactions, relational styles and communication patterns of a group, such as couples or families, but also to individual people, taking into account the different systems that make up their context. .
Has a more practical than analytical approach to problem solving. It is not so important who has the problem (for example, who is aggressive), but rather that focuses on identifying dysfunctional patterns within the behavior of the group of people in order to redirect those patterns directly. That is, it is about systems finding balance.
Brief therapy (or brief systemic therapy)
The brief therapy It develops from systemic therapy. Since at the beginning of the 70s it was proposed that the systemic model could be applied to a single individual even if the entire family did not attend. This marked the birth of brief therapy at the Palo Alto MRI which is a set of intervention procedures and techniques that aim to help individuals, couples, families or groups mobilize their resources to achieve their objectives in the shortest time possible.
Brief therapy has created a radical change in psychotherapy, developing a brief, simple, effective and efficient model to help people produce change.
Other types of psychotherapy
The psychotherapy models proposed so far are the best known and most applied for psychological treatment. But they are not the only ones, since there are other forms of psychological therapy that have emerged recently and others that have evolved from the previous ones.
For example, narrative therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, social-cognitive therapy, hypnotic therapy, etc.
Bonus: Mindfulness Therapy
A psychotherapy model that is rigorously current and has generated great interest in scientific circles is Mindfulness Therapy. This collects concepts from the buddhist philosophy and of the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and is located within what is known as the third generation or the third wave of psychological therapies.
The objective of Mindfulness is that the participants acquire a state of consciousness and calm that helps them self-regulate their behavior and know themselves better. In addition to accepting yourself as you are and being in the present. But more than a set of techniques to be in the present moment, it is an attitude towards life. It is a coping style that leverages personal strengths.
Mindfulness provides patients with a method to learn to manage emotions, reactions, attitudes and thoughts so that they can face the situations that arise in their lives, through the practice and improvement of mindfulness. With progress through the practice of mindfulness in the present moment and with an attitude of compassion towards oneself, certain positive attitudes develop in relation to the mental state and emotions, controlling them from freedom, knowledge in oneself and acceptance.
Bibliographic references:
Ackerman, N. (1970). Theory and practice of family therapy. Buenos Aires: Proteus.
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McNamee, S., & Gergen, K.J. (1996). Therapy as social construction. Barcelona: Paidós.
O’Hanlon, W. H. (1989). Deep roots. Basic principles of therapy and hypnosis by Milton Erickson. Buenos Aires: Paidós.
Silverman, D. K. (2005). What Works in Psychotherapy and How Do We Know?: What Evidence-Based Practice Has to Offer. Psychoanalytic Psychology. 22 (2): pp. 306 – 312.
Strupp, H.; Binder, J. (1984). Psychotherapy in a New Key. New York: Basic Books.
Wampold, BE, Flückiger, C., Del Re, AC, Yulish, NE, Frost, ND, Pace, BT, et al. (2017). In pursuit of truth: A critical examination of meta-analyses of cognitive behavior therapy. Psychotherapy Research. 27 (1): pp. 14 – 32.
