Whats Up, Doc?

Mental Therapies and Their Uses

Psychodynamic Therapy
If youre picturing Tony Soprano opening up to Dr. Melfi, youre onto
something. Psychodynamic therapy is all about talking. More specifically, the patient is
guided to talk about his or her thoughts and feelings and free associate (i.e. talk
uninterrupted about whatever comes to mind), with the goal of bringing unconscious
patterns of behavior to the fore so they can more easily be addressed and (if it would be
beneficial to the patients health) changed.

Useful For: Depression, anxiety, anything panic-related, anyone curious about/interested

in exploring his or her own mind

Term of Treatment: Can be a fixed term or open-ended; often lasts up to two years

What to Expect: Sessions take place once or twice per week and are unstructured. The
patient is encouraged to guide the session by talking freely about whatever is on his or
her mind.

Find a Psychodyanmic Therapist/Analyst

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Based on the idea that we can make permanent changes in the way we behave by shifting
our negative patterns of thinking, Cognitive Behaviorial Therapy (CBT for short) is
short-term and goal-oriented. The therapist and patient work together to identify the
behaviors the patient wants to change and then come up with an action plan to do so.

Useful for: Depression, anxiety, eating disorders, mood disorders, phobias

Term of Treatment: Four to seven months, with meetings every one to three weeks

What to Expect: Sessions are structured and the relationship with the therapist can be
more business-like than in other kinds of therapy. In other words, the patient and
therapist will work together to identify and change problematic patterns of thinking and
behaving. The patient is given homework, which consists of keeping a record of his or
her thoughts, feelings, and behaviors between sessions.

Find a Cognitive-Behavior Therapist

Family Therapy
Families are so much more than the sum of their parts, and can experience struggle and
conflict singular enough to warrant a pop culture genre. Luckily, family therapy considers
the family unit to be a system with its own unique dynamics (rather than just a collection
of individuals who happen to be related). It may address specific problems like an
addiction in the family or focus more generally on communication and members
relationships with each other.

Useful for: Families dealing with substance abuse, mental illness, eating disorders,
abuse, financial worries, and other problems

Term of Treatment: Short term, but duration depends on the severity of the problems
and how long it takes to resolve them. Most cases are completed within 20 sessions.

What to Expect: Typically the family is treated together, but members may also see the
therapist (or a different one) on their own.

Find a Family Therapist

Group Therapy
The more the merrier, right? Group therapy is useful for anyone who wants to explore the
challenges and conflicts he or she is experiencing in relationships, work, life, etc., and do
so in a supportive group setting with other people who are struggling with the same or
similar things.

Useful For: People who are struggling with anything from depression and anxiety to loss
or trauma and want to work through these issues in the company of others. The group
setting offers unique opportunities to learn from others and get lots of feedback, and it
tends to be cheaper than seeing a therapist one-on-one (making it a good option for those
on a budget).

Term of Treatment: Six to 20 weeks

What to Expect: The therapist will put together a group of five to 10 people who share
the same problem or conflict. The group meets for 75 to 90 minutes for a conversation
guided by the therapist.

Find a Group Therapist

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Originally developed to treat individuals with suicidal thoughts, DBT has since been
found to be an effective treatment for people with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
and BPD-like symptoms (which include unstable moods, extreme reactions like panic,
depression, suicidal thoughts, and fear of abandonment). DBT was designed to help these
individuals understand their thoughts and behaviors as out-of-the-ordinary and extreme,
and then learn coping and interpersonal skills that allow them to find more measured,
moderate ways of acting and reacting.
Useful For: Anyone who experiences the kinds of feelings associated with Borderline
Personality Disorder (even if they arent diagnosed as such), including high emotional
reactivity, rapid mood changes, and ongoing feelings of emptiness, especially as the
result of trauma or abuse, eating disorders, substance abuse, or obsessive-compulsive
disorder

Term of Treatment: Although DBT typically lasts less than one year, the duration of
treatment depends on how long it takes for the patient to experience improvement.

What to Expect: Weekly therapy sessions are focused around problem-solving and
learning or improving interpersonal skills. Patients will also attend weekly group therapy
sessions in order to learn additional skills, and will be given homework so they can
monitor and evaluate their behavior over time.

Find a DBT Therapist

Interpersonal Therapy
No matter how many reasons there are to appreciate other people, relationships of all
kinds can be tough. Typically used to treat those with depression, Interpersonal
Therapy focuses on the patients relationships with other people and how depression has
affected the patients ability to relate to and communicate with partners, friends, family,
and others.

Useful For: Individuals who suffer from depression

Term of Treatment: Up to 20 weeks

What to Expect: After an initial assessment phase in which the therapist and patient
work together to identify the patients problem areas, treatment is task-oriented and
focused on improving the patients interpersonal skills.
What is psychotherapy? Learn about the similarities and differences in the therapy techniques a psychiatrist
may use to treat mental illness.

If you or a loved one has recently been diagnosed with a mental disorder or illness, a course of treatment from a
licensed psychiatrist will likely involve at least some therapeutic component. But not all psychotherapy methods are
the same.

Familiarize yourself with these commonly employed therapy styles:

Cognitive behavioral therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy, also known as talking therapy, focuses on the role of thinking in what a patient feels
and does. Its actually a blend of two therapeutic approaches, cognitive therapy and behavioral therapy. By examining
a patients thoughts and beliefs as well as their actions aims to change both a persons thinking as well as unhealthy
behavior patterns. Cognitive behavioral therapy can be used to treat many mental disorders.

Dialectical behavior therapy

A form of cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy was developed to treat people who had suicidal
thoughts or performed suicidal actions. Its most commonly used to treat borderline personality disorder, an illness
that is frequently characterized by suicidal thoughts and actions. This form of therapy emphasizes the relationship
between the patient and the therapist, and may also include group therapy.

Interpersonal therapy

This form of therapy focuses on a patient's interactions with people that may contribute to psychological problems.
The goal is to change the way a patient interacts with people by teaching them to adapt to roles and situations. It is
commonly used to treat depression.

Family-focused therapy

By focusing on a patients relationship with their family, this form of therapy seeks to improve those relationships,
which may produce more effective treatment results. This form typically involves a therapist educating a family about
the symptoms of their loved ones illness or disorder, as well as help families resolve issues that may affect the
patients mental health.

Learn more about you or your loved one's mental illness or disorder by asking an Indianapolis psychiatrist about
which therapy methods they use.

Therapy can be given in a variety of formats, including:

Individual: This therapy involves only the patient and the therapist.
Group: Two or more patients may participate in therapy at the same time.
Patients are able to share experiences and learn that others feel the same way
and have had the same experiences.
Marital/couples: This type of therapy helps spouses and partners understand
why their loved one has a mental disorder, what changes in communication and
behaviors can help, and what they can do to cope. This type of therapy can also
be used to help a couple that is struggling with aspects of their relationship.
 Family: Because family is a key part of the team that helps people with mental
illness get better, it is sometimes helpful for family members to understand
what their loved one is going through, how they themselves can cope, and what
they can do to help.

Individual therapyalso known as psychotherapy, talk therapy, or counselingis a collaborative

process between therapist and client that aims to facilitate change and improve quality of life. Therapy
can help people confront barriers that interfere with emotional and mental well-being, and it can also
increase positive feelings such as compassion, self-esteem, love, courage, and peace. Many people find
they enjoy the therapeutic journey of becoming more self-aware, and they may pursue ongoing
psychotherapy as a means of self-growth and self-actualization.

Milieu therapy
1. 1. NUR 448 Milieu Therapy
2. 2. What is Milieu Therapy? <ul><li>A healing environment </li></ul><ul><li>Use of the
physical and social environment to promote safety, optimal functioning, develop
interpersonal skills, and to teach life management skills to use after discharge </li></ul>
3. 3. Purpose <ul><li>Promote mental health and rehabilitation </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Focus on
group process </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Democratic
</li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Interdisciplinary approach </li></ul></ul>
Milieu therapy is a form of psychotherapy that involves the use of therapeutic communities. Patients
join a group of around 30, for between 9 and 18 months. During their stay, patients are encouraged
to take responsibility for themselves and the others within the unit, based upon a hierarchy of
collective consequences. Patients are expected to hold one another to following rules, with more
senior patients expected to model appropriate behavior for newer patients.

Remotivation Therapy A simple form of group work that can be used in a community home, hospital or
senior day-care center.
Is often used in combination with reality orientation groups. GOAL:

To prevent disengagement, increase interest in reality, and stimulate thinking as the person focuses on
simple objective aspects of everyday life. The groups are usually limited to 12 sessions, 1 hour per
session, with as many as 15 persons in a group.

Psychotherapy (sometimes called talk therapy) is a term for a variety of treatment

techniques that aim to help a person identify and change troubling emotions, thoughts, and
behavior. Most psychotherapy takes place with a licensed and trained mental health care
professional and a patient meeting one on one or with other patients in a group setting