Abnormal Psychology: Therapy

Professionals Type Role

Counseling PsychologistClinical PsychologistPsychiatrist

Psychiatric Social Worker

Psychiatric Nurse

Psychotherapy v. Biological Therapy

Psychotherapy

Individual v. Group Therapy

• Personal attention • More open

• Not alone• Insight of others• Practice skills • Provides hope –

see others succeed

• More affordable• Shorter waiting list

Group Therapy• Couples• Family• Self-help groups• Encounter groups

1. Psychoanalytic Therapy

• Goal = replace avoidant behavior with coping behavior, reduce feelings of guilt and anxiety

• How = free association, dream analysis, analysis of transference

• Evaluation = good for anxiety, mild depression, social relationships; better for educated; 70-75% improve

2. Humanistic Therapy• Goal = remove obstacles in path to self-

actualization• How = active listening, unconditional

positive regard• Evaluation = good for anxiety, mild

depression, social relationships; better for educated; 75% improve

3. Cognitive Therapy• Goal = replace irrational, self-defeating

attitudes and beliefs with rational, self-enhancing attitudes and beliefs.

• How = encouraging replacement of irrational beliefs with rational beliefs, teach techniques to evaluate beliefs and attitudes

• Evaluation = anxiety, depression (including major), personality disorders

4. Behavior Therapy (behavior modification)• Goal = replace maladaptive, self-defeating behavior with adaptive, self-enhancing behavior

• How = systematic desensitization, modeling, aversive conditioning, operant conditioning

• Evaluation = good for specific problems (phobias, PTS, compulsions), depression, social problems, self-control, behavior aspects of Schizophrenia; generally more effective than psychoanalysis or person-centered therapy

Biological Therapy

Drug Therapy• Antianxiety • Antidepressant• Lithium• Antipsychotic

Electroconvulsive Therapy

Psychosurgery

• Prefrontal Lobotomy