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Unit 21: Psychotherapy: Meaning and Process

with the problems or issues within your life. It can also be a supportive process when going through Notes
a difficult period or under increased stress, such as starting a new career or going through a divorce.
Generally psychotherapy is recommended whenever a person is grappling with a life, relationship
or work issue or a specific mental health concern, and these issues or concerns are causing the
individual a great deal of pain or upset for longer than a few days. There are exceptions to this
general rule, but for the most part, there is no harm to going into therapy even if you’re not entirely
certain you would benefit from it. Millions of people visit a psychotherapist every year, and most
research shows that people who do so benefit from the interaction. Most therapists will also be
honest with you if they believe you won’t benefit or in their opinion, don’t need psychotherapy.
Psychotherapy is usually time-limited and focuses on specific goals you want to accomplish.
Most psychotherapy tends to focus on problem solving and is goal-oriented. That means at the
onset of treatment, you and your therapist decide upon which specific changes you would like to
make in your life. These goals will often be broken down into smaller attainable objectives and put
into a formal treatment plan. Most psychotherapists today work on and focus on helping you to
achieve those goals. This is done simply through talking and discussing techniques that the therapist
can suggest that may help you better navigate those difficult areas within your life. Often
psychotherapy will help teach people about their disorder, too, and suggest additional coping
mechanisms that the person may find more effective.
Most psychotherapy today is short-term and lasts less than a year. Most common mental disorders
can often be successfully treated in this time frame, often with a combination of psychotherapy and
medications.
Psychotherapy is most successful when the individual enters therapy on their own and has a strong
desire to change. If you don’t want to change, change will be slow in coming. Change means altering
those aspects of your life that aren’t working for you any longer, or are contributing to your problems
or ongoing issues. It is also best to keep an open mind while in psychotherapy, and be willing to try
out new things that ordinarily you may not do. Psychotherapy is often about challenging one’s
existing set of beliefs and often, one’s very self.
It is most successful when a person is able and willing to try to do this in a safe and supportive
environment.
Self Assessment

1. State wheter the following statements are ‘true’ or false :
(i) Psychotherapy is a process focussed on helping people heal and learn more constructive
ways to deal with the problems.
(ii) Most psychotherapy are long term and lasts so many years.
(iii) Psychotherapy is most successful when the individual enters therapy on their own and has
a strong desire to change.

21.2 Common Types of Psychotherapy

• Behavior Therapy
• Cognitive Therapy
• Interpersonal Therapy
• Psychodynamic Therapy
• Family Therapy
• Group Therapy

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