PSYCHOTHERAPIES
INTRODUCTION
When we talking about psychotherapies a decade ago, many doubts arose about its effectiveness as a method of treatment for emotional problems. As Arestides Volpato Cordioli wrote in his book Psychotherapies’ … after the so-called ‘brain decade’, at a time when, driven by enthusiasm for new discoveries, especially neurochemistry and psychopharmacology, many people questioned not only the relative effectiveness of psychotherapies, and also they even doubted their survival.
In the last decades with the development of Psychology and its diversities in several areas that have allowed the resurgence of several treatment’ techniques for problems of an emotional nature, which made the need for the emergence of psychotherapies as one of the treatment methods in which trained people, through the use of psychological techniques, can deliberately establishes a professional relationship with those seeking help to remove or modify existing symptoms, delay their onset, correct dysfunctional patterns of interpersonal relationships, as well as promote growth and personality development. (Wolberg, 1988)
Like Pols said “Psychotherapy represents a key technology of contemporary selfhood, one primarily oriented to individual adjustment. However, it also possesses a transformative capacity that extends beyond the individual client. All forms of psychotherapy – even the most pragmatically instrumental – are grounded in a shared cultural framework. But most also attempt to transcend these shared understandings by introducing new ways of interpreting personal experience, challenging received assumptions and
norms (Pols, 2018).
In this paper we are going to say that today when we talking about Psychotherapy it should be spoken in the plural, since there are several types of Psychotherapies, such as: Behavioral and Cognitive Psychotherapy; Psychoanalytic psychotherapy; Analytical Guidance Psychotherapy; Brief Dynamic Psychotherapy; Group Psychotherapy; Family psychotherapy; etc. etc.
AN HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF PSYCHOTHERAPIE
Psychotherapy (=mind healing) has a long past and a short history. If we take the term psychotherapy to mean activities by which some kind of authorized person heals troubles and diseases by psychological means, the story of psychotherapy is as old as the story of humanity. As the specialized activity of a person with a specific professional identity, psychotherapy has a fairly short history. It may be traced no further back than the emergence of psychiatry (medical treatment of mental disorders) as an autonomous branch of medicine in the eighteenth century (Tringer, 2004).
From all times and in all cultures, modes of psychic regulation existed, from Greek antiquity, where Aristotle already considered the dream as an object of psychological investigation, until today, many “psychotherapists” have exercised their profession. Their style and title have varied: priests, moralists, philosophers, doctors, healers, … in Western civilization, or shamans, marabouts, sorcerers, gurus, … in other cultures. Whether in the form of a science, an art or a magic practice, an intra-psychic (internal to the person) and inter-psychic (between people) regulation seems necessary for any society.
It gives it a definite form of organization and designates a person to fulfill the role of the “therapist”. There was a long confused with religion, or with medicine and psychiatry.
Psychotherapy became a new and independent therapeutic technique with the nineteenth century.
We can consider Philippe Pinel (1745-1826) as the forerunner of modern psychotherapy: he treats man and not his illness! It is the time of the first interviews with the patients: “The essence of the treatment consists in an intimate and daily conversation which is better for the patient than the showers or the chloral …”. Parallel and sometimes in opposition to this “moral psychotherapy”, the works on magnetism (Mesmer) and hypnosis (Charcot) bring a certain technicality and rigor to these interviews. For example Hypnosis was first used as a method of counter-suggestion to the “erroneous” ideas of patients, becomes with J. Breuer a cathartic method. By allowing forgotten traumatic memories to come back, it is effective in cases of hysteria.
It is of great interest to S. Freud (1856-1939) who – as we know – makes an extraordinary development of it by creating psychoanalysis. This new approach disrupts all the conceptions of the time. Freud quickly abandons hypnosis as a therapeutic tool, but keeps, from his first investigations, a primordial and dynamic place for the unconscious in the organization of the human psyche. From this first topical (conscious / unconscious) and over the years, he built his theory dividing the psyche into three new instances (Id/ Ego/ Superego). But the identification of these psychic places would not have made Freud a genius if he had not shown the dynamism that connects them and organizes them according to libidinal development. In the end, it is the way in which the individual invests his libido on the other who defines his psychic structure. Hence the importance of the relationship of the patient to his analyst (transfer) and the analyst to his patient (counter-transference) which becomes in Freudian theory the essential tool of the psychoanalytic cure.
Others, of course, have developed his work, often by opposing him or even splitting, and have left their mark on psychotherapy: Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961) develops the “royal road” (expression due to Freud) to the unconscious that are nocturnal dreams; he thus expands the work on dreams by showing that one can access not only the content of the personal unconscious but also collective through the archetypal images of dreams. W. Reich (1897-1957) opens an important perspective to psychoanalysis by showing that one can also reach the unconscious through the body; he uses the concept of “character cuirass” to describe how muscles keep the memory of past events and how through them one can act on neurosis. From his research is born in the 60s a movement of thought giving a large place to the body in therapy. He will thus create many psycho-corporal techniques, including the biodynamic psychology founded by Gerda Boyesen and his children: Ebba, Mona, and Paul Boyesen. J. Lacan (1901-1981) returns to the source, that is to say to Freud. For him, the unconscious is structured like a language. The purely verbal psychoanalytic cure is therefore the only real access to the unconscious in Lacanian conceptions.
Alfred Adler (1870-1937) he regarded as a re-educative process in which the therapist, who serves a model and source of encouragement, engages in a warm relationship with the patient and enables him to understand the lifestyle he has assumed. Unconscious determinants of behavior are less crucial than conscious ones and the term ‘unconscious ‘ is used only descriptively to refer to aspects of the person that are not understood by him.
We can consider the chief features in the approach of the neo-Freudians by looking briefly at Karen Horney (1885-1952). She became disenchanted with Freud’s rigid focus on instinctual biological factors, arguing that cultural factors were more salient, as reflected in the differences in psychological development and behaviour among different social cultural groups. Indeed, behaviour regard as normal in one culture could be viewed as neurotic in another.
In line with her emphasis on culture, Horney advanced the role of parental love in the life of a young child. Children typically suffer anxiety, a consequence of feeling helpless in a threatening world. The child reared in a loving atmosphere succeed in overcoming basic anxiety. By contrast, the deprived child comes to view the world as cruel and hazardous. An inevitable result is low self-esteem.
The task of therapy is to examine the patient’s defective patterns in relating others. Therapy aims to enable the patient to move with others, by engaging in relationship which are reciprocal and mutual ? Another goal is greater self-relationship, with freedom from determined modes of thought and action.
It is important to say the current psychotherapy is not only the heir of psychoanalysis, other currents from other social sciences such as sociology, philosophy, ethnology or cybernetics profoundly influence it and are still promising today. interesting developments. To be concise in the face of the proliferation of methods, we can cite some of the names that gave birth to the most important currents: K. Lewin (gestalt-theory for group dynamics), J. Moreno (sociometry and psychodrama), C Rogers (non-directive psychotherapy), F. Perls (gestalt therapy) and G. Bateson (systemic therapy). The current development of neuroscience is gradually highlighting the biological determinism of affects on the forms of cognitive and symbolic activity and opens new definitions concerning the unconscious and consciousness.
What is Psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, is a way to help people with a broad variety of mental illnesses and emotional difficulties. Psychotherapy (from the Greek psykhē – mind, and therapeuein – heal; first reference ca. 1890). Etymologically, psychotherapy means “soul treatment.” Scottish physician James Braid (1795-1860) was one of the first to use the term.
Psychotherapy can help eliminate or control troubling symptoms so a person can function better and can increase well-being and healing.
Problems helped by psychotherapy include difficulties in coping with daily life; the impact of trauma, medical illness or loss, like the death of a loved one; and specific mental disorders, like depression or anxiety.
Psychotherapy — also called “talk therapy” or just plain therapy — is a process whereby psychological problems are treated through communication and relationship factors between an individual and a trained mental health professional. Modern psychotherapy is time-limited, focused, and usually occurs once a week for 45-50 minutes per session.
Being an area of mental health, psychotherapy is the main line of treatment for any subject concerning the psyche. For this, they propose psychological interventions, whose central objectives are: restore optimal psychic functioning of the patient; allow the patient to understand the causes of what affects him, so that he can find psychic resources to deal with his difficulties, problems etc; develop ways of acting in the world by redefining their personality traits; solving specific problems that afflict him, as well as observing more existential issues.
There are several different types of psychotherapy and some types may work better with certain problems or issues. Psychotherapy may be used in combination with medication or other therapies.
PRINCIPAL APPROACHES OF PSYCHOTHERAPIES
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, is growing in popularity as na efficient and long lasting treatment for many different types of psychological problem.
CBT is a school of psychotherapy which work with cognitive psychotherapy and behavioural psychotherap.
A particular school May encapsulate a wide variety of emphases, with resultant overlap between approaches. This is particularly the cause with cognitive therapy. Although a prototypic version of cognitive therapy can be described, approaches identifying themselves as ‘cognitive’ include those highlighting a highly perspective approach with a focus on behavioural change (e.g. Meichenbaum 1977)
Cognitive means mental processes like thinking. The word ‘cognitive ‘ refers to everything that goes on in your mind including dreams, memories, images, thoughts, and attention.
Behavioural psychotherapy it is also very difficult to define. Where is has been referred to as group of treatments based on the application of learning theory, this is only partly correct. Many behavioural treatments have been discovered and refined by trial and error, and by clinicians examining what is beneficial. In many cases, learning theory has been modified to incorporate clinical findings. (Lynne M. Drummond and Brett Kennedy, 2006).
Behaviour refers to everything that you do. This includes what you say, how you try to solve problems, how you act, and avoidance. Behaviour refers to both action and inaction, for example bitting your tongue instead of speaking your mind is still a behaviour even though you are trying not to do something.
Cognitive behavioral psychotherapy aims to identify and change patterns of thinking and behavior that are detrimental to well-being. The goal is to replace these saboteur behaviors with healthy ideals. Usually the technique involves learning new social skills.
Like Bob Willson wrote ‘a central concept in CBT is that you feel the way you think. Therefore, CBT works on the principle that you can live more happily and productively if you’re thinking in healthy ways.’
Cognitive Analytic Therapy
Cognitive AnalyticTherapy (CAT) is an integrative model of psychotherapy developed over recent decades by Ryle and subsequently further elaborated by others. (Denman 2002; e Ryle and Kerr 2002). Although devised as a brief therapy for ‘neurotic’ problems, it has become a mature model of development and psychopathology applicable to na expanding range conditions. Committed to evidence-based practice, it’s origins lie partly in process research (Ryle 1980; Bennett and Parry 2003, 2004)
Characteristic features of CAT are its proactive, collaborative therapeutic stand and a relational approach stressing the interpersonal origins and context of most of psychopathology. Significantly, a major part of Ryle’s motivation was na attempt to devise a ‘good enough’ intervention for the vast numbers of patients encountered in public mental health services and this attitude of social responsibility still pervades the model (Ian B. Kerr and Anthony Ryle 2006).
In this therapy the patient is oriented to freely and without censorship express his thoughts, feelings, fantasies, dreams, images, without prejudging their relevance or meaning, as well as the associations that occur to him.
The patient is encouraged to explain his feelings, ideas, attitudes, his relationships with important figures of his present life, the past, and the therapist himself for insight.
Psychotherapy Psychoanalytic
‘Psychoanalysis’ literally means dividing the mind into its constituent elements and its dynamic processes.
Psychotherapy Psychoanalytic – ‘Psychoanalysis’ was founded by Sigmund Freud. According to him, people could be healed by making their unconscious thoughts and motivations conscious. The goal of therapy is to bring out repressed emotions and experiences in order to make the unconscious conscious. It is able to treat psychological disorders and disorders such as depression and anxiety. In treatment, it is possible to resolve both the symptoms and the underlying cause. The goal of psychoanalysis is to facilitate the healing and rehabilitation process of patients. The focus of psychoanalysis is on the subconscious, and its methods involve free interpretation of ideas, dream interpretation, and analysis of faulty acts.
Psychoanalysis is intended for the treatment of problems of a chronic nature, the origin of which lies in past difficulties, especially in relations with parents, even if their manifestations occur in the present, with the aim of reorganizing the structure of character. and correcting developmental gaps in patients with maladaptive personality traits, mild or moderate personality disorders, but relatively preserved aspects of the ego. (Aristides Volpato Cordioli 1998)
Family Psychotherapy
It is a type of psychotherapy that takes into account that every human being is part of a system or family. The patient tells the psychologist his problems, and then the professional will investigate relevant information from his family, such as illnesses, deaths, separations, fights, among others.
Family Therapy: What It Is, How It Works, and What It Is. After this analysis, the therapist will notice familiar patterns that repeat over time, and how the patient may be living with the consciousness of his ancestors, rather than acting on his own essence.
Why treat the family?
The answer is simple: What happens to one family member affects everyone else. Conversely, what happens to the family necessarily influences all its members. We learn our vocabulary, our habits, our customs and rituals, and how to view and observe the world around us.
We also learn how to love and how to interact with others from these first important relationships.
If we are born into a healthy family with healthy relationships, we are likely to learn how to maintain healthy relationships. If we are born into a dysfunctional family that struggles to connect, we may also struggle to connect with others.
It is necessary to think of the family as a unit (Minuchin, 1982). The family is a living organism, an open system that develops and transforms itself over time (neither born nor dies, arises from families, and becomes new ones). It consists of at least three generations (Andofi, 1981 and 1984) that influence each other, defining the rules of operation that vary with the life cycle stage and the situational crises faced.
Family therapy offers families a way to do this—a way to develop or maintain a healthy, functional family.
Group Psychotherapy
Group therapy refers to a group psychotherapy in which one or more therapists treat several patients together, grouped together. Group treatment would reveal positive effects that would not be achieved in individual sessions.
Human beings live, work, and play in diverse groups, and find and express their identity through social interaction. Not surprisingly, many of the psychological problems they experienced stem from disturbed relationships within the groups in which they have learned to be the people they are. With increasing recognition of the interpersonal factor in psychiatry theory and practice has come the development of psychotherapies that have as their target problems between people rather than within the individual.(Mark Avelino, 2006).
Many groups are designed to target a specific problem, such as depression, obesity, panic disorder, social anxiety, chronic pain or substance abuse. Other groups focus more generally on improving social skills, helping people deal with a range of issues such as anger, shyness, loneliness and low self-esteem. Groups often help those who have experienced loss, whether it be a spouse, a child or someone who died by suicide.
Benefits of Group Therapy
Joining a group of strangers may sound intimidating at first, but group therapy provides benefits that individual therapy may not. Psychologists say, in fact, that group members are almost always surprised by how rewarding the group experience can be.
Groups can act as a support network and a sounding board. Other members of the group often help you come up with specific ideas for improving a difficult situation or life challenge, and hold you accountable along the way.
Regularly talking and listening to others also helps you put your own problems in perspective. Many people experience mental health difficulties, but few speak openly about them to people they don’t know well. Oftentimes, you may feel like you are the only one struggling — but you’re not. It can be a relief to hear others discuss what they’re going through, and realize you’re not alone.
Diversity is another important benefit of group therapy. People have different personalities and backgrounds, and they look at situations in different ways. By seeing how other people tackle problems and make positive changes, you can discover a whole range of strategies for facing your own concerns.
Couple Psychotherapy
Te institution of marriage, especially in Western societies, is in a state of flux. Pressures exist which both idealize and undermine couple relationships. There is increased public interest in exploring the nature of couple interaction a parallel process which questions the basis of couple relationships and seeks more individual freedom and fulfillment. It is not surprising therefore that is a high demand four couple therapy (Crowe and Ridley, 2000)
In many cases, these differences create conflicts difficult to overcome and lead to a crisis situation in which the couple does not know how to get out because they have not acquired the tools necessary to address various conflicts.
The most frequent reasons couple look for help of psychotherapist is that:
There are signs that help in deciding a query.
Discomfort in one or both partners. These problems may range from permanent conflict transition.
Lack of communication, frequent arguments.
Aggressive, abusive or violent situations when they arise.
Emotional dependency, manipulation, insecurity.
Infidelity, jealousy issues.
Economic, health or unexpected changes.
Sexual difficulties.
When they took the decision to separate, to help make it as less traumatic.
They can also go to see those couples with relatively few problems, but wish to improve their relationship. Such couples are often boring, hide their feelings or put up with each other.
In our day there is a new reality that is also associated with the influence of the feminist movement, which has made important contributions to cultural changes in our society. Its writer against the concurrent situation of inequality, of lower power of women, warned professionals not to leave aside the basic fact that at present, with both women working, most of the time women are occupied at home, on average, two times. daily hours more than men, thus proving the thesis of the “double working day” (Carter, 1992). Therefore, it is very common for the couple who present themselves for therapy with a very dissatisfied and depressed woman, taking initiative for the resale and resell larger space.
At this point, which acts Couple Psychotherapy as it is an action that favors the emergence of new perspectives to improve relations and resolve conflicts. Help build a new way to interact and relate to each other, from a place in which to grow and feel better.
Psychodynamic therapy
Psychodynamic therapy is based on the idea that behavior and mental well-being are influenced by childhood experiences and inappropriate repetitive thoughts or feelings that are unconscious (outside of the person’s awareness). A person works with the therapist to improve self-awareness and to change old patterns so he/she can more fully take charge of his/her life.
Psychoanalysis is a more intensive form of psychodynamic therapy. Sessions are typically conducted three or more times a week.
Supportive therapy uses guidance and encouragement to help patients develop their own resources. It helps build self-esteem, reduce anxiety, strengthen coping mechanisms, and improve social and community functioning. Supportive psychotherapy helps patients deal with issues related to their mental health conditions which in turn affect the rest of their lives.
Additional therapies sometimes used in combination with psychotherapy include:
– Animal-assisted therapy – working with dogs, horses or other animals to bring comfort, help with communication and help cope with trauma
– Creative arts therapy- use of art, dance, drama, music and poetry therapies
– Play therapy – to help children identify and talk about their emotions and feelings.
CONCLUSION
Psychotherapy is not something that occurs overnight, it must be programmed according to the needs of the client (patient). In many cases, the psychotherapist may ask you to return to the office in sessions over a period of months or even years. The ideal duration of sessions is 45 to 50 minutes and they are held at frequencies ranging from three times a week to once every two weeks. These are general guidelines only and may vary in practice due to circumstances, individual availability or illness. It is often practical to have more frequent sessions at the beginning and to meet at longer intervals as treatment progresses. A peaceful environment should be provided for the sessions. It is essential to discuss the likely duration of therapy with patients and obtain their consent early in the process, and to place them in a verbal – or perhaps written – therapy contract.
There are also several reasons why psychotherapy can also be sought, such as the desire to connect with ourselves, and for people who want to know each other better, at times when the person feels sad and lonely for long periods of time. without any ability to solve your problems even with effort and the help of friends and family; at times when a person cannot concentrate on work and focus on other day-to-day activities due to over-concern, and always living in anticipation of the worst to come; living constantly tense, harming yourself and others with your actions. In addition to those already mentioned there are several other situations that require psychotherapeutic treatment such as: Psychotherapy can treat various psychological disorders, the most common being:
Depression
Anxiety
Anorexia nervosa
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Borderline Personality disorder
Bipolar Disorder
Insanity
Attention deficit with Hyperactivity disorder
Schizophrenia
Autism
Post-traumatic Stress
Etc, etc.
I am sure in this work I just describe some of psychotherapies does not mean those are the most important but it was the choice I made for this work.
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cordioli, Aristides Volpato, PSICOTERAPIAS, Abordagens Actuais, 2* edição, ARTMED, Porto Alegre, 1998.
Rangé, Bernard, Psicoterapia Comportamental e Cognitiva de Transtornos Psiquiátricos, Editorial Pay, Brasil, 1998.
Scott Jan, ‘et al’, Terapia Cognitiva na Pratica Clínica, um Manual Prático, Editora ARTES MÉDICAS, Porto Alegre, 1994.
Willson, Rob and Branch, Rhena, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for DUMMIES, John Wiley &Sons, LTD, 2006.
Bloch, Sidney, An Introduction to the Psychotherapies, fourth edition, OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRES, 2006.
Sites
https://positivepsychology.com/family-therapy/
https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/group-therapy
http://www.centroatc.com/us/psicoterapia-de-pareja/
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https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/psychotherapy
http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/understanding-psychotherapy.aspx
http://www.onp.org.br/index.php/sobre-a-psicanalise
https://www.efapo.fr/histoire-de-la-psychotherapie/
https://www.scienceshumaines.com/histoire-des-psychotherapies_fr_23836.html#achat_article
https://www.universalis.fr/encyclopedie/psychotherapie/1-origines/
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