PSYCH Chapter 15:Psychological Therapies – Flashcards

Treatment aimed at making people feel better and function more effectively.

Person talks to a psychological professional (psychologists) about problems

Help person understand thoughts and actions

Focused on changing behavior

Aimed at reducing or eliminating symptoms

1500'S • Mentally ill confined to asylums • Treatments harsh, often damaging PHILIPPE PINEL: • Psychiatrist • Demanded humane treatment of the mentally ill DOROTHEA DIX: • U.S. advocate who continued Pinel's movement

Action therapies based on the principles of classic and operant conditioning and aimed at changing disordered behavior without concern for the original causes of such behavior. ACTION BASED: • Focused on behavioral not causes BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION (APPLIED BEHAVIORAL ANALYSIS): • Use of learning techniques to decrease undesirable behavior UNDESIRABLE BEHAVIORS AND INCREASE DESIRABLE BEHAVIORS.

Therapy based on classical conditioning. - Step 1: Relaxation training - Step 2: Fear hierarchy - Step 3: Progressive exposure

Therapy based on classical conditioning. - Exposure to feared/avoided stimulus - Prevent escape or avoidance response

Strengthening of a response • Therapy based on operant conditioning

Reinforcers earned and exchanged for desired items or privileges. • Therapy based on operant conditioning

Formal agreement on behavior change, reinforcements and penalties • Therapy based on operant conditioning

Removal of a reinforcer to reduce the frequency of a behavior Examples: - TIME OUT: Removal from the situation that reinforces undesirable behavior - LOST PRIVELAGES: Take away car keys. • Therapy based on operant conditioning

• Effective treatment of specific problems • Control symptoms quickly and effectively • Not effective with serious psychological disorders overall, but can improve specific symptoms

• Focus on distorted thinking and unrealistic beliefs that lead to maladaptive behavior. • Help clients test truth of their beliefs, assumptions and attributions concerning their own behavior and the behavior of others.

Learning to think more rationally and logically GOALS OF CBT: 1. Relieve symptoms and solve problems 2. Develop strategies for solving future problems 3. Help change irrational, distorted thinking

DISTORTIONS OF THINKING: 1. ARBITRARY INFERENCE: - Jumping to conclusions without evidence - Example: Called to cancel lunch meeting...they must be mad at me. 2. SELECTIVE THINKING: - Focusing on only one aspect of the situation. - Example; Person doesn't get into first chance of grad school. Ignore competitiveness and only think of own flaws 3. OVER-GENERALIZATION: - Making sweeping conclusions based on one incident - Example; Person doesn't get into first chance of grad school. " I will never be successful in this profession" 4. MAGNIFICATION AND MINIMIZATION: - Negative events blown out of proportion; positive events ignored - Example: Minimizing importance of high grades after low grade 5. PERSONALIZATION: - Assuming too much personal responsibility - Example: Blaming self for loss of a client.

• Inexpensive and short-term • Effective for a range of disorders • Criticized for focusing on symptoms and not causes • Potential bias in therapist's opinions

EFFECTIVENESS BASED ON CLIENT-REPORT: 1. 75% to 90% of those treated improve. 2. Longer a person stays in therapy, the better the treatment. 3. Certain therapies better for certain problems. 4. No one method effective for all problems.

1. Matching the therapy to the client and the problem 2. Therapeutic alliance 3. Protected setting 4. Opportunity for catharsis 5. Learning and practice of new behaviors 6. Positive experiences

• CULTURE-BOUND VALUES: Important that therapist has knowledge of person's values and knowledge. • CLASS-BOUND VALUES: Experiences growing up that therapist cant relate to. • LANGUAGE • NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION: Eye contact

Psychotherapy via the internet. Advantages: Cost efficient, easier access, anonymity Disadvantages: Uncertain credentials of the therapist, lack of vocal/body cues for assessing emotions