Types of Therapists and Associated Therapies

Types of Therapists and Associated Therapies

Types Of Therapists

Psychologists This is a profession that is granted to a person by law and degree and for their study on the behaviors of people and how their minds work. They must work and find what is wrong with their clients and often work in mental health facilities or in their own practice. It's almost impossible to narrow down to a pinpoint the actual profession as there are many different categories and things that each person may do. There are mainly two bigger over all categories, those being Research Psychologist and Psychologist who focuses on psychotherapy Research Psychologists focus more on the functions of the brain and do very little in leu of psychotherapy. Most work in labs and working on new findings. Psychologists working in the field of psychotherapy are the ones who use the theories that are developed and apply them to their patients. Things include talk therapy, deep psychoanalysis, art therapy, and many more. They may also refer the patient to a psychiatrists if the need for medication is present.

Psychiatrists The main factor that comes into play is that the psychiatrist has a medical degree. Though the main idea is much the same the actual profession is much different in the way that they conduct their research, areas of study, treatments and applications of their findings. Focus more on the biological aspect of the brain They are the end all in the field on psychology as they can treat with medication, psychotherapy, and they have various specific fields of study such as Child and Adolescent, Adult, Addiction, and Forensic psychiatry

Counselors The main difference with counselors is that they are not, in fact, psychologists, although they are often mistaken for them as it is the nature of what they do. Their goal in sessions is to form strong bonds of trust and establish relationships so that they can provide a comfortable, warm, inviting, but strictly professional area in which the patient can talk, instead of a cold, clinical approach Although counselors are often seen as only tending to people who have metal health problems such as depression, bipolar, etc., they are often seen by people who are considering marriage, people who are going through life transitions or are thinking of doing so, or simply people having problems with stress and coping The way they go about doing things is asking basic questions about their life that start at the surface, but actually go deeper. They try to ask thought provoking questions that will lead to the root of their problems This is the step before becoming a LPC, which is a Licensed Professional Counselor

Licensed Professional Counselor LCP's work with a variety of clients where they use talk therapy (psychotherapy) to provide counseling and working through people, couples, and families through various problems. Among those that LCP 's help are those who are undergoing treatment for mental health issues, families in crisis, adults and teens with substance abuse problems, children, and even people seeking career guidance They can work in several different settings Private Practice- The clients that see this type of counselor are families looking to resolve home issues, newlyweds, couples that need relationship help, divorced couples trying to work out their differences or trying to rebuild their lives, new siblings (usually older) trying to integrated into the home together, or even people helping to get back on their feet after losing a job or graduating from college Additionally they may specialize in a certain areas like, eating disorders, anxiety/ depression, grief counseling, and sexual addiction Hospital and Mental Health Rehabilitation Center- Here they focus on patients that come in on a daily basis, those undergoing a radical life changing situation, and those looking to overcome drug addiction Elementary, High school, or University- They help students and occasionally the parents and teachers. They try to find the underlying reasons why they may be acting out, failing classes, or who are suddenly acting out of characters( usually becoming withdrawn).

Psychoanalysts This is the therapy most associated with Sigmund Freud, but has evolved into something much more Like the others Psychoanalysts try to form a warm, inviting surrounding and employ listening, understanding, and empathy. They usually want the patient to freely talk about anything that crosses their mind and, in a way, direct the sessions The reason for doing this is to assess the content of those thought that may not be readily available to the patient and to point out the potential causes for their uneasiness Utilize a variety of techniques depending on the orientation of the individual All work under the impression that thoughts and behaviors are the result of unconscious "material" and that their past reflects the ideas, decisions, and experiences. Bringing this to conscious awareness will help relieve or even resolve the "symptoms" Interpretations are what psychodynamic and psychoanalytic therapists do best

Marriage and Family Therapists This is a subfield within the Licensed Professional Counselor, but they study specifically the unique relationships of couples, families and children They usually work with either the couples and groups of people and will work to better communication and enhancing the quality of the relationships already established They are not limited to this however, as they can also work with individuals with past relationship problems( family, friends, relationships etc.), newlyweds, engaged couples, divorced couples and even as far as how to make it the easiest way possible to get a divorce when a child or children are involved Their job may also involve working with children when the child has gone through a divorce, traumatic early childhood event, or when they show concerning behavior

Rehabilitation Counselors They will deal with people who deal with intense emotional and social effects that come from dealing with a disability The main goal is to re-instigate an independent role and to reenforce that they are a healthy person contributing to society They often work closely with other types of medical professionals to ensure that they receive the proper care that they need. Rehabilitation counselors are there to make sure they are cared for in the psychological prospect, as they may be coming to terms with what they are being faced with ( they may be adjusting to the new situation) Many work in hospitals, private rehab centers, substance abuse centers, within school centers, and even public centers for the general populace Some choose to enter a specific area of work such as people dealing with developmental disorders, or with people that have certain diseases such as cancer and AIDS

Clinical Social Workers The main goal tends to vary on the person as well as the client they are working with They CSW may work with people who deal with poverty, stress, addiction, depression, abuse, disability, unemployment, death, divorce among many others They may work with a client on a multitude of these things or they may focus on one to get to the core of the problem They work in a variety of settings including schools, hospitals, police departments, public agencies, and private practices

Types of Therapies

Psychoanalysis Originally developed by Sigmund Freud The main purpose of this type of therapy is to, in a sense, "search" through the mind of the client and delve deeper into the meaning of those thoughts and memories and uncover unconscious thoughts that may be hindering their emotional well being Mostly subjective since it is based on what the therapist interprets and what the client accepts to be the cause, although an experienced Psychoanalysis's have gone through extensive processes and reviews to be accepted as an actual They deal with memories and it is believed that actions and decisions are based off of childhood experiences Few can only practice strict psychotherapy now-a-days and when they do they have been extensively tested themselves Look at individuals as the composite of their parental upbringing and how particular conflicts between themselves and their parents and within themselves get worked out The theory that, "What you don't know can hurt you" Holistically the persons problems are viewed in a negative light and that they must correct what you don't know is wrong with you This type of therapy is usually very expensive and not usually practiced on its own, but the few that do that a very long and extensive time. Psychotherapy on the other hand is used in many therapies (all of the aforementioned therapists use this approach in their therapies among others) as the term actually refers to treating people with psychological techniques to help those with emotional, behavioral, and interpersonal problems

Cognitive Behavioral This type of therapy uses what is called Eclecticism, which is when a therapy draws ideas from two or more systems of therapy instead of just committing to one Cognitive-behaviorists generally believe in the role of social learning in childhood development, and the ideas of modeling and reinforcement Peoples personalities evolve from the experiences and observations of appropriate behaviors as well as those that are inappropriate and begin to imitate those behaviors, thoughts, and feelings The therapist seeks to change a person's "irrational" or "faulty" thinking and behaviors by educating the person and reinforcing positive experiences that will lead to changes in the way that person copes Cognitive-behavioral therapists use something called Cognitive Restructuring which is working on helping the patient identify irrational thoughts, refute them, and help the patient change frustrating and unproductive behaviors This is usually done through modeling, role play and reinforcement strategies

Humanistic Most associated with carl Rogers who founded client-centered therapy This therapy stems itself from the theory that all human beings are essentially "good" and that people want to make choices that will lead them to be "self-actualized", which is the desire to discover their "true" selves Realizes that there are external influences that have severe and often negative implications on the mind, both consciously and unconsciously Psychological problems are viewed as the result of inhibited ability to make authentic, meaningful, and self-directed choices about how to live. This means responsibility is key, as it's the person who has control in all of their situations, not external causes that are out of your hands Much like how someone with depression tends to think that everything that happens can't be changed, a Humanistic Therapist would tell them that are the ones that make those assumptions and they are depressed because you choose to think and act that way. There is a way to change. This takes a detour from the other therapies in that it doesn't blame it on the upbringing or the parents, you are in charge of how you feel about the experiences you've had Essentially, a humanistic therapist focuses on helping people free themselves from disabling assumptions and attitudes so they can live fuller lives. They don't center on "curing" diseases or disorders, instead zeroing in on "self-actualization", a key stone in this theory

Behavioral This is the type of therapy that steps back from the past psychological aspect and focuses instead of the actions and thoughts of the here and now They've come around to the way of thinking that, even if you know what is causing your feelings or behaviors, just knowing will probably not solve the problem. For example, if you feel anxious when you do a presentation in front of a class, and you are told that it is because you are afraid of criticism, this is a nice insight, but knowing this will not help you speak better in front of a class This is where behavioral therapy would kick in. It focuses on helping an individual understand how changing their behavior will lead to changing the way they feel about certain things. Usually steered toward positive, social interactions and reinforcing activities Some of the techniques include role playing, self-monitoring, scheduling weekly activities, and behavior modification Self-Monitoring- making a detailed journal about their daily lives so that the therapist gets to know exactly what it is they do or to get to know their "routine" Scheduling Activities - this is where the patient and therapist work together to develop new activities that will provide the patient with chances for positive experience Role-playing- This helps the person develop more positive social interactions and helps to facilitate smooth communication Behavior Modification- basically receiving a reward for every small step they make toward the wanted behavior For example say the client wanted a new fancy purse. She would make up a "contract" that says she must engage in two new activities and reduce her time on the computer to two hours

Behavioral(Sub Categories) Implosion Therapy Exposes a client to the stimuli through their imagination Flooding- exposing a client to the feared stimuli in person Aversion Therapy "Counter-conditioning" Pair the harmful stimuli with an electric shock or something of the like in order to form a connection between the bad behavior and the unwanted shock. Used mainly for things such as self harming behaviors

Group Therapy Group therapy is an offshoot of psychotherapy, only with two or more people present Self help therapies are often in this format This type offers an area where people can freely share their lives with others and better understand your situation in relation to others as well as gain insight The client can then apply the situations to other places such as school, work and other places where groups of people must work together Group therapy usually lasts 75-90 minutes and people can work through their problems as a group Provides a less threatening situation for people who have problems dealing on their own with authority Allows group process to be used to influence individual maladaptive behavior Group therapy can help many types of people ranging from people with small problems, like problems at home, to people with anxiety and depression Provides opportunities to observe/practice interpersonal skills within the session People in the group can learn how one comes across to others Also provides an analogue of the primary family group, which enables corrective emotional experiences to take place Can confirm that their problems aren't unique, but quite actually common and they aren't alone

Biomedical Therapy Psychosurgery- surgical procedure performed on brain tissue to alleviate a psychological disorder (lobotomy) Electroconvulsive therapy- use of electroconvulsive shock as an effective treatment for sever depression Drug therapy- use of drugs to alleviate psychological disorders Three major categories Antidepressants Antipsycotic Antianxiety

Sources http://psychcentral.com/therapy.htm http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/nbk64939/ http://www.agpa.org/group/consumersguide2000.html http://www.mytherapistmatch.com/therapy101/typesoftherapists.aspx http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-healing-arts/201201/so-you-want-be-art-therapistpart-seven-art-therapist-identity-confusio http://www.goodtherapy.org/types-of-therapy.html http://psychcentral.com/lib/2006/about-behavior-therapy/