Psychiatric treatment is beneficial to individuals with mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. Psychiatrists usually use medication and psychotherapy to alleviate the symptoms of mental illness. This post focuses on the different forms of psychotherapy used by a psychiatric counselor. 

What Is Psychotherapy? 

Psychotherapy determines how behaviors, emotions, and thoughts lead to mental illness. A psychotherapy patient talks with a psychiatric counselor who identifies and alters troubling thoughts and destabilizing habits. The therapist helps patients regain control over their life by learning coping techniques and problem-solving skills. 

Psychotherapy can take place in different settings. Primarily, psychiatric counselors use individual therapy that involves one-on-one interactions with the patient. Then there is group therapy where two or more patients share their experiences and learn from each other in a facilitated session. Also, marital therapy supports couples to overcome relationship problems. Family therapy can assist the family in understanding and supporting a family member struggling with mental illness. 

Major Psychotherapy Approaches  

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

The CBT approach explores the link between thoughts and unhealthy or limiting behavior. This approach is effective for people who suffer from depression, anxiety, and phobias. The method suggests that assumptions about yourself and situations can cause distress and mental health illness. Thus, the psychiatric counselor supports the client in forming new thinking patterns by focusing on the assumptions. Notably, the therapist may assign homework outside therapy sessions.  

Psychodynamic Approach

The psychodynamic approach assumes that emotional problems stem from unresolved conflicts that go back to childhood. Thus, the strategy aims at helping the patient acknowledge the repressed emotions and how they contribute to negative feelings. This way, patients understand their internal psychological conflicts, improve their experiences and relationships. Typically, the psychiatric counselor meets the patients over a couple of months and encourages them to talk about different experiences, memories, and dreams. The patient understands why they act in a particular manner to make better choices in the future. 

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)

The goal of the DBT approach is to help patients regulate their emotions and handle stress healthily. Thus, the DBT approach is helpful to people with intense negative emotions who are a danger to themselves and others. Unlike CBT which focuses on thought patterns, DBT emphasizes that your experiences are real. Thus, the patient learns to accept themselves with their inadequacies. In a typical DBT session, the client learns to label emotions and overcome negative feelings. Notably, psychiatric counselors combine individual and group DBT sessions simultaneously.  

A wide range of psychotherapy approaches can help you manage mental health issues. Consult a psychiatrist counselor to prescribe the therapy that fits your needs.