Psychotherapy

Question 1

What is psychotherapy?

Answer 1

Psychotherapy is when a doctor talks to a patient to gain more insight about a disorder and their thoughts and feelings around it. It is done in all specialities. It is dependent on a good relationship between the doctor and the patient.

Question 2

What are the 4 ways the ego deals with symptoms of anxiety?

Answer 2

Denial= don’t recognise a symptom or emotion
Projection = seeing something you don’t like about yourself in others
Displacement = taking out your emotions on a different person or object
Reaction formation = do the opposite of how you actually feel

Question 3

What is psychoeducation?

Answer 3

Provision of information to people to help them understand and cope with the illness. It can take place individually or in groups

Question 4

What is counselling?

Answer 4

People are helped to cope or overcome problems in their life by talking to a counsellor who is supportive and can give advice. It is usually used in non-psychiatric settings

Question 5

What is supportive psychotherapy?

Answer 5

A formal version of a friendly chat where the therapist listens and is non-judgemental

Question 6

What is problem-solving therapy?

Answer 6

Structured mix of counselling and CBT to help the patient deal with life’s problems. The problems are discussed and a plan is made to deal with each one

Question 7

In what patients is psychodynamic therapy very useful in?

Answer 7

Personality disorders (mainly cluster C)
Recurrent anxiety
Depressive disorders which are resistant to drug treatment

Question 8

In what patients is psychodynamic therapy not useful in?

Answer 8

Psychotic patients

Paranoid or antisocial personality disorder

Question 9

What is transference in psychodynamic therapy?

Answer 9

The ideas the patient has about their therapist. The patient often projects relationships from their past onto the therapist.

Question 10

What is countertransference in psychodynamic therapy?

Answer 10

The feelings the therapist has towards the patient which can be based off the patient’s transference or previous patient experiences.

Question 11

What are the main principles of psychodynamic therapy?

Answer 11

• Psychological problems are from unconscious processes which are derived from experiences and thoughts from early life
• Explores the pattern of previous relationships
• The therapist makes connections between things the patient says
• The patient is expected to gain insight into their emotions
• The therapeutic effect comes from greater understanding and so they are able to change their emotions and behaviours for the better.

Question 12

What is the main principle that behavioural therapy is based around?

Answer 12

Adaptive behaviours can be learnt and maladaptive behaviours can be unlearnt.

Question 13

What disorders is behavioural therapy useful in?

Answer 13

Anxiety disorders –> phobias and OCD
Behavioural problems
Learning difficulties

Question 14

Explain the process of behavioural therapy

Answer 14

Patient is slowly introduced to a situation or behaviour they have avoided or they learn to stop an inappropriate response. Over time the exposure causes their anxiety levels to drop (habituation) and the patient can cope with the stimuli they were once anxious of. Form of operant conditioning

Question 15

What are the main components of cognitive therapy?

Answer 15

• Therapist understands the patients thoughts about a certain problem
• Therapist provides an explanation for why the patient may feel this way
• The patient is taught how to become aware of negative thoughts and emotions and to practice thinking in a more positive way

Question 16

What techniques are used to reinforce positive thinking in cognitive therapy?

Answer 16

Thought diaries

Doing personal experiments

Question 17

What is CBT?

Answer 17

CBT is a combination of cognitive and behavioural therapy so aims to change how a person views a situation by evaluating their thought processes and gradually exposing them to the situation

Question 18

What conditions is CBT able to treat?

Answer 18

Depression 
Panic disorder
Phobias 
Bulimia
Can reduce psychotic symptoms in schizophrenia 
Can prevent relapse in bipolar

Question 19

What is CAT (cognitive analytic therapy)?

Answer 19

Combines cognitive therapy and a psychodynamic approach

Question 20

What is IPT (interpersonal therapy)?

Answer 20

Uses cognitive, behavioural and psychodynamic therapy to focus on patient relationships and the problems arising from them. Used in depression and bulimia

Question 21

What is DBT (dialectical behavioural therapy)?

Answer 21

Combines psychoeducation with behavioural skills training. Used to treat borderline personality disorder

Question 22

What is EMDR (eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing)?

Answer 22

Used in patients with PTSD. They eyes are moved in a certain pattern as the patient talks through their trauma

Question 23

What is group therapy?

Answer 23

Psychotherapy which treats lots of people at once.

Question 24

When is family therapy used?

Answer 24

When there is a suspicion that the problem is not in the individual but rather a response to a dysfunctional family life. Commonly used for children. It used to treat substance misuse, eating disorders, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.