There remains in American society a stigma related to psychological therapy and counseling. Perhaps it’s a generational thing, as more millennials and people who identify as Gen Z are more open to using psychotherapy when needed. Like anything else, it offers good and bad.
What is Psychotherapy?
“Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, is a way to help people with a wide variety of mental illnesses and emotional difficulties. Psychotherapy can help eliminate or control troubling symptoms so a person can function better and can increase well-being and healing.”
Going for psychological therapy can help you deal with problems in everyday life; the effect of trauma, medical conditions, or personal loss, like the death of a loved one; and mental disorders, including depression or anxiety.
What Kinds of Psychotherapy are There?
Depending on your condition, a mental health specialist may recommend one or more kinds of therapy. The choice is yours and depends on circumstances, personal preferences, and other factors. Your therapist has the option to mix and match elements from different approaches, including ketamine therapy, to produce the best outcome.
What kinds of psychotherapy can you choose from? There are several.
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy helps you identify and alter your thinking and behavior patterns that are damaging or ineffective, swapping them with more appropriate thoughts and functional behaviors.
- Interpersonal therapy is a form of treatment known for its brevity. It helps people comprehend fundamental interpersonal issues and empowers them to learn healthy means to express emotions and strategies to better communicate and relate to others.
- Dialectical behavior therapy is a particular type of cognitive-behavioral therapy that helps control emotions. It may be most beneficial to someone with long-term suicidal thoughts, eating disorders, or posttraumatic stress disorder.
- In psychodynamic therapy, you work with a therapist to foster positive self-awareness and alter ingrained patterns to regain control of your life.
- Supportive therapy utilizes encouragement and guidance to help people grow their resources. It fosters self-esteem, as well as personal and social functioning.
Alternatives to Psychological Therapy
Not everyone is open to the idea of treating personal issues with psychotherapy. Fortunately, many other options exist, among them:
- Ketamine treatment.
- Dietary supplements promote health and wellness, in addition to treating pain, depression, and anxiety.
- Different kinds of mindfulness, meditation, or breathing exercises. Each is easy to do and may give greater insight into your consciousness and the world around you.
- Chiropractic care.
- Aromatherapy and massage therapy.
- Yoga and progressive muscle relaxation.
How Many People Use Psychotherapy?
The National Health Interview Survey noted the following:
- In 2019, almost 20 percent of adults had gotten various mental health treatment “in the past 12 months, including 15.8% who had taken prescription medication for their mental health and 9.5% who received counseling or therapy from a mental health professional.”
- Women have less of a problem seeking mental health treatment than men.
- Non-Hispanic white adults are more open to psychotherapy than other ethnic groups.
Effects of Psychological Therapy
Research indicates that most people receiving psychotherapy enjoy fewer symptoms and can function better in their lives. “About 75 percent of people who enter psychotherapy show some benefit from it. Psychotherapy has been shown to improve emotions and behaviors and be linked with positive changes in the brain and body. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), the benefits also include fewer sick days, less disability, fewer medical problems, and increased work satisfaction.”
The APA also found that:
- Psychological therapy is useful in treating numerous mental and behavioral health problems spanning a range of population groups. The average benefits of such treatment are more significant than the outcomes seen with many medical treatments.
- Extensive multi-site studies and meta-analyses have shown that psychotherapy lowers morbidity and mortality and decreases in-patient psychiatric care.
- Psychotherapy nurtures life skills that have an impact outside the course of treatment. Positive outcomes tend to last longer than those observed in other psychopharmacological treatments and with fewer harmful side effects.
In some cases, psychological therapy is used in combination with other treatments, self-help, certain medicine, and ketamine therapy. It’s also worth pointing out that each person is different and deals with medical and psychological issues accordingly. What works for one person may not work for someone else, and outcomes are often influenced by health, societal pressures, and factors like ethnicity and religion.
There are potential negative side effects of psychotherapy, which may include sleeping problems, stress, anxiety, feelings of helplessness, lower self-esteem, sadness, and other issues. Specific questions should be directed at your healthcare provider.