By Charles Manda, Ph.D.[1]
Understanding Psychotherapy: Benefits and Process Explained
The American Psychological Association (APA) defines psychotherapy as any psychological service provided by a trained professional that primarily uses forms of communication and interaction to assess, diagnose, and treat dysfunctional emotional reactions, ways of thinking, and behavior patterns.
Unlike talking to your friend or family, psychotherapy provides you safe space to:
• Find relief from emotional distress, as in becoming less anxious, fearful, or depressed.
• Seek solutions to problems in your life, such as dealing with disappointment, grief, family or relationship issues, and job or career dissatisfaction.
• Psychotherapy helps you to modify ways of thinking and acting that are preventing you from working productively and enjoying personal relationships.[2]
Psychotherapy can be accessed by individuals, couples; families; or groups.
Who is a Psychotherapist?
APA defines a psychotherapist as an individual who has been professionally trained and licensed (in the United States by a state board) to treat mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders by psychological means. I am licensed Pastoral Counselor/Psychotherapist licensed by the Kentucky Board of Licensure for Pastoral to provide pastoral counseling and psychotherapy. Thus I handle issues of psycho-social as well as spiritual nature.
What are the benefits of attending psychotherapy?
APA shows that psychotherapy has proved effective in helping people feel better, resolve problems in living and modify their attitudes and behavior in constructive ways.
Therapy Process
Therapy mainly comprises of three stages: information gathering, decision making, and intervention or treatment. Information gathering phase starts with your completing the initial intake form. In session one, my focus is building a therapeutic relationship with you by establishing a safe and confidential space that is conducive for therapy. I will discuss with you what therapy is all about and the role both you and I have in therapy. As Alta Van Dyk says in her book,[4] I will give you an opportunity to negotiate the therapy relationship by raising questions or concerns you may have. Then we will go through the informed consent form and ask you to sign, if you have not signed prior to attending your first session.
Then as APA puts it, we will begin with some discussion about your background and the concerns that led you to seek help. We will go through the Initial Intake Form and complete a form called Mental Status Exam (MSE) to see how you have been doing in the past two weeks with regards to your psychological functioning and mental state. This MSE assessment forms a baseline of our therapeutic relationship and we will revert to it at the end of session six (6) to see whether the therapy process has made any progress.
Following this initial information gathering and assessment, which may take the first two sessions, we will come to agreement, called the “treatment contract”. The contract will cover the goals of treatment, treatment procedures and approach, and a regular schedule for the time, place and duration of the treatment sessions.[5]
Once our goal(s) are set, then session three (3) to five (5) will focus on addressing the short term goals by applying the relevant interventions and observe the progress. Session six (6) mainly focuses on evaluating how we have worked in the previous 5 sessions. One of the tools used in evaluation here will be the MSE assessment form to see, what differences, if any, therapy has made so far. If we have met some of the short treatment goal(s), we can either terminate the therapy and I give you some self-help tools to use on your own, or we continue with sessions to address the longer term goals. You are free to terminate the therapy at any time. I am willing to refer you to another provider.
References
American Psychological Association, 2022, ‘What Is Psychotherapy?’, 2022, APA Dictionary of Psychology, Accessed online June 17, 2022.
American Psychological Association, July 2017, What Is Psychotherapy? Accessed online June 17, 2022.
Van Dyk, A., 2005, HIVAids Care & Counselling: A multidisciplinary approach, Third Edition, South Africa, Pearson Education.