Therapy Modalities Overview

Introduction

• Therapy modalities discuss various approaches for treating mental health disorders.
• Understanding these modalities helps in identifying effective treatments for specific disorders.

Psychotherapy (Talk Therapy)

• Defined by the National Institute of Mental Health.
• Aimed at identifying and changing troubling emotions, thoughts, and behaviors.
• Conducted one-on-one or in group settings.
• Tailored to the individual's disorder and can be short, medium, or long-term.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)

• Based on the theory: perception influences reactions more than the situation itself (Beck Institute).
• Helps individuals identify distressing thoughts and evaluate realism.
• Focus on problem-solving and behavioral change.
• Emphasizes the CBT triangle: thoughts, feelings, behaviors.
• Effective in treating various health and mental health conditions.
• Typically short to medium-term.

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)

• Emphasizes philosophical principles: irrational beliefs lead to emotional disturbances.
• Focus on changing irrational thoughts and behaviors.
• Less evidence-based compared to CBT, more philosophical.
• Duration: short to medium-term.

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)

• Comprehensive for severe mental disorders like BPD.
• Utilizes phone coaching and skills training (mindfulness, emotional regulation).
• Primarily for borderline personality disorder but effective for other disorders.
• Duration: medium-term.

Task-Centered Problem Solving Therapy

• Focuses on structured problem solving to address specific issues.
• Therapist provides directive role with structured tasks.
• Duration: typically short-term.

Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)

• Focuses on future goals rather than past problems.
• Collaborative and client-centered approach.
• Utilizes client's strengths for solutions.
• Duration: short-term.

Gestalt Therapy

• Emphasizes present moment awareness and personal responsibility.
• Techniques: empty chair, exaggeration of behaviors.
• Duration: medium-term.

Psychoanalytic and Psychodynamic Therapy

• Based on Freud's theories about unconscious mind.
• Psychoanalysis: intensive, long-term, focus on past experiences.
• Psychodynamic: less intensive, short to medium-term, focus less on past.

Narrative Therapy

• Focuses on personal narratives and externalizing problems.
• Collaborative approach to rewrite narratives.
• Duration: short to medium-term.

Sensate Focus Therapy

• Used with couples for improving sexual intimacy.
• Duration: short to medium-term.

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)

• Focus on emotions to strengthen couple relationships.
• Medium-term duration.

Logotherapy

• Helps find meaning and purpose in life.
• Duration: short to medium-term.

Feminist Therapy

• Address gender and power imbalances.
• Empowers individuals to challenge societal norms.
• Duration can vary from short to long-term.

Trauma-Informed Therapy

• Recognizes trauma impact on life, prioritizes safety and empowerment.
• Duration: medium to long-term.

Prolonged Exposure Therapy

• Designed for PTSD with imaginal and in-vivo exposure.
• Duration: short to medium-term.

Exposure Therapy

• Treats anxiety disorders through systematic desensitization.
• Duration: short to medium-term.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

• Involves eye movements to process traumatic memories.
• Duration: medium-term.

Study Tips

• Use recall and definition techniques like Jeopardy-style questions.
• For exams, match therapy descriptions with correct modalities.
• Stay consistent in studies, find a study buddy, and engage in discussions.