What Is Therapy?
Therapy is interpersonal treatment for problems in living. It involves talking with a trained professional about conditions ranging from depression and anxiety to relationship conflicts and career frustrations. Therapy provides ways to express feelings, understand patterns of thinking, gain perspective on past events and current relationships, set goals, and clarify dreams for the future. Therapy can both alleviate pain and suffering and add meaning and richness to life. Therapists employ a range of techniques and methods, some suited to particular mental health issues and some that can be applied to clients dealing with a variety of issues. All therapists seek to increase their clients’ mental health and to act as a confidential and careful listener.
Sigmund Freud developed the first school of psychotherapy in the early 1900s. In order to tap into their unconscious conflicts, his patients were encouraged to speak freely about what was on their minds. Many psychologists and medical doctors have built upon Freud’s theories to develop other talk therapy methods, each reflecting different views of human nature. Today, many therapists adopt an eclectic approach, but among the most common methods are psychodynamic therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy. Psychodynamic is a modernized version of Freud’s techniques, with a focus on unconscious patterns of behavior and the relationship between the therapist and patient. Cognitive behavioral focuses on challenging the patients’ beliefs and thoughts to transform emotions and behavior.
