Based on an educational model, CBT examines thoughts, or cognitions, to identify and rectify faulty thought processes negatively impacting behavior.  It is a fairly structured approach, usually including "homework" for the patient.  An example of this method is the following: A rather perfectionist student thinks to himself, "Ugh.  I got a C on that exam.  Now I'm never going to get into college.  I'm a complete failure."  That statement contains two major cognitive errors: the negative prediction with no true basis ("...never going to get into college") and black-or-white thinking ("I'm a complete failure.")

 

As a hands-on skills building program, DBT incorporates elements of many of the therapies, including analysis of how cognitions and emotions influence the client's behavior.  The four highlighted skill groups include: core mindfulness (being in the moment), interpersonal effectiveness (interactions with others), emotion regulation (identifying and exerting control over emotions), and distress tolerance (dealing with crisis or extreme discomfort).  DBT can be done on an individual basis, but it's recommended as part of a group setting.

 

Based on the concept that we experience things in the present and define ourselves in relation to aspects of our external environment, Gestalt therapy strives to help the patient better understand himself, improve the here and now, and effectively respond to everyday challenges.

 

The scope of humanistic therapy is quite broad comparatively, focusing on personal growth in the forms of self awareness, self regulation, and self actualization.  The therapist sees the patient as having unique needs and strives to work with the patient to discover and fulfill these needs in a warm, non-judgmental, supportive environment. Goals might include gaining a sense of wholeness in one's life and becoming independent, while still appreciating one's natural tendency to look to others for guidance and assistance. 

 

Focusing on the client's relationship with others, particularly as those interactions affect mood, interpersonal therapy looks at issues such as argumentative behaviors, transitions into various roles, grief, oversensitivity to criticism, etc., and provides an opportunity for the patient to identify, analyze, problem solve, and practice (perhaps through role play) in a safe and therapeutic milieu. 

 

Explores events and memories of the past in order to gain insight into personal motivations and

detects correlations between past events and current problems.  This can be accomplished through techniques tapping into the subconscious processes including dream analysis, free associations, and transferences. 

 

 

 

 

   

   

 

 

"A Novel Convulsive Therapy for Depression"

    Neuropsychiatry Reviews, Vol. 5, No. 7

    September 2004

    www.neuropsychiatryreviews.com

    Susan Nolen-Hoeksema

    The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., New York, 2004

 

"Best of Doc-Talk: Support Groups"

    http://www.asgs.org/SuppGrps.html

 

    Tom Williams, Ph.D.

    Element Books Limited, Great Britain, 1996

 

"Drug Treatment"

    www.intelihealth.com

 

    David D. Burns, M.D.

    Harper Collins Publishers, Inc., New York, 2000

 

InteliHealth

    www.intelihealth.com

 

MedlinePlus

    www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus

 

"Psychiatric Medications"

    American Psychiatric Association

    www.psych.org

 

"Psychotherapy: How it Works and How it Can Help"

    Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA)

    www.dbsalliance.org

 

"Psychotherapy Treatment"

    www.mental-health-matters.com

 

 

    Marsha M. Linehan, Ph.D.

    The Guilford Press, New York, 1993

 

"Traditional Therapies"

    SAMHSA's National Mental Health Information Center

    http://www.mentalhealth.org/

 

 

"Vagus Nerve Stimulation"

    Neurology Channel

    www.neurologychannel.com

 

 

 

One-on-one therapy solely involves the client and therapist.  The undivided attention allows for the freedom to sculpt treatment into an individualized form, as well as have it continue at a pace most comfortable and beneficial to the client.

 

 

In this case, the therapist may assume a mediator role, helping resolve differences between individuals, in addition to educating family members about their loved one's illness.  Involvement of the family in treatment can also lead to improved communication and can open up a discussion regarding ways in which the family member(s) can help the individual with mental illness cope in everyday situations.

 

 

Groups, led by therapists, may contain somewhere between 4 and 12 people, all dealing with similar (if not the same) issues.  They provide forums for discussion, debate, sharing, and learning, as well as give the therapist an opportunity to observe a client's interactions with other individuals.

 

 

Although support groups are not always led by professionals, they can still be quite beneficial in that, like group therapy, they offer support and the knowledge that one is not alone in his or her quest to beat the illness.  They tend to be more relaxed than formal therapeutic settings, sometimes even meeting for social events in addition to regular meetings.

 

The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance offers peer-run support groups around the United States, parts of Canada, and in select locations abroad.  To locate the chapter nearest you, plug in your zip code and the number of miles you are willing to travel:

 

This section introduces a variety of topics pertaining to psychological treatment: psychotherapy, therapy options, types of psychotherapy, and support groups--both attending them, as well as creating your own.

Navigating through the storm...

The Depression Guide