Psychotherapy is an important type of treatment available for mental illness. The lay person, fed on Bollywood concepts and Hollywood fantasy love the idea of 'therapy' or 'counseling'.
Firstly, Psychotherapy and counseling are NOT the same. Whereas, both involve discussing with and guiding the patient- the impact of each is very different. Most significantly psychotherapies can be used to treat some forms of mental illness whereas counseling cannot treat mental illness.
A counselor essentially does all or some of the following- understand the problem, allow patient to share her feelings and emotions, give emotional support during crisis, discuss the options available, choose the best solutions and execute the solutions. Some types of counseling involves givng the patient facts and information, and helping them make a choice and lifestyle change. examples are pre-admission counseling, diabetes counseling, infertility counseling. It focusses more on here and now aspects of the patient's life and cannot bring about large changes in the psyche.
Psychotherapy, on the other hand, is extremely specialised form of treatment involving working with the patient to change his/ her thought process. It is rigourous and often manualised and can bring about major changes in the patient including treating symptoms of mental illness. As of now psychotherapy can be used to treat mild and moderate depression, anxiety disorders, phobias, obsessive compulsive disorders, personality disorders, relationship disorders and childhood behavioral disorders. It cannot treat severe forms of mental illness. No counselor can or has helped anyone to cure mental illness.
I come across patients or their family members who are determined to have ONLY psychotherapy and nothing else. Their demands are usually due to being misinformed about the therapy.
First misconception is that therapy is freely available. Actually properly qualified and trained therapists are very few and far between. All therapists are not expert at handling all types of problems. And such therapists are invariably extremely busy. So one needs to check first if a therapist is available and accessible.
Secondly patients feel that merely by 'talking out' they will feel better. This is completely false. Therapy is akin to learning a new language and involves learning, study, practice and dealing with failure. One had to set aside time for therapy, for practising the lessons of therapy and also the money needed for all that. In my experience, this is the commonest shock that people get. For a population used to buying everything from domestic help to laundry service- therapy is completely different. Just because you are paying someone does not mean they are going to relieve you of the hard work. The hard work is all from patient's side only!Therefore, therapy cannot be administered to any unwilling or unmotivated person.
Another common misconception is that therapy is harmless or has no side effects. Therapy involves spending significant amounts of your time and money. It will alter you as a person and therefore change your relationships with others. Sometimes therapy involves taking risks- such as exposure tasks, behavioral experiments, etc. And these factors can work as side effects.
Therapy is definitely very good modality of treatment available to us. The patient should undergo a comprehensive evaluation and discuss with their doctors about the options available. Choose therapy if it is feasible option. Your therapist should constanlty monitor you for worsening of illness- if tht happens go back to your doctor for medication. Choose therapy in addition to medication. It will make your recovery faster, more robust and at lesser doses of medication.
Choose your therapist carefully. The therapist should be qualified, trained and experienced in treating your illness. The therapist' clinic should be accessible and fees affordable. These latter two aspects lead to lots of drop-outs in the middle phase of therapy. Decide whether you are comfortable with your therapist and getting desired results, periodically. Steer clear of therapist who dont respect you or with whom you are uncomfortable. Your therapist deserves respect and priority. Cultivate your therapist by respecting their privacy, arriving on time, paying them and not irritating them by constant phone calls. Get the most out of your therapy by expressing your problems freely, making notes, deligently doing your homework and going for sessions regularly, as planned.
Make therapy a positive educational experience.
Firstly, Psychotherapy and counseling are NOT the same. Whereas, both involve discussing with and guiding the patient- the impact of each is very different. Most significantly psychotherapies can be used to treat some forms of mental illness whereas counseling cannot treat mental illness.
A counselor essentially does all or some of the following- understand the problem, allow patient to share her feelings and emotions, give emotional support during crisis, discuss the options available, choose the best solutions and execute the solutions. Some types of counseling involves givng the patient facts and information, and helping them make a choice and lifestyle change. examples are pre-admission counseling, diabetes counseling, infertility counseling. It focusses more on here and now aspects of the patient's life and cannot bring about large changes in the psyche.
Psychotherapy, on the other hand, is extremely specialised form of treatment involving working with the patient to change his/ her thought process. It is rigourous and often manualised and can bring about major changes in the patient including treating symptoms of mental illness. As of now psychotherapy can be used to treat mild and moderate depression, anxiety disorders, phobias, obsessive compulsive disorders, personality disorders, relationship disorders and childhood behavioral disorders. It cannot treat severe forms of mental illness. No counselor can or has helped anyone to cure mental illness.
I come across patients or their family members who are determined to have ONLY psychotherapy and nothing else. Their demands are usually due to being misinformed about the therapy.
First misconception is that therapy is freely available. Actually properly qualified and trained therapists are very few and far between. All therapists are not expert at handling all types of problems. And such therapists are invariably extremely busy. So one needs to check first if a therapist is available and accessible.
Secondly patients feel that merely by 'talking out' they will feel better. This is completely false. Therapy is akin to learning a new language and involves learning, study, practice and dealing with failure. One had to set aside time for therapy, for practising the lessons of therapy and also the money needed for all that. In my experience, this is the commonest shock that people get. For a population used to buying everything from domestic help to laundry service- therapy is completely different. Just because you are paying someone does not mean they are going to relieve you of the hard work. The hard work is all from patient's side only!Therefore, therapy cannot be administered to any unwilling or unmotivated person.
Another common misconception is that therapy is harmless or has no side effects. Therapy involves spending significant amounts of your time and money. It will alter you as a person and therefore change your relationships with others. Sometimes therapy involves taking risks- such as exposure tasks, behavioral experiments, etc. And these factors can work as side effects.
Therapy is definitely very good modality of treatment available to us. The patient should undergo a comprehensive evaluation and discuss with their doctors about the options available. Choose therapy if it is feasible option. Your therapist should constanlty monitor you for worsening of illness- if tht happens go back to your doctor for medication. Choose therapy in addition to medication. It will make your recovery faster, more robust and at lesser doses of medication.
Choose your therapist carefully. The therapist should be qualified, trained and experienced in treating your illness. The therapist' clinic should be accessible and fees affordable. These latter two aspects lead to lots of drop-outs in the middle phase of therapy. Decide whether you are comfortable with your therapist and getting desired results, periodically. Steer clear of therapist who dont respect you or with whom you are uncomfortable. Your therapist deserves respect and priority. Cultivate your therapist by respecting their privacy, arriving on time, paying them and not irritating them by constant phone calls. Get the most out of your therapy by expressing your problems freely, making notes, deligently doing your homework and going for sessions regularly, as planned.
Make therapy a positive educational experience.
