Abnormal psychology

of Psychotherapy refers to therapeutic interactions that occur between professions who have trained in psychotherapy and an individual or group that has underlying psychological issues. The main aim of psychotherapy is ensuring that the individual has an increased sense of self and the environment that is around him or her (Yalom, 2005). As various schools of thought developed in psychology, each one of them came with its own therapeutic methods. The main aim of the paper is to discuss differences that are there among therapies for different schools of thoughts used in treatment of mental disorders in psychology. Differences between cognitivism, structuralism, functionalism, and psychoanalysis would be highlighted.
Cognitivism
Also known as behavioral therapy, the techniques that are employed under this school of thought processes that construct and reconstruct distorted people’s cognition. Emotions and behaviors are the focus in treating mental abnormalities.
Structuralism
Under the school founded by Titchener, the school has a lot of behavioral basis of the human brain. They apply methods of classical and operant conditioning in treatment of maladaptive behavior. The idea behind this is that association of certain objects or behavior causes abnormal behavior and the only way to correct this is through conditioning.
Functionalism
This school focused more on the functions that various parts of the brain of human beings perform. Therapeutic techniques that fall under this school of thought involve a way of ensuring that the brain functions properly in case of mental problem.
Psychoanalysis
Psychotherapy in this case is more concerned with the issue of free will and verbalization of the patient’s thoughts in a manner this is not interrupted is highly encouraged. Dreams and fantasies are the focus of the analyst in understanding and correcting maladaptive behavior of a person.
Yalom, I. D. (2005). The theory and practice of group psychotherapy (3rd ed.). New York: Basic Books.