The first thing for a therapist to get through their heads before even seeing a client is the fact that they may end up having to use special therapy styles and techniques to properly assess the symptoms and possible solutions a client may have before continuing on with the therapy session. People are different and have different heart ships in life that present a number of issues that a person may need to confine in a therapist for. Being able to provide the right type of mental therapy for a person is very key to the success of the therapy sessions. Whether or not you can even maintain a client base will be based on how well you can identify symptoms, patterns and decide what type of therapy this person really needs in their life. Making a mistake on choosing a therapy type for the wrong symptoms can cost a therapist his/her credibility and even their careers. The most vital step in the therapeutic field of citizen service is to first prescribe the proper type of therapy the client needs to assist them in their current endeavors.
Deciding what type of therapy to suggest to a client, is key to opening the door to the help that they need. There are three basic type of therapy a therapist can suggest each with a multitude of sub-categories. First there is Psychoanalysis Therapy, defined as a method of analyzing psychic phenomena and treating emotional disorders that involves treatment sessions during which the patient is encouraged to talk freely about personal experiences and especially about early childhood and dreams (Merriam-Webster. com, 2019). Created by Sigmund Freud this allows a therapist to dive deep into the client’s unconscious mind to find out if the clients mental issues stem from the mind, for example: phobias, PTSD, etc. The second is Cognitive Analytical Therapy this encourages clients to draw on their own ability to develop the skills to recognize, understand and change destructive patterns of behavior. Negative ways of thinking are explored in structured and directive ways, including diary-keeping and progress charts (Bryce, 2016). This method was created by Anthony Ryle to assist those who have battled with addictions and destructive behaviors.
The third and final type is Individual Therapy, this is a joint process between a therapist and a person in therapy. Common goals of therapy can be to inspire change or improve quality of life. People may seek therapy for help with issues that are hard to face alone. Individual therapy is also called psychotherapy, psychosocial therapy, talk therapy, and counseling (Goodtherapy. com, 2018). A one on one therapy for the client and therapist to tackle goals, life troubles, financial issues, traumatic events, etc. This is an all-around therapy but meant for only one client at a time so that the therapist can focus on that person 100 percent during that session. These three types of therapy make up the basic therapy categories, of course in each of these many sub-categories exists but the main branches are set. Now to determine which type of therapy to assign to a client very important. If a client contacts a therapist requesting assistance because the are having marital problems, then by going over the basic three types of therapy you would suggest either Analytical or Individual Therapy. Analytical can address a client’s behavior patterns in the marriage and if there are any addictions involved that may be cause the turmoil. This therapy type also allows for group sessions so if the clients spouse also wants to participate in the therapy then it can be done as well. This therapy style is usually around 4 – 24 sessions long and if done correctly can really help the clients get to the bottom of their problems and move forward with positive progression.
The Individual type of therapy can be suggested if it is discovered there are deeper rooted issues with one of the married spouses that need to be addressed in order to move forward in the progression of the therapy. There could be a deep-rooted abuse experience from the past that happened when one of the clients were a child that can affect the way marriage is perceived. By using the Individual therapy, you can narrow a client’s problematic symptom down to what really is causing those issues in the marriage. This leaves the Psychoanalysis Therapy to the wayside for now, this type of therapy after being presented to a client may not be the most attractive type to most people. Discussing with the client diving into the unconscious mind is not something everybody wakes up in the morning expecting to go through for a therapy session. When it comes to whether or not the human nature views in the therapy of psychoanalysis sit well with the average person the view of human nature in this category reflects a person’s instincts and libido. Determinism which is defined as a theory or doctrine that acts of the will occurrences in nature, or social or psychological phenomena are causally determined by preceding events or natural laws (Merriam-Webster. com, 2019). Now this can be considered a taboo by many people to talk about the unconscious mind, with a basis on natural phenomenon like a person’s libido and human instincts.
The Analytical psychology view of human nature is the similar but different from the view of human instincts and sexuality. Free will and determinism is the basis of this view that a person has the power to decide based on their unconscious mind. So, if a person had any influence in their lives either by another person or by and experience in life that could impact a decision they make freely (Meacham, 2016). Individual therapy view of human nature is a positive approach to life and the belief that all people are essentially good and the person knows what is right for them. The view is based on an individual’s actions is solely depending on how a person perceives their situation and only the person can determine how they will react to a problem (McLeod, 2019). Personally, I tend to agree more with the Cognitive Analytical approach because it covers both the unconscious mind and free will. I am a firm believer that how a child is raised and what they face in life at an early age can and will affect how they look at the world and make everyday decisions in life. This can go from the spouse they select to have, to the type of clothes they wear on a daily basis. We all keep the values taught to us by our elders and whether those are positive life lessons or negative one’s we look at the world with the eyes of a soul affected by our youth and those who played major roles in it.
Only focusing on the positive is not very realistic to me because hard times hit even the happiest people and how they deal with that isn’t always a positive behavior. A person who has no criminal background in life can suddenly snap and commit a serious crime and a person who has committed crimes can become the kindest person after a life of heart ache and pain. Having understanding of both positive and negative outlooks on unconscious and conscious instincts based on life experiences is were I believe most people will relate too. Having a full understanding of all types of therapy though is essential to a successful client therapist relationship though because even though I feel the way I do another person my only want to focus on the positives in life and leave the past where it is and never address it but leave it buried in the past where it can’t hurt them. Other’s will want to dig up those feelings and experiences, so they can face them head on and conquer them to feel at ease and free of that weighing them down. People are all different and because they are knowing as much as you can about them and the three types of therapy will help assist a therapist on how to give that client the best treatment.
References
- Carmen Bryce, (July 8, 2016). Understanding Cognitive Analytical Therapy. Located at https://mymind. org/cognitive-analytical-therapy/.
- Good Therapy, (2019). Individual Therapy (Psychotherapy). Located at https://www. goodtherapy. org/learn-about-therapy/modes/individual-therapy.
- Merriam-Webster, (2019). Located at https://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/psychoanalysis.
- Merriam-Webster, (2019). Located at https://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/determinism.
- Saul McLeod, (January 7, 2019). Person Centered Therapy. Located at https://www. simplypsychology. org/client-centred-therapy. html.
- Wesley Meacham, (October 15, 2016). Carl Jung’s Concept of Humanity and Theory of Personality. Located at https://owlcation. com/social-sciences/Psychology-405-Theory-of-Personality-The-Balance-of-Carl-Jung.