Psychotherapy Psyche means mind and therapy is treatment. It literally means treatment of the mind. It is done by conversation between a person and his/her therapist. In my opinion, understanding psychotherapy and applying this skill in clinical practice is not only challenging but also makes psychiatry very interesting. The changes that occur in a person are subtle yet very significant. It is a relatively slow process but has effects that last a very long time, possibly for the rest of one’s life. Psychotherapy is a journey through one’s unconscious mind - a journey to explore, as much as possible, what lies in there. The sadness and pain from the past, drives and motivations, longings and desires, anger and murderous rage. All that has been kept away from conscious awareness yet has such a profound effect on our everyday living and for some it also may produce psychological symptoms. Becoming aware of certain conflicts and experiencing certain feelings is part of psychotherapy process. It can be painful yet it is healing, just like a surgical procedure. One comes out with greater awareness of oneself, having experienced more adaptive ways of living and giving up the painful psychological defenses, after working through the loss and grief. I personally don’t use hypnosis to reach ones unconscious mind, instead, like most contemporary psychotherapists it is achieved by conversing with the person. It is also important to keep in mind what psychotherapy is not: It is not giving people advice on how to live their lives, nor is it making any moral judgement about a patient’s behavior and telling them right from wrong. The goal is to understand, together with the patient, behaviors and feelings that bring emotional pain into their life. Who can benefit from this kind of therapy is a
decision made together by the clinician and the patient after the
initial assessment. It is mostly used for people with symptoms of
depression or anxiety. People who have had reasonable childhood
and are well-adjusted in adult life can have mental conflicts, which
bring pain to their otherwise peaceful lives. Such people can also
benefit from psychotherapy. People suffering from psychotic illnesses
like schizophrenia or those who have serious drug abuse problem
are usually not helped by this type of therapy. For them another
type of psychotherapy called supportive psychotherapy can be useful
along with other modes of treatment.
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