psychotherapist

Psychotherapy: An Overview

If one really thinks about it, the 21^st century is riddled with all kinds of psychological problems. You hear of depression, suicides, cutting, substance abuse, and the like, running rampant in the world. Every individual has faced some kind of complication more than once in his life, be it troubles at home, in the workplace, or within any other site of social interaction. Sometimes such issues are intensified so much that one cannot help but feel as though the light at the end of the tunnel is but a mere fallacy. You feel lonely, betrayed, and above all, develop a cynical perspective of life. There seems to be no hope left.

The belief that you are the only one with insurmountable burdens is not true. You aren’t alone!

Various statistics can give a broader understanding of the prevalence of such troubled individuals. The National Institute of Mental Health, for example, has stated that more than a quarter of the adults living in America suffer from mental disorders such as depression or anxiety, just to name a few. Other than these, a variety of common, everyday life issues, like unemployment, peer pressure, death of a loved one, relationship break ups, and perhaps something as superficial as appearance and weight may acquire a level that could be crippling to the very person’s well-being. This wide array of difficulties may have varying time scales. Some could be short term hindrances whereas others could be occurring for a long time.

Why Psychotherapy?

Millions of Americans have benefited from consulting a psychologist and going through therapy. It has helped them overcome depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions. However, in spite of the positive results provided by psychotherapy, many people still find it uncomfortable to consult a therapist or in some cases, to continue and sustain the therapy.

The most important question revolves around the fact as to why one should consider consulting a therapist. To understand this, one must first understand what the therapy is all about. Therapy is a partnership and a professional relationship between an individual and the therapist, who aims at dissolving the client’s distress. The therapist is usually a trained individual who is licensed to help people. He is trained to understand the client’s feelings and help them in altering their behavior in a positive direction. Facts provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration show that about one-thirds of the adults in the United States suffer from substance abuse related problems from a very early age, and, consequently, face emotional distress. Almost 25 percent of the population suffers from anxiety and depression at one point or another.

How Effective is Psychotherapy?

According to the American Psychological Association, ‘Psychotherapy’ includes any of a group of therapies used to treat psychological disorders, focusing on changing faulty behaviors, perceptions, thoughts, and emotions that may be associated with specific disorders. People sometimes question the necessity of consulting a psychotherapist at a point when they can easily talk to their friends or family members about it. This query can be simply satiated by the fact that the therapists are trained professionals who handle situations in novel ways unknown to common people. Rather, untrained individuals can unknowingly cause more damage when trying to provide help.

“Psychotherapy Research” journal quotes a number of studies that have been successful in proving the effectiveness of the therapies. They have indicated that a successful therapy brings about positive changes in people’s lives. This, in turn, facilitates the patient to overcome his distress. The studies indicate that 75% of the patients undergoing psychotherapy show a positive signs of improvement. Some researchers also refer to the fact that an average person who undergoes treatment is in a better state of mind than 80% of those who do not undergo psychotherapy at all. Yet, it is very difficult to evaluate effectiveness of psychotherapy due to variety of mental disorders and individual conditions of patients.

How to Find a Psychotherapist that You Can Trust?

Assuming you have decided to try out psychotherapy, you now need someone who can help you cope with your predicament and how to eventually get out of it. This certain ‘someone’ is called a psychologist. He or she is a trained individual in the field of not just psychotherapy but also other kinds of treatments related to psychological disorders.

Can you trust a psychologist? Yes. Psychologists and psychotherapists undergo intensive training after completing undergraduate and graduate studies. It is imperative for many to earn a doctoral degree. Overall it takes up to 10 years of studies to become a psychologist or psychotherapist.

Thereafter, they are expected to gain some professional experience for which they could either enroll as an intern at a hospital or in any other supervised health setting. These are the basic requirements that need to be met if they plan to really practice psychotherapy independently. Sometimes, one could also work after obtaining their doctorate. Such a rigorous and dedicated training sets this individual apart from the other types of “well-being experts”.

Can Psychotherapy Be Beneficial For You?

There are several things in our daily life that we cannot deal with. Though we try and manage everything that is happening around us, there are, however, times when we cannot control what happens around us. This is where we are disturbed, perturbed, and anxious. We do not know who can help us. We are out of choices and we know we will need help from an expert. A psychologist is a person who can help you in such a case.

A psychologist is like a counselor. He or she is someone who would listen to you, analyze your problems, and help you find solutions to many of the problems that feel unsolvable. People come to psychologists for a range of problems. Here are some of them: