Transcript February 10, Psychological Theories

PSYCHOTHERAPY
• COME TO UNDERSTAND UNDERLYING
CAUSES
• MAKE UNCONSCIOUS CONSCIOUS
• OVERCOME RESISTANCE OF PATIENT
THERAPY (CONT.)
•
•
•
•
SUSPENSION OF NORMS
FREE ASSOCIATION
DREAM ANALYSIS
TRANSFERENCE
THERAPY (CONT.)
• PERSONAL QUALITIES OF THERAPIST
VERY IMPORTANT
• VERY LONG AND INTENSIVE
• CATHARSIS
STRENGTHS OF THEORY
• DEVELOPMENTAL ASPECT
• PEOPLE ARE OFTEN IRRATIONAL
• IMPACT ON CHILD REARING AND
SEXUALITY
• IMPACT ON ART AND LITERATURE
WEAKNESSES
• UNSCIENTIFIC - UNOBSERVABLE AND
UNFALSIFIABLE
• OVEREMPHASIZES EARLY CHILDHOOD,
UNDEREMPHASIZES ADAPTABILITY
• RESISTANCE TO MEDICATIONS
• HISTORICALLY AND CULTURALLY
SPECIFIC
WEAKNESSES OF THERAPY
•
•
•
•
LITTLE EVIDENCE OF SUCCESS
IMPRACTICAL - EXPENSIVE, LONG
CULTURALLY-SPECIFIC
DOESN’T WORK WITH MOST SERIOUSLY
ILL
DECLINE OF DYNAMIC THEORY –
1970’S TO PRESENT
• CONFLICT WITH SCIENTIFIC AND
MEDICAL NORMS
• CONFLICT WITH INSURANCE NEEDS TO
MEASURE DISEASES AND CURES
• RISE OF MANAGED CARE
• CONFLICT WITH RISE OF DRUGS
• COULDN’T TREAT SERIOUSLY ILL
CURRENT PSYCHOLOGICAL
THEORY
• NO SINGLE THEORY BUT ECLECTIC
COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL
• EMPHASIS ON THOUGHTS
• EMPHASIS ON CURRENT PERCEPTIONS
• CHANGE WAYS PERSONS THINKS ABOUT
SELF AND WORLD
• SPECIFIC, DIRECTIVE, AND SHORT
THERAPIES
• CAN BE STANDARDIZED
COGNITIVE
• MOST USED IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
• EFFECTIVE, AT LEAST IN SHORT RUN
• CHEAPER AND MORE EFFICIENT THAN
DYNAMIC
• LESS DEPENDENT ON PERSONAL
QUALITIES OF THERAPIST
• WEAKNESS IS WHEN ACTUAL
CONDITIONS CAUSE PROBLEMS
FAMILY SYSTEMS THEORY
• VIEW SYMPTOMS IN RELATIONSHIP TO
FAMILY SYSTEM
• SYMPTOMS TO MAINTAIN FAMILY
EQUILIBRIUM
• MUST CHANGE FAMILY DYNAMICS, NOT
JUST INDIVIDUAL PATIENT
• TREAT FAMILY, NOT INDIVIDUAL
HUMANISTIC
• FOCUS ON TOTAL EXPERIENCES OF
INDIVIDUAL - BROAD HUMAN PROBLEMS
• MEANING, DEATH, FULFILLMENT
• OVERLY GENERAL AND DIFFUSE
• NOT REIMBURSED – NO SPECIFIC ILLNESS
• NOT WIDELY USED
SUMMARY
• MANY DIFFERENT PSYCHOLOGICAL
THEORIES
• MOST FOCUS ON INDIVIDUAL
PERSONALITY
• CHANGE EFFORTS FOCUS ON CHANGING
PERSONALITY
• NOW LARGELY REPLACED BY
BIOLOGICAL