In making mental health referrals, we are often asked about the skills and therapeutic techniques that therapists will use. This article will hopefully give a basic overview of some of the effective characteristics and techniques that clinicians implement.
The field of psychotherapy requires a broad range of abilities, which will be outlined below. However, before we continue, we must mention that all of these abilities need to be further developed throughout a therapist’s career. There is no such thing as someone who is such a natural that no further self-development is needed.
Empathy: The skill of empathy is not limited to the ability to feel the emotions of another. It also encompasses the ability to understand another person’s feelings in the absence of verbal communication. Although therapy involves talking, a vast amount of information is communicated via non-verbal emotional expressions. The ability to decipher those messages is vital for effective therapy to occur.
Open-mindedness: One interesting aspect of psychology is that a lot of it is counterintuitive. A therapist must be willing to challenge their own assumptions in order to explore the human psyche. Furthermore, every client is unique and a therapist needs to be open-minded about their client’s individual circumstances. As there are constantly new discoveries in the field, without open-mindedness a therapist can be stuck with an outdated understanding.
Self-introspection: Therapists are in the business of helping their clients further their understanding of themselves in order to achieve their goals. A therapist who is not actively engaged in that same process may not be in a position to provide it to others.
Listening skills: One of the skills of therapy is knowing how to listen. This is not limited to the simple act of staying quiet and paying attention. It requires that the listener fully concentrate, understand, respond, and then remember what is being said.
Ethics: All professions have a code of ethics they must follow, and psychotherapy is no different. However, the observance of ethics in this profession is probably more important than in most other fields. Clients can only feel safe with a therapist if they know that the therapist will not violate the ethical standards that are in place to protect the client.
Common Methods of Psychotherapy
It is important to keep in mind that there are various approaches in therapy. What may work for one person may not work for another. The details of each approach can fill volumes, but we will try to briefly present, in very broad strokes, a few of the common methods of psychotherapy.
We must bear in mind that human beings cannot be confined to any individual theory and each approach has validity. Therefore, most therapists will draw on different approaches and custom-tailor the treatment to each individual client. Sometimes, all of the approaches discussed below will be incorporated during the course of treatment.
Psychodynamic therapy: This type of therapy guides the client to understand the unconscious motivations behind his actions and feelings. This theory takes the view that there are painful memories and experiences that have been repressed. This results in unconscious inner turmoil that can be resolved by bringing these inner wounds into the consciousness in order to properly process them.
Humanistic psychotherapy: This theory assumes that people have innate goodness and that if you provide them with a safe and validating environment they will discover their inner strengths. Humanistic therapy places a strong emphasis on showing the client empathy and giving him unconditional positive regard. Some of the goals of this form of therapy are self-growth and fulfillment.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT is a combination of cognitive and behavioral theories. Behavioral theory assumes that behaviors were learned through conditioning. For example, one can be conditioned to get angry if his experience is that people quiet down when he screams at them. Similarly, one can improve behavior through conditioning. For example, if one is afraid of flying, he can condition himself not to be afraid of air travel by exposing himself to air travel. Cognitive therapy assumes that negative thoughts about oneself and his environment are causing emotional distress and therefore involves challenging those thought patterns. The CBT combination is a treatment that aims to alter one’s thoughts and behaviors.
Interpersonal psychotherapy: This theory takes the position that emotional difficulties stem from interpersonal problems, and if one learns how to properly navigate interpersonal issues, his emotional health will greatly improve.
Mindfulness-based interventions: The goal of mindfulness is to achieve a state of mind where a person focuses on the present moment while allowing themselves to acknowledge and accept their thoughts and feelings. This method is commonly employed in psychotherapy.
Finding the right mental health clinician is not simple. There are many variables and individual circumstances that make one therapist a match for one client but ineffective for another. Relief Resources is here to help you navigate the process through custom-made referrals and management of the cases that we receive. Our services are completely confidential and free of charge. We look forward to continuing to help the Baltimore community access appropriate mental health services.
If you or someone you know can benefit from our services, please call Relief at 410-448-8356 or email yslansky@reliefhelp.org.
