Essay on Psychotherapy

Introduction of Psychotherapya

            In general, psychotherapy is a process created for bringing about changes of behaviour, attitudes, cognitions, and feelings which have proven to be problematic to the individual seeking help from a psychotherapist. Meanwhile, a wider view of this therapy involves the concept of assisting an individual in becoming his ideal self. Normally, this process is involved in most treatments for disorders related to stress and stress management programmes. Psychotherapy often involves two people as one person is capable of influencing the way in which another person behaves, thinks, and feels. In most cultures, it is a fundamental assumption. Psychotherapy is a refines of this interpersonal process based on language. Usually, it includes a verbal exchange but it might include dramatic performance or writing as well. In this study, the concept of psychotherapy will be analysed and its results will also be explored (Smith, 2010).

Findings of Psychotherapya

            The objective of psychotherapy is to modify the existing behaviour, attitudes, cognitions, and feelings. It seems to avoid the issue of whether they are acquired or inherited, and it considers that they exist and they can certainly be changed. Still, there is a significant recognition that there exists a process which has created this phenomena, without and with the awareness of the person. It would not be wrong to say that disturbances of behaviour, thoughts, and feelings are quite common. Meanwhile, psychotherapy aims to deal with all those people who experience difficulties by their experiences of these feelings. It is possible that they might experience and feel it directly, for instance, a person in the depressed mood.

            People can experience it indirectly as well, for instance, when depression leads to a person not being able to stay active. Usually, stressed people are troubled by the issues and disturbances that they experience in their daily functions and tasks. The relationship between physical and mental states is quite clear. Having clinical depression at some specific age doubles and increases the risk of being diagnosed with and developing a major disorder like stroke or even diabetes. Once these diseases and disorders develop, the mortality rate is doubled by depression. It also increases healthcare costs and morbidity. What serves to differentiate psychotherapy from any other interpersonal influence is that it is generally provided within some formal parameters. The trained expert or professional comes from various backgrounds such as education, nursing, social work, psychology, and even medicine.

            In recent years, the question of which therapy is best for which patient is being resolved. Different relationship factors such as human wisdom, acceptance, warmth, and trust are important, even in technical therapies which serve to ignore them. In this study, an attempt has been made for evaluating the psychotherapy of patients and determine whether it was effective for them (Lambert, 2013).

            The psychiatry residents were asked to fill up an evaluation form for each patient they had been seeing and observing during a period of twelve months. It implied that some patients had completed their therapy during this period while some patients were attending the clinic actively. Still, the form was to be filled out since the objective was concerned with surveying the psychotherapy performed in the clinic during this period and whether patients experienced positive results or not. The first portion dealt with basic data like the age, sex, race, and name of the patient. Meanwhile, the second section dealt with the evaluation of initial prognosis, goals in treatment, clinical diagnosis, and the illness of patient. The next section was aimed at determining the changes which occurred during the therapy. 305 forms were submitted and 34 percent of the forms were completed by the first-year residents. 36 percent of the forms were completed by the second-year residents and 36 percent were completed by the third-year residents.

Table: Patient Grouping of Psychotherapya

            Appreciable improvement was experienced by approximately 70% of patients. Considering the fact that about two thirds of patients were active in their specific therapies, the interpretation of this part is limited. Evaluation of the patient after psychotherapy and while the patient is undergoing treatment, offers a significant opportunity for the appraisal of manner in which the patient copes with different life situations. Although a follow-up after the patient has stopped seeing his therapist has various benefits, the possibilities for identifying how he handled a specific situation are reduced. Therefore, optimally, the patient must be analysed and evaluated after he enters therapy, and when the therapy is terminated.

            In this research, it has been determined that patients who were undergoing psychotherapy for the treatment of stress and similar issues experienced a significantly positive result. One of the major reasons why they experienced positive results was because of counselling involved in the treatment. Considering the fact that psychotherapy has the objective of dealing with everything that troubles the person, counselling is often provided to the patient. In this case as well, a large number of patients were provided counselling. Upon asking the patients and analysing the evaluation forms, it was determined that psychotherapy relies significantly on the exchange of feelings and ideas (Norcross & Lambert, 2011).

            140 patients who determined that they had improved had undergone some form of counselling. Upon further analysis, it was determined that one of the major strengths of psychoanalysis is that it involves the exchange of ideas and conversation between two people. After asking the patients, it was determined that once pent up feelings and ideas of patients are revealed and they take them out, they immediately feel better than before.

            Another important point that was revealed by responses of patients was that therapists often suggest different alternatives and solutions to patients. For instance, one patient was disturbed by his work life and he faced significant difficulties in managing his social life. He admitted that before the therapy, he had gotten stressed and he was angry at everything for no reason. He also exclaimed that one day, he had shouted at a person just because he had bumped into him. However, after receiving psychotherapy, he had learned how to control his anger. In addition to just learning this, he had also understood what he needed to do if he was stressed again because of his work, he knew what he needed to do.

            His therapist had told him that he needed to manage his time in an efficient manner and better than before. One way he could do this was by waking up early in the morning and setting up a plan for the day. In addition to it, he told that his therapist had guided him and suggested him to identify all the reasons why he was experiencing stress in the first place. Once those triggers had been identified, he could simply learn to manage them effectively. He believed that psychotherapy had been beneficial for him because it had allowed him to manage his stress and cope up with it.

            One important thing which was identified by results was that the effectiveness of psychotherapy is enhanced significantly when there are group treatments. For instance, if there are patients who are experiencing the same issues and are undergoing the same therapy, treating them together allows them to be comfortable around each other. It also allows them to take assurance from each other. For instance, if there are two patients who are experiencing the same issues, they can reveal how they are experiencing stress and anxiety. It allows them to become comfortable and take their therapy seriously. In fact, it allows therapists to treat patients in an effective manner.

            The thirteen patients who believed that their treatments had not improved their conditions were the ones who were not serious about psychotherapy. Upon consulting their therapists and asking for the reasons why they believed that their therapy had not improved them, it was revealed that seriousness of the patient towards his own improvement matters significantly. In fact, if patients are not serious about being treated and do not want to recover, they are unable to recover. Therefore, it would not be wrong to say that the willingness of patients to be treated and make sure that their life gets back to normal is very important. Without it, it is not possible for the therapist to treat the patient properly and ensure that the therapy is effective. In fact, although it has not been proven, it can be supposed that without the willingness of patient, any type of therapy which does not involve medications cannot be effective (Anthony, 2018).

Conclusion and Recommendations

            Overall, it can be said psychotherapy is quite effective for patients who are experiencing stress and any other disturbing feeling. It is, however, important to note that without the willingness of patients, it is not possible for the psychotherapist to treat the patient in an effective manner. Following are some recommendations which can be considered for performing psychotherapy effectively:

·         Psychotherapy should be performed in combination with consultation to the patient.

·         People experiencing disturbing feelings should undergo psychotherapy to recover and manage their life in an effective manner.

·         Patients should be serious about their treatment for psychotherapy to be effective.

References of Psychotherapya

Anthony, E. J. (2018). Group psychotherapy: The psychoanalytic approach. Routledge.

Lambert, M. J. (2013). Of Psychotherapy. Bergin and Garfield's handbook of psychotherapy and behavior change.

Norcross, J. C., & Lambert, M. J. (2011). Psychotherapy relationships that work II. Educational Publishing Foundation, 48(1).

Smith, G. C. (2010). Psychotherapy. Encyclopedia of Stress, 302-307.