Psychotherapy
Therapeutic Styles and Approaches
The Cognitive Model
Cognitive behavior therapy is based on the cognitive model of psychopathology, which hypothesizes that people’s emotions, body responses, and behaviors are influenced by their perception of events.
CBT aims to help clients recognize their maladaptive automatic thoughts and connect how thoughts are related to their emotional, behavioral, and physiological reactions.
At first, you may be given worksheets and homework to introduce the concepts of CBT. As therapy continues, we’ll tailor the cognitive model to your circumstances.
Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD
Cognitive processing therapy (CPT) is a cognitive-behavioral treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related problems.
CPT is a structured course of 50-60 minute individual therapy sessions, ranging from 6-18 weekly sessions; the average is 12. This therapy involves learning about PTSD and why some people develop it, exploring how your trauma or traumas have changed your thoughts and beliefs, and how some of these ways of thinking keep you “stuck” in your symptoms.CPT does not require clients to repeatedly review details of their trauma(s), but asks one to examine experiences in order to understand how they’ve affected thoughts, behaviors, and feelings.
Psychodynamic Approach
The psychodynamic approach to therapy is what many people picture when they think of therapy and what they are most likely to see portrayed in media.
Psychodynamic therapy is best suited for those whose goals include insight and understanding of themselves, processing past experiences, and uncovering unconscious motivations.
Techniques include a strong therapeutic alliance (the relationship between therapist and client), analysis and interpretation, exploring family relationships and personal history.