Evaluating the Effectiveness of Psychotherapy: Perspectives and Research

2. 72.1 – Discuss whether psychotherapy works as interpreted by clients, clinicians, and outcome research. Evaluating Psychotherapeutic Approaches • Clients and psychotherapists would both agree that therapy can be a positive and productive experience. Providing experimental research to nullify these opinions has been difficult. Researchers have performed meta-analysis, which gathers large amounts of data from a variety of sources and then presents the data in a single report. A meta-analysis may include a client’s expectations, results, the therapists opinions, and surveys of various people also involved in the therapeutic process. A meta-analysis may indicate whether therapy is effective, but problems may arise from gathering data dealing with different types of therapy, clients, and treatments. For example, how do you measurea client’s willingness to perform in a therapeutic setting? Clients who were “pushed” into therapy, not wanting to go by themselves, may not put their best foot forward when it comes to complying with what the therapist has suggested. This obviously would affect the data of a survey.

3. 72.1 – Discuss whether psychotherapy works as interpreted by clients, clinicians, and outcome research. Evaluating Psychotherapeutic Approaches • Data, however, has provided evidence that cognitive, behavior, and interpersonal therapies have been effective for treating depression. Cognitive, behavior, and exposure therapies have been successful in treating anxiety disorders such as phobias, panic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Cognitive-behavior therapy has proven beneficial in treating eating disorders, and behavior modification has been successful for treating bed-wetting.

4. 72.2 – Describe which psychotherapies are most effective for specific disorders. Relative Effectiveness • therapy is most effective for those with clear-cut, specific problems. • those with depression and anxiety usually benefit in the short-term but often relapse later. • therapies with little-to-no scientific support should be avoided (such as energy therapies, recovered memory therapies, and rebirthing therapies).

5. 72.3 – Discuss how alternative therapies fare under scientific scrutiny. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) • in EMDR therapy, the therapist attempts to unlock and reprocess previous frozen traumatic memories by waving a finger in front of the eyes of the client. • patients report the EMDR works. • skeptics argue that it is a placebo or a way to reduce anxiety that simply allows memories to extinguish. Light Exposure Therapy • seasonal affective disorder, a form of depression has been effectively treated by light exposure therapy. • this form of therapy has been scientifically validated as being as effective as taking antidepressants or undergoing cognitive-behavior therapy.

6. 72.4 – Discuss the three elements shared by all forms of psychotherapy. Commonalities Among Psychotherapies • 1) A hope for demoralized people. • 2) A new perspective. • 3) An empathic, trusting and caring relationship.

7. 72.5 – Discuss how culture, gender, and values influence the therapist-client relationship. Culture and Values in Psychotherapy • many people feel more comfortable with a therapist who shares their personal beliefs, values, gender, or cultural background. • highly religious people may benefit from a similarly religious therapist.

8. 72.6 – Identify some guidelines for selecting a therapist. Selecting a Therapist • When to seek help 1) Not feeling yourself? 2) Are you feeling agitated? 3) Are you feeling withdrawn? 4) Taking care of yourself? 5) Are you feeling hopeless?

9. 72.6 – Identify some guidelines for selecting a therapist.

10. 72.7 – Explain the rationale of preventive mental health programs. Preventing Mental Health • preventive mental health programs seek to: 1) build resilience 2) empower those who feel helpless 3) change environments that breed loneliness 4) renew the disintegrating family 5) promote communication training for couples 6) bolster parents’ and teachers’ skills