Talk Therapy

Cognitive Therapy and Counseling are different appoaches that help the person to explore dysfunctional thinking, emotions and behavior, and to recognize the maladaptive nature of the behavior, leading to a change towards better adjusted behavior.

There are many reasons people seek the help from simply wanting someone to talk with and use as a sounding board to serious mental disorders. Psychotherapy might be considered needed if the patient’s thoughts, behaviors, or emotions are causing significant problems in life or have the immediate potential to cause significant problems.However, psychotherapy may not always be considered the first option. If a diagnosis of a mental disorder requiring medication is made, and the symptoms of the disorder are preventing the person from being amenable to psychotherapy, medication may first be prescribed. Sometimes medicines alone are enough to control the symptoms and bring about a change in thinking. Sometimes psychotherapy may be undertaken while medication is being given. Psychotherapy may not be done in isolation and in the same session brief psychotherapy may be given while talking to the patient and medication may be prescribed.

The next question is ‘who could benefit from therapy?’ Simple, pretty much anyone. Therapy isn’t just for people with a serious mental illness, it’s also very helpful for people with mild to moderate depression, anxiety, relationship difficulties, sexual concerns, etc., etc., etc.

The focus is on on the client’s:

• perception of reality
• understandind about what and how they are thinking, feeling, and doing as they interact with the therapist and the other people in the world
• responsibility for their destiny and identity
• awareness of what he or she is doing and experiencing

The objective is to enable the patient to identify distorted thinking relating to self and others, to become free from the blocks and unfinished business that may diminish satisfaction, fulfillment, and growth, and to develop skills for modifying beliefs, attitudes and to experiment with new behaviors for a better adjusted life and relationships.

The outcome is the ability to become fully aware of what is happening within oneself and outside of oneself, in interaction with others, and to deal with the problems.

Treatment is based on collaboration between patient and therapist and on testing beliefs. Therapy may consist of testing the assumptions which one makes and identifying how certain of one’s usually unquestioned thoughts are distorted, unrealistic and unhelpful. Once those thoughts have been challenged, one’s feelings about the subject matter of those thoughts are more easily subject to change

The procedure of therapy is simple. A detailed history is taken first. Medication may be prescribed to relieve anxiety and tension that interferes with the Therapy. The person is encouraged to express the distressing thoughts, feelings, and behavior. The procedure of the session conveys the therapists understanding of the emotions and attitudes expressed and they are accepted without approval nor disapproval, but they are challenged by the therapist whenever appropriate.

The patient is encouraged to explore attitudes and reactions to the challenges posed by the therapist till he / she arrives at a clear conscious realization of the reasons behind the attitudes.