Psychology 1000 Chapter 14: Chapter 14 - Treatment of Psychological Disorders

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 1000
• Professor: Laura Fazakas- De Hoog

Document Summary

Basic goal of all treatment approaches: help people change maladaptive, self-defeating thoughts, feelings, behaviours. Majority of people with mental health problems seek help from family members, physicians, members of clergy, acquaintances, or self-help groups (not mental health professionals) Medical doctors who specialize in psychotherapy and in biomedical treatments (ex: drug therapy) Specialize in problems arising from family relations. Work with substance and sexual abusers and their victims. Focuses on internal conflict and unconscious factors that underlie maladaptive behaviour. Goal is to help clients achieve insight (conscious awareness of psychodynamics that underlie their problems) Such awareness permits clients to adjust behaviour to current life situations, rather than continuing to repeat old maladaptive routines learned in childhood. Free association - belief that mental events are meaningfully associated with one another. Analyst does not expect free association to necessarily lead directly to unconscious materialwill provide clues concerning important themes or issues.