Psychology 3301F/G Chapter Notes - Chapter 11: Interpersonal Psychotherapy, Attachment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
27 Apr 2018
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Psych 3301 chapter 11
Psychotherapy: the informed and intentional application of clinical methods and
interpersonal stances derived from established psychological principles for the purpose of
assisting people to modify their behaviors, cognitions, emotions, and/or other personal
characteristics in directions that the participants deem desirable
• In most provinces anyone can advertise their service as a psychotherapist so it’s
important to obtain treatment from a licensed or registered professional
• Psychologists must obtain informed consent and lay out the services and outcomes
of receiving or not receiving them and client’s must be informed about all evidence-
based treatment options
• Children who are unable to give consent are still asked to give assent and still have
the right to have procedures explained to them
• Psychologists have an ethical responsibility to monitor the effectiveness of services
and potentially changing fit between treatment plan and the client’s needs
• Evidence-based practice requires that the psychologist bas treatment for a client on
the best available evidence even if there are no randomized control trials on it
• There is growing awareness on some psychological treatments that can cause harm
e.g. scared straight programs increase odds of criminal offending and rebirthing
therapy resulted in a number of deaths
Based on the extent to which the client is similar to participants in research trials the
psychologist should adopt, adapt or abandon evidence-based treatment:
a. If there is reasonable fit between client characteristics and research samples the
psychologist should adopt an evidence-based treatment
b. If the fit is reasonable but seems that some modification is required to respect
cultural practices then the psychologist should adapt the treatment
Short-term psychodynamic therapy: a treatment approach that emphasizes bringing to
awareness unconscious processes especially as they are expressed in interpersonal
relationships and helping the client to understand and alter these processes
• Freud’s drive theory emphasizes innate, biological drives that the individual must
control in order to adapt to society
• Ego psychology (Anna Freud) focuses on the process which the young child learns to
construct a model of the world
• Object relations theories note that infants tend to categorize their experiences into
good and bad
• Psychodynamic theories assume individuals are prone to conflicts between id and
ego
Transference: the unconscious application of expectations and emotional experiences based
on important early relationships onto subsequent interpersonal relationships
• Brief psychodynamic therapies began in the 1960s and 1970s in which change was
to occur by the therapist challenging the client’s defenses
• In the 1980s supportive-expressive therapy (Lester Lubrosky) and time-limited
dynamic therapy (Hans Strupp) were developed
• All consider therapy a process of understanding stages of psychological development
and bringing to awareness unconscious processes
• STPPs involve face-to-face sessions conducted once or twice a week for between 16
and 30 sessions
• Therapists are active, engaging in dialogue and challenging the client
Therapeutic tasks in Short-Term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy:
Phase 1: developing a positive transference relationship and identifying themes that are
important for the patient
Phase 2: analyzing the transference relationship and exploring themes through clarification
and confrontation
Phase 3: terminating therapy, dealing with loss, and dealing with expectable challenges in
life
Techniques used by STPP therapists to alter maladaptive patterns:
a. Reflection-paraphrasing clients’ statements to enhance their awareness
b. Clarification-asking clients to attend to aspects of experiences to see connections
c. Interpretation-relating a problem to the use of defense mechanisms or underlying
core contextual themes
d. Confrontation- challenging clients to recognize that defense mechanisms are
interfering with their optimal functioning
Counter-transference: the therapist’s emotional reaction to the client (STPP therapists see
this as useful information about the client’s behaviors)
• STPP therapists accord a central role to evoking emotions and facilitating change
through catharsis
• Time-limited nature of therapy raises awareness of time-limited nature of human
life
• STPP is efficacious in treatment of depression, panic disorder, substance abuse, and
borderline personality disorder
Interpersonal psychotherapy: a treatment approach that emphasizes interpersonal
elements in the development, maintenance, and alteration of psychological problems
- IPT is a form of brief therapy that involves weekly meetings over 3-4 months
Phases of interpersonal psychotherapy for depression→
Initial sessions (1-3):
- Assess symptoms
- Diagnose and explain depressive disorder
- Assess interpersonal context (current and past)
- Present IPT formulation of patient’s problems
Intermediate sessions (4-12) addressing one or more of the following themes:
- Grief: help patient deal with a loss, promote healthy mourning, facilitate the
development of new relationships
- Role disputes: identify dispute, formulate plan for dispute resolution, modify
communication and/or change expectations to resolve dispute
- Role transitions: leave old role and mourn its loss if necessary, developed skills,
coping strategies, and support for transition
- Interpersonal deficits: build social skills, increase social involvement
Termination phase (13-16):
- Acknowledge worries and sadness related to ending therapy
- Encourage awareness and practice of new skills
Document Summary
Phase 1: developing a positive transference relationship and identifying themes that are important for the patient. Phase 2: analyzing the transference relationship and exploring themes through clarification and confrontation. Phase 3: terminating therapy, dealing with loss, and dealing with expectable challenges in life. Interpersonal psychotherapy: a treatment approach that emphasizes interpersonal elements in the development, maintenance, and alteration of psychological problems. Ipt is a form of brief therapy that involves weekly meetings over 3-4 months. Intermediate sessions (4-12) addressing one or more of the following themes: Grief: help patient deal with a loss, promote healthy mourning, facilitate the development of new relationships. Role disputes: identify dispute, formulate plan for dispute resolution, modify communication and/or change expectations to resolve dispute. Role transitions: leave old role and mourn its loss if necessary, developed skills, coping strategies, and support for transition. Interpersonal deficits: build social skills, increase social involvement. Acknowledge worries and sadness related to ending therapy.
