Psychotherapy, or "talk therapy", is a way to treat people with a mental disorder by helping them understand their illness. It teaches people strategies and gives them tools to deal with stress and unhealthy thoughts and behaviors. Psychotherapy helps patients manage their symptoms better and function at their best in everyday life. Sometimes psychotherapy alone may be the best treatment for a person, depending on the illness and its severity. Other times, psychotherapy is combined with medications. - Excerpted from National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Answers to Common Questions about Counseling
Throughout life, there are times when help is needed to address problems and issues that cause emotional distress or make us feel overwhelmed. When experiencing these types of difficulties, individuals may benefit from the assistance of an experienced, trained professional. Learn more...
Key to Successful Therapy
A key component to successful therapy is the relationship between the therapist and client. The therapist and client must develop trust and a strong bond, and the therapist must communicate caring and empathy for the client. Learn more...
Traditional Therapies To Treat Mental Illnesses
Mental health professionals use a variety of approaches to give people tools to deal with ingrained, troublesome patterns of behavior and to help them manage symptoms of mental illness. The best therapists will work with you to design a treatment plan that will be most effective for you. This sometimes involves a single method, or it may involve elements of several different methods, often referred to as an "eclectic approach" to therapy. Learn more...
Choosing The Right Mental Health Therapist
Finding a therapist is important. Therapy is a collaborative process, so finding the right match-someone with whom you have a sense of rapport-is critical. After you find someone, keep in mind that therapy is work and sometimes can be painful. However, it also can be rewarding and life changing. Learn more...
Group Therapy
Group therapy is expected to increase emotional awareness and relational understanding between self and others. The work of putting emotional experiences into words can give an individual the cognitive and emotional tools that lend to self-learning, insight and the potential to function with an increased sense of freedom, and with increased sophistication. Learn more...
What Is Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)?
Complementary and alternative medicine is a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine. While some scientific evidence exists regarding some CAM therapies, for most there are key questions that are yet to be answered through well-designed scientific studies--questions such as whether they are safe and whether they work for the diseases or medical conditions for which they are used. Learn more...
Alternative Approaches to Mental Health Care
An alternative approach to mental health care is one that emphasizes the interrelationship between mind, body, and spirit. Although some alternative approaches have a long history, many remain controversial. It is crucial to consult with your health care providers about the approaches you are using to achieve mental wellness. Learn more...
Anger Management 1: An Overview for Counselors
Anger. Everybody experiences it and everybody expresses it. It is a natural and healthy human emotion when managed effectively. But it can be a source of various physical, mental, emotional, social, or legal problems when not managed effectively. Learn more...
Anger Management 2: Counselors Strategies and Skills
Many different strategies and skills for anger management intervention have been tried and tested. Some of the most empirically supported interventions are cognitive-behavioral interventions including relaxation coping skills, cognitive interventions, behavioral coping and social skills training, and problem-solving skills training. Learn more...
Filial Therapy
Communication gaps between parents and children may exist because many parents are unaware of their children's emotional needs and lack the skills necessary to interact effectively with them on an emotional level. Children communicate through play, their innate language. By teaching parents the language of play, and how to use play therapeutically, the communication gap between parent and child can be closed. Learn more...
Treatment of Children with Mental Disorders
This fact sheet addresses common questions about diagnosis and treatment options for children with mental illnesses. Disorders affecting children may include anxiety disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorders, bipolar disorder, depression, eating disorders, and schizophrenia. Learn more...
Social Phobia’s Traumas and Treatments
Social phobia is far different from the run-of-the-mill nervousness associated with stressful situations. It's the intensity of the fear that distinguishes the condition from the almost inevitable butterflies that most people feel when they are about to give a speech or go to an interview or even a party. Learn more...
Assessment of Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. Symptoms of bipolar disorder are different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through from time to time. Bipolar disorder symptoms can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide. But Bipolar disorder can be treated, and people with this illness can lead full and productive lives. Learn more...
Treatment of Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are abnormal eating behaviors, which include anorexia and bulimia. Anorexia is defined as the refusal to reach or to keep a weight that is considered to be the minimum required for a person's height and age. Bulimia is an eating pattern of repeated occurrences of binge eating followed by attempts to keep from gaining weight. Learn more...
Brief Intervention for Alcohol Problems
Nearly one-fifth of patients treated in general medical practices report drinking at levels considered "risky" or "hazardous" and may be at risk for developing alcohol-related problems as a result. Brief intervention, which can be conducted in general health care settings, can help patients reduce that risk. Learn more...
Clinical Hypnosis: Understanding Clinical Hypnotherapy
Hypnosis is a method of communication that induces a trance or a trance-like state. Hypnosis can be conducted by one individual addressing another, or it may be conducted with the self (self-hypnosis). Trance is a naturally occurring state in which one's attention is narrowly focused and relatively free of distractions. Examples of trance states are daydreaming and some forms of meditation. Learn more...
The Mind-Body Connection
Many of us frequently experience the connection between our state of mind and our physical health. Often, that comes in the form of mental stress impacting how we feel. Learn more...
The Incorporation of Holistic Treatment into a Brief Treatment Framework
It is commonly believed that therapy occurs once per week. This is not necessarily so, and for some it is not even financially possible. Therapy can provide significant benefits without the old constraints of a 50-minute weekly session, particularly when utilized in conjunction with other resources. Learn more...
Mental Health Medications
Medications, which are sometimes used along with psychotherapy, treat the symptoms of mental disorders, including anxiety disorders, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, depression, and schizophrenia. Learn more...
Working with Older Patients: Talking About Sensitive Subjects
Many older people have a "don't ask/don't tell" relationship with doctors about health care problems, especially about sensitive subjects, such as urinary incontinence or sexuality. Hidden health problems, ranging from foot disorders to mental illness, are a challenge. Addressing problems related to safety and independence, such as giving up one's driver's license or moving to assisted living, can be difficult. Learn more...