Talk therapy based on belief that the unconscious and childhood conflicts impact behavior.
a. A way of shortening the lengthy process
of classic psychoanalysis
b. Empirically based concerns of dream
interpretations and transference
manifestations
c. Offer interpretations for defenses and
resistance, and is still concerned with
unconscious material
Application
a. Limited objectives
b. No couch :(
c. Fewer sessions
d. Reassurance
e. No blank slate
f. Mutual transference
psychodynamic therapy
Say whatever comes to mind, Get rid of any blocks, no matter
how silly, painful, offensive, or
irrelevant
free association
Psychodynamic therapy wherein interaction with toys is used
instead of talk; used in child therapy.
Techniques:
Toys, such as dolls, stuffed animals, and sandbox figurines
are used to help children play out their hopes, fantasies and
traumas.
Sandplay or sandtray therapy - children can set up a three
dimensional world using various figures and objects that
correspond to their inner state (Kalff, 1991).
Nondirective play therapy – children are encouraged to
work through problems by playing freely while therapist
observes.
Directive play therapy – therapist provides
structure/guidance by suggesting topics, asking questions,
and playing with the child.
play therapy
Principles of learning are applied to change undesirable behaviors. Based on the belief
that dysfunctional behaviors can be changed by teaching clients more constructive
behaviors.
Counterconditioning: Client learns a new response to a stimulus that has previously
elicited an undesirable behavior. Includes aversive conditioning and exposure therapy.
a. Aversive conditioning: uses an unpleasant stimulus to stop undesirable behavior
b. Exposure therapy: seeks to change the response to a conditioned stimulus
behavior therapy
Applied behavior analysis:
Operant conditioning technique designed to reinforce positive behaviors and punish unwanted
behaviors.
Effective in helping children with autism.
Child-specific reinforcers (e.g., stickers, praise, candy) are used to reward and motivate autistic
children when they demonstrate desired behaviors.
Punishment (e.g., timeout) might be used to discourage undesirable behaviors.
Token economy:
Used in controlled settings such as psychiatric hospitals.
Individuals are reinforced for desired behaviors with tokens (e.g., a poker chip), that can be
exchanged for items or privileges.
Often used in psychiatric hospitals or prisons to increase cooperation
behavior therapy
Positive reinforcement: the addition of something valuable to the individual
to encourage a behavior
Negative reinforcement: the escape from or avoidance of aversive stimuli
Extinction: withholding reinforcement from a previously reinforced response
Punishment: the consequences of a certain behavior result in a decrease of that behavior
Positive punishment: an aversive stimulus is added to decrease a behavior
Negative punishment: a stimulus is removed to decrease a behavior
applied behavior analysis
a type of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) that helps people safely and gradually confront their fears and anxiety-inducing situations, memories, or physical sensations in a controlled environment to reduce avoidance and retrain the brain to learn they are not dangerous
exposure therapy
a. Based on the idea that how you think determines how you feel and act - focuses on how thoughts lead to feelings of distress.
b. Emotional reactions are the result of your thoughts about the situation rather than the
situation itself.
c. Intrusive thoughts/ negative thoughts → positive ways of thinking
i. Overgeneralizing – taking a small situation and making it huge.
ii. Polarized (“black & white”) thinking – Seeing things in absolutes, ”I am either
perfect, or a failure”. (Common in depression).
iii. Jumping to conclusions – assuming that people are thinking negatively about
you or reacting negatively to you, without evidence.
cognitive therapy
a form of psychotherapy that helps you manage yourself defeating thoughts and feelings by challenging your emotions and thoughts with more productive beliefs
rational-emotive therapy
works to change cognitive distortions and
self-defeating behaviors. (Aims to change both how people think and how they act).
Uses the ABC model to reveal cognitive distortions (e.g., overgeneralizing, black and white
thinking, jumping to conclusions).
Action: activating event.
Belief: about the event.
Consequences: of the belief.
cognitive-behavioral therapy
Client centered therapy
Focuses on helping people achieve their potential.
Goal is to increases self-awareness and acceptance through focus on conscious thoughts.
Active listening – therapist acknowledges, restates, and clarifies what the client expresses.
Unconditional positive regard – therapist does not judge clients and simply accepts them
for who they are.
Genuineness, empathy, and acceptance towards clients – Rogers felt that therapists
should demonstrate these because it helps the client become more accepting of themselves,
which results in personal growth.
humanistic therapy
focuses on free will,
self-determination, and the search for meaning—often
centering on the individual rather than on their
symptoms.
● All people have the capacity for self-awareness.
● Each person has a unique identity that can be
known only through relationships with others.
● People must continually re-create themselves
because life’s meaning constantly changes.
● Anxiety is part of the human condition.
existential therapy
Find meaning and purpose
● Define authenticity
● Discuss mortality and death
● Discuss choice and responsibility
● Turn isolation into connection
● Turn suffering into resilience
● Define your values
● Define their legacy and impact
existential therapy goals
Psychotropic medications – medications used to treat psychological disorders.
Antipsychotics – treat positive psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia by blocking dopamine.
Atypical antipsychotics – treat the negative symptoms of schizophrenia such as withdrawal and apathy, by targeting both dopamine and serotonin receptors.
Antidepressants – alter levels of serotonin and norepinephrine.
Anti-anxiety agents – depress central nervous system activation.
Mood stabilizers – treat episodes of mania as well as depression (Bipolar disorder).
Stimulants – improve ability to focus on a task and maintain attention (ADHD).
Electroconvulsive therapy – induces seizures to help alleviate severe depression.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation – magnetic fields stimulate nerve cells to improve depression symptom.
biomed therapy
Therapist helps people work on difficulties in their relationship - aims to help them resolve problems and implement strategies that will lead to a healthier and happier relationship
couples’ therapy
Aims to enhance growth of each family member as well as that of the family as a whole
family therapy
several clients meet with a trained therapist to discuss a common issue such as divorce, grief, an eating disorder, substance abuse, or anger management
group therapy
a client works one-on-one with a trained therapist
individual therapy
Tendency to seek out information that supports our stereotypes and ignore information that is inconsistent with our stereotypes.
confirmation bias
The strengthening of an original group attitude after the discussion of views within a group.
● Does your opinion change if you find someone attractive, but you friends do not agree?
group polarization
persuader gets a person to agree to a small favor, only to later request a larger favor
foot in the door technique
motivation comes from within, driven by enjoyment, interest, or satisfaction
intrinsic motivation
motivation comes from outside, driven by external rewards or punishments (like working for a paycheck or avoiding a ticket)
extrinsic motivation
Demonstrated the power of social roles, social norms, and
scripts.
● A mock prison was constructed and participants (male college
students), were randomly assigned to play the role of
prisoners or guards.
● In a very short amount of time, the guards started to harass
the prisoner in an increasingly sadistic manner.
● Prisoners began to show signs of severe anxiety and
hopelessness.
● The two week study had to be ended after six days.
● Social norms required guards to be authoritarian and
prisoners to be submissive.
● Scripts influenced the way guards degraded the prisoners by
making them do push-ups and removing privacy.
● Parallels abuse used by guards in Abu Ghraib prison
1971 stanford prison experiment
