What are the different types of talk therapies, and what do they do?
Once you
receive a consultation, the clinician will make recommendations as to the
most appropriate treatment or therapeutic approach for your
circumstances. He or she may be able to use that approach or can refer
you to persons who specialize in a specific approach. Many therapists use
a combination of therapeutic approaches in their work. Some of the
different approaches are as follows.
Psychodynamic Therapy
Psychodynamic
therapy assumes the depression is due to unresolved, unconscious
conflicts from childhood. It is based on the classic psychoanalytic
approach that Sigmund Freud developed. The therapist uses the concepts of
transference, counter-transference, resistance, free association, and
dreams in order to help the patient develop insight into patterns in
relationships that can then effect change. It is a nondirective therapy.
Although classic analytical therapy can last for years, with sessions 4
to 5 days per week, psychodynamic therapy may be shorter in duration,
with sessions 1 to 3 times per week. Controlled research studies
examining the efficacy of this type of therapy are minimal because of the
nature of this type of therapy. It is often a helpful treatment approach
for those with chronic coping difficulties or with personality disorders.
Interpersonal Therapy
Interpersonal
therapy conceptualizes depression in a patient with the three components
of symptom formation, social functioning, and personality factors. It
focuses on the patient's social, or interpersonal, functioning, with
expected improvement in symptoms. The goal is to improve communication
skills and self-esteem. It is a brief and highly structured, manual-based
psychotherapy. Areas of social functioning that may be addressed are
interpersonal disputes, role transitions, grief, and interpersonal
deficits. Therapy is focused and brief in duration, typically lasting 12
to 16 sessions. Research studies have shown it to be an effective
treatment for depression.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive–behavioral therapy assumes the depression is due to a pattern
of negative thinking. It works to help patients identify and change
inaccurate perceptions of themselves and situations. It also is brief in
duration and manually based, typically lasting for 10 to 20 sessions. It
typically involves the use of homework assignments between sessions.
Research studies have shown it to be an effective treatment for
depression and some anxiety disorders.
