AP Psychology Unit 10 Part 2 - Psychotherapy

Who is behind the psychoanalytic approach?

Instability of emotion. Forms basis of anxiety and depression

Neuroses develop from…

Goal of Psychoanalysis

The patient is encouraged to verbalize without censorship whatever thoughts come to mind, no matter how embarrassing, illogical, or irrelevant.

Patient transfers good feelings and relief onto therapist. (e.g. Stepbrothers movie, Will Ferrell’s character)

Patient transfers repressed, angry feelings onto therapist after they are revealed. May want to avoid therapist.

Dreams are a way of processing issues in our lives, founded in Freud's initial dream theory, which posited dreams as ways we process repressed feelings and desires.

Strategies of the psychoanalytic approach

Putting your emotions or feelings onto the therapist

Goal of Humanistic Therapy

Who is behind the Humanistic approach?

Client decides what is discussed, directs therapy, and proposes the source of their issue and what needs to be changed. Therapist simply accepts, supports, and facilitates- UPR! (Humanistic)

What is the source of a disorder needed to be solved using the psychoanalytic approach?

What is the source of a disorder needed to be solved using the humanistic approach?

Strategies of the humanistic approach

Strengths of Humanistic approach

Weaknesses of Humanistic approach

Who is behind the Behaviorist approach?

She unconditioned a fear of a rabbit in a young boy named Peter by pairing it with something desirable (counter-conditioning).

Similarly conditioned a rat to fear shock, then paired shock with pleasant stimulus. Utilized systematic desensitization on WWI veterans suffering from “war neurosis” (aka PTSD) by pairing relaxation techniques with gradual exposure to source of anxiety/fear.

What is the source of a disorder needed to be solved using the behaviorist approach?

Goal of the behaviorist approach

Strategies of the behaviorist approach

Learned phobia: Rat (NS, CS) was paired with loud noise (UCS) to learn fear (CR). Pair new, good UCS (food) with old conditioned stimulus (rat) to learn new response (Behaviorist)

Refined version of exposure, in which you teach relaxation technique as a learned response to a previously learned fear. Virtual reality helps with this! Ex: Heights (CS) is followed by relaxation technique to teach a new conditioned response. (Behaviorist)

Worst case scenario. EX: Claustrophobia, sitting in an extremely small, crowded room for several hours. (Behaviorist)

Pair undesirable behavior with undesirable response (i.e. antabuse taken with alcohol to induce headaches and anxiety and resolve a use disorder).. Problem = People are smart and know its the meds, not the booze. (Behaviorist)

Emphasize the use of positive reinforcement to target behavior change. i.e. Gold stars, prize box, skinner bucks, working towards a goal. (Behaviorist)

Watch others, then follow behavior. Works better when “model” is reinforced. (Behaviorist)

Address maladaptive thoughts and behaviors, but in a less confrontational way. Premise: Thoughts, feelings and behaviors are reciprocal. Strategy: Identify moments in the cycle where the self-defeating, depression-inducing thoughts take place and target them.

Targets irrational thoughts, replacing them with rational ones. If you can gain control of thoughts, you can gain control of emotions.

A: Activating Event, B: Belief, C: Consequence. Target the B in a direct, [brutally] honest, rational, and confrontational way. (Ellis)

Target behaviors that oppose (are dialectical) to thoughts. Strategy: Practice CBT, but insert mindfulness for when impulsive behaviors opposite thoughts. Practice distress tolerance and acceptance, then attempt to align behaviors and thoughts in an adaptive way.

Who founded Dialectic Behavioral Therapy (DBT)?

Sociocultural strategy; Often used in hospitals and mental health settings. People with similar experiences meet together to work on resolving common issues. Supportive environment allows honesty without judgment

Individuals from cultural backgrounds that practice more traditional values may struggle to reveal their struggles or seek therapy out of fear of judgement

A patient is treated after developing mental health condition; especially essential for severe disorders

At risk individuals are targeted (ex. After-school programs, screenings in lower SES neighborhoods).

Teaching coping skills; education for all. You all, right now!