Understanding Psychological Therapies

Introduction

There are non-medication treatments for mental illness. Psychological methods, many of which are also known as 'talking treatments' are also useful and are considered just as important as other interventions. Originally these therapies were designed for people with depression, anxiety disorders and eating disorders. However, research has shown that some psychological therapies are suitable for treating people with psychotic illnesses, personality disorders and addiction problems.

Course Summary

• Why choose psychological therapies?
• What different types of psychological therapies are there? During the course of the training, we will look at:
• Cognitive therapy - a fairly short-term, focused psychotherapy used for a wide range of psychological problems. The focus of the therapy is on how you are thinking, behaving and communicating today rather than on your early childhood. There are three commonly used cognitive therapies:
  • Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
  • Cognitive analytic therapy
  • Dialectical behaviour therapy
• Psychotherapy
• Family Intervention
• Creative Therapies
• Counselling
• Government related research and NICE guidelines supporting the use of talking interventions
• Things to bear in mind - How do I choose or help my client choose a psychological therapy?
• Finding a therapist - Availability & Geographical differences in accessing services
• Risks of talking therapies.