Psychotherapy is a social interaction in which a trained professional tries to help another person, the client or patient, behave and feel differently. The therapist follows procedures that are to a greater or lesser extent prescribed by a certain theory or school of thought. It is important to note that the people who seek or are sent for professional help have probably tried non professional avenues to feeling better and have failed to obtain relief. Before most individual go to a psychotherapist, they have confided in friends or in a spouse, perhaps spoken to the family doctor, consulted with a member of clergy and may be tried several of the vast number of self-help books and programmes that are so popular. For most people in psychological distress, one or more of these options provide enough relief, and they seek no further help. But for others these attempts fall short, and individuals are left feeling helpless, often hopeless. These are the people who go to mental health clinics, university counselling centers and the private offices of independent practitioners.
Psychotherapies can be insight therapies or action (behavioural) therapies. Insight therapies, such as psychoanalysis, Humanistc etc., assume that behaviour, emotions and thoughts become disordered because people do not adequately understand what motivates them, especially when their needs and drives conflict. Insight therapies try to help people discover the true reasons they behave, feel and think as they do. However, insight is not exclusive to the insight therapies. The action therapies too bring insight to the individual, but more importance is given to the overt behaviour and its modification. The newer cognitive therapies, such as CBT and REBT are a blend of insight and behavioural therapies.
From Davison, G.C. & Neale, J.M. (2003). Abnormal Psychology. John Viley & Sons, Inc.
