Psychotherapy is a general term that is used to describe the process of treating psychological disorders and mental distress through the use of verbal and psychological techniques. During this process, a trained psychotherapist helps the client tackle specific or general problems such as a particular mental illness or a source of life stress.
Depending on the approach used by the therapist, a wide range of techniques and strategies can be used. Almost all types of psychotherapy involve developing a therapeutic relationship, communicating and creating a dialogue, and working to overcome problematic thoughts or behaviors.
Most people think of psychotherapy simply as counseling. In fact, the term psychotherapy is used to describe a variety of talk therapies that treat emotional, behavioral, personality, and psychiatric disorders.
It involves a commitment to a series of appointments with a licensed mental health professional, enabling a relationship to form between the therapist and the individual.
This relationship focuses on helping the person cope with or avoid factors contributing to his or her condition, with the overall goals being personal development and self-understanding.
Psychotherapy is commonly used to treat people with depression. It has proved effective in treating mild and moderate forms and can be combined with drug therapy to treat all degrees of depression.
