Talk Therapy
Talk therapy is a psychotherapy that can help people work through a wide variety of mental health and emotional issues. It’s a non-invasive form of treatment that gives people the freedom to express their thoughts and feelings in a comfortable, non-judgmental, safe, and productive environment.
Both the therapist and client choose what is discussed during the sessions, which creates an environment that works through issues, and helps the client choose more appropriate behaviors in the future.
The goal is to provide a pathway to mental stability by reducing or eliminating the symptoms that are preventing the client from functioning at their best.
A few of the issues psychotherapy can help treat include:
- Challenges with daily life
- Trauma impact
- Medical illness
- Loss of a loved one
- Depression
- Anxiety and phobias
- Relationship challenges
- Stressful life transitions
Several different types of therapy are available, with some being more suited to help with a particular condition than others. Psychotherapy is also sometimes used in conjunction with medication prescribed by a doctor or other types of therapies.
What to Expect at Your Therapy Session?
Counseling Arizona provides both individual and couples therapy in sessions that typically go between 50 to 80 minutes. Sessions can extend over the long-term if the issues are complex, while less severe problems may get resolved over a few sessions.
The client and therapist decide the appropriate length of the treatment during the initial consultation.
How Effective is Talk Therapy?
Extensive research reveals that talk therapy could provide immediate benefits, with therapy sessions often delivering immediate relief. Clients of talk therapy also find that after each session, they are better able to function in life. Around 75% of people who have used talk therapy report that appointments with their therapist have helped improve their lives.
Clients find they have more control over their emotions and behaviors. There are also noticeable physiological benefits that manifest in the body and brain. Clients making regular use of psychotherapy also report they are taking fewer sick days, have fewer medical problems, have less disability, and find their work-life more positive and enjoyable.
Brain imaging technology has found physical evidence of the positive physiological changes taking place in a client’s brain as a result of psychotherapy. There have been many studies completed which show conclusive brain changes in people with mental illness, including:
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Panic disorder
- Anxiety
- Depression
In a lot of cases, the physiological changes occurring because of talk-therapy showed remarkable similarities to the changes witnessed in people treated with medication.
Different Forms of Talk Therapy
Mental health practitioners usually employ several different therapy techniques during a client’s treatment. Naturally, the choice of treatment will depend on the issue affecting the client. It’s also encouraged that clients choose a therapy type with which they are comfortable.
At Counseling Arizona, therapy will often combine different psychotherapy techniques. Everyone is unique, and so each client requires an approach that will suit their individual needs.
Here are a few of the different types of talk therapy you will have available to you:
Supportive therapy is a type of psychotherapy that focuses on a client discovering how they can build and draw on their own resources. In this way, the client increases self-esteem, strengthens coping mechanisms, reduces anxiety, and improves their ability to function in the social community.
Solution-Focused Therapy has proven to be useful as a treatment. For example, during depression, the mind is typically crowded with dark thoughts, and there is too much focus on life’s negative side. Solution-focused therapy aims to train the client to make themselves aware of the positive aspects of their life, even if they are not readily apparent at the time. When the client starts to see the many positive things going on in their life, they can then learn how to put them to use in creating positive experiences and reaching their goals.
Mindfulness is a mental skill people can use to help them relax by reducing stress in their life, regardless of the events transpiring around them at the time. Client’s will focus on developing the skills to be aware of, and observe their feelings, body sensations, and thoughts and are reminded not to pass judgment on any of them. Numerous studies have shown that mindfulness displays an ability to reduce anxiety and its symptoms. Relaxation techniques are taught, which can help to keep you calm and centered, even in stressful circumstances.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (also called CBT) focuses on developing the skills to identify behavior patterns that are ineffective, negative, or harmful, and replace them with more positive thoughts and constructive behavior. The person can then develop the ability to focus on the problem at hand and rationally come up with solutions that solve it. Quite often, cognitive behavior therapy introduces practical skills that can be used in the real world.
For people looking to regain their lives, talk therapy has proven itself many times over to be an effective strategy. If you are a resident of the Phoenix, Scottsdale, or Paradise Valley area and need to find relief from your mental issues, then take the first step and contact me for a complimentary free consult. I am passionate about helping people get back on track so they can start enjoying their lives and getting the best out of every day.
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