At one level psychotherapy consists of two people sitting in a room talking. Why would anyone pay for this? Psychotherapists have been trained in techniques that allow them to treat mental disorders by talking with people.
Stedman's Medical Dictionary defines psychotherapy as "treatment of emotional, behavioral, personality, and psychiatric disorders based primarily upon verbal or nonverbal communication with the patient, in contrast to treatments utilizing chemical and physical measures." The same source defines counseling as "a professional relationship and activity in which one person endeavors to help another to understand and to solve his or her adjustment problems; the giving of advice, opinion, and instruction to direct the judgment or conduct of another" (Stedman's Electronic Medical Dictionary, 1994)
In actual practice psychotherapy can involve both treating a disorder and helping someone solve problems in their life. There are several different "schools" of psychotherapy, and the therapists trained in these methods emerge with different theoretical orientations that affect their practice of therapy.
Psychotherapy can be effective in treating depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, many personality disorders, and many other mental health problems. It is often used along with medications to help patients diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. In many cases psychotherapy and medications work well together. An antidepressant may lift a patient's mood, for example, allowing them to participate more fully in psychotherapy which will bring about more lasting change.
Last updated 1/23/06
