The Power of Psyche Therapy

When most people think of therapy, the first thing that comes to their minds is some or other form of psychotherapy.

There are plenty of misconceptions about working with a professional psychotherapist, from laying down on a couch opening up to a dispassionate “shrink” to Sigmund Freud’s unconventional theories, most of which have been proven to be unhelpful and in some cases even damaging. This, however, is not the reality of the incredibly valuable practice.

Psyche Therapy is defined as “the use of psychological methods, particularly when based on regular personal interaction with adults, to help a person change behavior and overcome problems in desired ways”. It dates back all the way to ancient Greek practices, but our modern understanding of it comes from 19th-Century conceptions of treatment.

There are a multitude of different methods that fall under the psychotherapeutic umbrella, most of which are dubbed “talk therapy”. Some of the most common include cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT), interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) and different forms of art therapy. Each method provides different benefits and focuses on different facets of one’s life to encourage holistic sense of wellbeing. Often when seeking out psychotherapy one will have to experiment a little and find the therapist and method that is most helpful for their personal needs. It is important to keep in mind that trying different things is essential if something doesn’t sit quite right with you in order to get the most out of your treatment.

CBT focuses on changing negative thoughts to aid you in focusing on the positive aspects of life.

DBT uses dialectical methods (working with opposite concepts, e.g. change and acceptance) to aid with problem solving, emotional regulation and acceptance of your situation.

IPT teaches different methods to aid in improving interpersonal relationships to decrease stress.

Art therapy uses creative techniques to express emotion that will then be analysed to find the underlying psychological issue depicted.

A very common misconception is that only people with severe mental illnesses and emotional issues should seek therapy. In reality, psyche therapy is for anyone and everyone. Every individual, whether clinically diagnosed or not, has emotional and exogenous environmental/interpersonal issues that they face from time to time. There is absolutely no shame in seeking psychotherapy, and you might just find that it will greatly improve your quality of life.