 | Term | Definition |
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Psychotherapy |
Any psychological techmique used to facilitate positive changes in a person's personality, behavior, or adjustment |
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Demonology |
In medieval Europe, the study of demons and the treatment of persons "possessed" by demons |
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Psychoanalysis |
A Freudian therapy that emphasizes the use of free association, dream interpretation, resistances, and transference to uncover unconscious conflicts |
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Client-Centered (person-centered) Therapy |
A nondirective therapy based on insights gained from conscious thoughts and feelings; emphasizes accepting one's true self |
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Unconditional Positive Regard |
An unqualified, unshakable acceptance of another person |
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Empathy |
A capacity for taking another's point of view; the ability to feel what another is feeling |
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Authenticity |
In Carl Rogers' terms, the ability of a therapist to be genuine and honest about his or her own feelings |
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Reflection |
In client-centered therapy, the process of rephrasing or repeating thoughts and feelings expressed by clients so they can be come aware of what they are saying |
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Existential Therapy |
An insight therapy that focuses on the elemental problems of existence, such as death, meaning, choice, and responsibility; emphasizes making courageous life choices |
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Logo-Therapy |
A form of existential therapy that emphasizes the need to find and maintain meaning in one's life |
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Gestalt Therapy |
An approach that focuses on immediate experience and awareness to help clients rebuild thinking, feeling, and acting into connected wholes; emphasizes the integration of fragmented experiences |
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Behavior Therapy |
Any therapy designed to actively change behavior |
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Behavior Modification |
The application of learning principles to change human behavior, especially maladaptive behavior |
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Aversion Therapy |
Suppressing an undesirable response by associating it with aversive (painful or uncomfortable) stimuli |
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Hierarchy |
A rank-ordered series of higher and lower amounts, levels, degrees, or steps |
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Reciprocal Inhibition |
The presence of one emotional state can inhibit the occurrence of another, such as joy prevent fear or anxiety inhibiting pleasure |
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Systematic Desensitization |
A reduction in fear, anxiety, or aversion brought about by planned exposure to aversive stimuli |
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Tension-Release Method |
A procedure for systematically achieving deep relaxation of the body |
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Vicarious Desensitization |
A reduction in fear or anxiety that takes place vicariously ("secondhand") when a client watches models perform the feared behavior |
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Virtual Reality Exposure |
Use of computer-generated images to present fear stimuli. The virtual environment responds to a viewer's head movements and other inputs |
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Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) |
A technique for reducing fear or anxiety; based on holding upsetting thoughts in mind while rapidly moving the eyes from side to side |
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Token Economy |
A therapeutic program in which desirable behaviors are reinforced with tokens that can be exchanged for goods, services, activities, and privileges |
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Cognitive Therapy |
A therapy directed at changing the maladaptive thoughts, beliefs, and feelings that underlie emotional and behavioral problems |
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Selective Perception |
Perceiving only certain stimuli among a larger array of possibilities |
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Over-Generalization |
Blowing a single event out of proportion by extending it to a large number of unrelated situations |
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All-or-Nothing Thinking |
Classifying objects or events as absolutely right or wrong, good or bad, acceptable or unacceptable, and so forth |
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Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) |
An approach that states that irrational beliefs cause many emotional problems and that such beliefs must be changed or abandoned |
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Group Therapy |
Psychotherapy conducted in a group setting to make therapeutic use of group dynamics |
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Psychodrama |
A therapy in which clients act out personal conflicts and feelings in the presence of others who play supporting roles |
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Role Reversal |
Taking the role of another person to learn how one's own behavior appears from the other person's view |
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Mirror Technique |
Observing another person re-enact one's own behavior, like a character in a play; designed to help persons see themselves more clearly |
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Family Therapy |
A technique in which all family members participate, both individually and as a group, to change destructive relationships and communication patterns |
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Sensitivity Group |
A group experience consisting of exercises designed to increase self-awareness and sensitivity to others |
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Encounter Group |
A group experience that emphasizes intensely honest interchanges among participants regarding feelings and reactions to one another |
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Large-Group Awareness Training |
Any number of programs (many of them commercialized) that claim to increase self-awareness and facilitate constructive personal change |
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Therapy Placebo Effect |
Improvement caused not by the actual process of therapy but by a client's expectation that therapy will help |
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Therapeutic alliance |
A caring relationship that unites a therapist and a client in working to solve the client's problems |
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Somantic Therapy |
Any bodily therapy, such as a drug therapy, electroconvulsive therapy, or psychosurgery |
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Pharmacotherapy |
The use of drugs to alleviate the symptoms of emotional disturbance |
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Anxiolytics |
Druge (such as Valium) that produce relaxation or reduce anxiety |
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Antidepressants |
Mood-elevating drugs |
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Antipsychotics |
Drugs that, in addition to having tranquilizing effects, also tend to reduce hallucinations and delusional thinking. (a.k.a. major Tranquilizers) |
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Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) |
A treatment for severe depression, consisting of an electric shock passed directly through the brain, which induces a convulsion |
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Psychosurgery |
Any surgical alteration of the brain designed to bring about desirable behavioral or emotional changes |
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Mental Hospitalization |
Placing a person in a protected, theraputic environment staffed by mental health professionals |
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Partial Hospitalization |
An approach in which patients receive treatment at a hospital during the day, but return home at night |
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Deinstitutionalization |
Reduced use of full-time commitment to mental institutions to treat mental disorders |
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Halfway House |
A community-based facility for individuals making the transition from an institution (mental hospital, prison, and so forth) to independent living |
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Community mental Health Center |
A facility offering a wide range of mental health services, such as prevention, counseling, consultation, and crisis intervention |
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Crisis Intervention |
Skilled management of a psychological emergency |
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Paraprofessional |
An individual who works in a near-professional capacity under the supervision of a more highly trained person |
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Covert Sensitization |
The use of aversive imagery to reduce the occurrence of an undesired response |
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Thought Stopping |
The use of aversive stimuli to interrupt or prevent upsetting thoughts |
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Covert Reinforcement |
Using positive imagery to reinforce desired behavior |
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Peer Councilor |
A nonprofessional person who has learned basic counseling skills |
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Self-Help Group |
A group of people who share a particular type of problem and provide mutual support to one another |
