I am overwhelmed. What can I do? Do I need to be in therapy? How can I find someone to help me?
These are questions many people will ask themselves at least once in their lifetime. Often more questions arise as you try to access mental health services. What exactly is a psychologist? How can I find one? Does my insurance cover psychotherapy or testing? What can I expect during a first session? What exactly is psychotherapy?
Below are answers to some of the more common questions, in hopes of guiding you through the mental health maze.
What is psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy depends on the type of psychotherapy approach utilized, the reasons someone is coming in for psychotherapy and his or her needs. Generally speaking, psychotherapy is treatment that relies on a highly individualized process using verbal communication with a patient. Some people think psychotherapy is a place to vent with someone who is a neutral party. Although this is one small aspect of psychotherapy, it involves much more than simply talking or venting. The psychotherapy process includes assessing, diagnosing, sometimes testing and providing scientifically validated treatment. Patients are treated to help them develop healthier patterns of emotions and behavior. The process is collaborative and requires patients to be engaged and active in the process. How long people remain in psychotherapy depends on the needs of the person. Some people obtain psychotherapy treatment once in their lives. Others may obtain psychotherapy treatment on and off over the course of their lives. Depending on the setting and needs of the patient, you may be seen for a brief behavioral health consult for 15 minutes a handful of times — or for psychotherapy 45 minutes once a week, for weeks or months.
Do I need to be in psychotherapy?
There are times when friends, family and community can be a powerful source of comfort and support. However, when your support system is not enough, or you have tried to help yourself without finding relief, psychotherapy is a useful way to make effective and healthy changes in your life. People often assume that only people with serious mental illness obtain psychotherapy treatment. However, the vast majority of people in psychotherapy do not have a serious mental illness. In fact, during any given year, one in four adults suffer from a mental health issue. One in 17 have a serious and persistent mental health issue. People seek out psychotherapy for many reasons, including anxiety, academic or work issues, family conflicts, medical illnesses, substance use disorders, stress, depression, or trauma and relationship challenges. Many people choose individual or group psychotherapy to help them deal with various stressors in their lives. Additional options include couples and family therapy.
What exactly is psychology?
Simply put, psychology focuses on the scientific study of the mind especially as it relates to behavior. Psychologists study the relationship between behavior and the brain and body, and the environment. The field is grounded in vigorous scientific research methods. Psychology focuses on concepts, including, but not limited to, brain functioning, perception, cognition, personality, emotions and relationships. The field focuses not only on people’s mental health and medical issues, but also global issues ranging from prejudice reduction to healthy communities and businesses to global climate change.
What is a psychologist?
This is a question I am often asked given the various types of mental health professionals. Psychologists’ expertise includes human behavior, assessments, diagnoses and treatment in a variety of ways. They have doctoral degrees and are licensed in the state or jurisdiction they work in. Psychologists spend an average of seven years in graduate school, after obtaining their undergraduate degrees. Their focus of study depends on their specialty, including, but not limited to: psychotherapy theories and interventions, individual differences and lifespan development, bases of behaviors, including cognition, emotions, biology and culture, assessments, diagnostics, neuropsychology, research design and statistics. Additionally, psychologists engage in research in order to complete their master’s thesis and doctoral dissertation. Psychologists are also required to have a minimum of one additional year of supervised training after graduating from their doctoral programs.
In addition to psychotherapy, they provide additional services depending on their specialty. For example, neuropsychologists conduct intelligence, personality or provide specialized neuropsychological testing. You will find psychologists consulting for athletes, businesses or providing expert testimony in forensic settings. Health psychologists help prevent or mitigate medical conditions or are administrators in medical settings. Some psychologists work to make complex machines more user friendly and others focus on research and teaching. Others specialize in working with children or adolescents, or families, communities, rehabilitation or school psychology.
Given their training, and the varied ways in which psychologists apply their field, it’s no wonder people get confused by what they do! The May column will explore questions people often have regarding the psychotherapy process itself.
Lubna Somjee, Ph.D., is a psychologist practicing psychotherapy and consulting in the mid-Hudson Valley. Visit www.LubnaSomjee-phd.com. For more information on local resources, visit the Hudson Valley Psychological Association at www.hvpa.org
On the Web
•American Psychological Association: www.apa.org/topics/therapy/