Various Treatment Approaches

Treatment Approaches, Choosing & Evaluating Treatment
Mental Health Facts

Psychotherapy

Use of face-to-face discussions to talk about, define, and resolve personal problems. Several types of psychotherapy include:

Individual Therapy - The most common form of professional assistance. A therapist works one-on-one with the client using a variety of treatment methods to sort out the problems and find resolutions.
Psychoanalysis - Places emphasis on linking early childhood memories and events to current behaviors. It normally takes several years to complete this therapy and involves a basic rebuilding and modifying of a patient's personality to overcome psychological problems. Two drawbacks to this approach are that it takes a long time and it's very costly.
Group Therapy - An approach in which a therapist conducts treatment in a group setting of 6 - 12 members. Through this supportive environment, members help one another resolve their problems.
Family Therapy - A type of counseling provided to two or more family members to assist a troubled individual and/or promote better functioning of the family unit. The interaction among members serves as the key to resolving conflicts.
Couple Therapy - Helps couples understand how conflicts get expressed by their interactions with each other. The goal is to develop a more rewarding relationship.
Play Therapy - Most often used with young children. Uses play with dolls or puppets to identify and resolve problems.

Behavioral Therapy

Behavior Modification - Uses techniques, such as relaxation training, biofeedback, positive reinforcement, and altering triggers to teach new substitute behaviors. The emphasis is on altering outward behavior rather than the resolution of early childhood events.
Hypnotherapy - A state of heightened suggestibility that allows the client to tune out unimportant information and focus only on what the hypnotherapist is saying. The client then is given suggestions to change personal behavior, i.e., lose weight, manage stress, or overcome fears.

Biomedical Therapies

Drug Therapy - Uses medicines, such as antidepressants and tranquilizers to help correct chemical imbalances, mood, and/or thinking disorders. Drug therapy is often used in conjunction with other treatment approaches.
Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) - Low "doses" of electrical energy currents are delivered to a patient's brain. ECT is used only for certain extreme conditions, such as chronic depression or aggression that has not responded to other treatment methods.

The following questions can help you determine whether or not a mental health professional fits your needs.

Do they accept your health insurance?
How much will you have to pay?
Do they have the education, credentials, and recent training to treat you?
Is the therapist licensed?
How quickly can you be seen by the therapist?
How can you get in touch with the therapist between appointments?
Will they refer you to someone else if you need additional help?
Can they prescribe medicine?
Can they admit you to a hospital or treatment center?
What hospitals or treatment centers do they have privileges in?
What will you have to do during treatment? What will they do?
Do people whom you trust recommend this therapist?
What type of client do they feel they work best with?
Does the therapist limit his/her practice to a specific type of client (children, women, family)?
What type of treatment approach does the therapist use?
What kind of experience have they had with a problem like yours?
Do they offer group and/or family sessions?
How long (typically) will you need to see a counselor for problems similar to yours?
How far do you have to travel to see the counselor?
Do they have an appointment time that works for you?
How much advance notice is needed to reschedule or cancel a session?
Will you still be charged if you can't make your scheduled session regardless of the reason?

Also consider the type of therapist you think you would prefer.

Would you be more comfortable with a man or woman?
Is the counselor's age a factor? Would you prefer someone older or younger than you?
Does it matter to you whether or not the counselor is married, with or without children?
Is the counselor's ethnicity or sexual orientation a factor?

It is not always easy to evaluate treatment. You may not be able to look at it objectively or know what to expect. For treatment to be effective:

You should be comfortable with your counselor.
You should feel the treatment he or she is providing is helpful.
You should feel that your counselor understands you and accepts your opinions.
Your needs should be addressed.
You and your counselor should define and agree on the goals of your treatment and determine together when treatment should end.
You should be able to alter your treatment goals at any time.
You should feel you are making progress toward your goals.
You need to trust your counselor and feel respected by him or her.
Your counselor should behave in a professional manner. (Sexual contact with a client is exploitive and should never be a part of therapy.)

If you are not satisfied with your treatment, do one or more of the following:

Express your concerns directly to your counselor to see if the problem can be resolved.
Ask to speak to your counselor's supervisor if you are uncomfortable expressing a concern to your counselor.
Find another counselor.
Inform the state licensing board if you think your counselor's conduct has been unethical or illegal.

This page last updated on February 26th, 2009.
Content last reviewed on February 25th, 2009.

Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center