The main focus of a support group is to provide a forum to practice new behaviors and learn new responses to varying types problems. It may also allow one to practice looking at and role playing accountability for one's actions or inactions in life. In this way the group member begins to garner new and better coping mechanisms for dealing with whatever problems brought them to the group in the first place.
Mental Health Therapies
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Dominion Hospital answeredInterpersonal therapy is a form of psychotherapy, a mental health therapy that emphasizes on interpersonal skills with your social support system including family, colleagues and friends. The therapy concentrates on conflict that arises out of discrepancy in expectations between two individuals. It aims to overcome social isolation and better relationships in society through communication and behavioral change.
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RealAge answeredSee All 2 AnswersProponents of interpersonal therapy (IPT) suggest that experiences in interpersonal relationships may play a role both in the onset and maintenance of depression. IPT is a brief, standardized (15–20 sessions) treatment approach that emphasizes the relationships between mood and experiences in the person's interpersonal relationships.
IPT intervention consists of identifying and ameliorating difficulties in interpersonal functioning associated with the patient's current depression. The therapist helps the patient recognize associations between mood and interpersonal experiences in one of four potential problem areas:- unresolved grief
- interpersonal disputes
- difficult role transitions
- interpersonal deficits (e.g., social isolation or inadequate social skills)
Psychodynamic-interpersonal psychotherapy is similar to IPT but makes more use of the relationship between therapist and client in the therapeutic work. Both IPT and psychodynamic-interpersonal psychotherapy may be as effective as either tricyclic antidepressant medication or cognitive-behavioral therapy in the treatment of major depressive disorder.
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Fredrick Wade , Addiction Medicine, answeredA support group universalizes for its members that they are not alone in terms of the problems that the group deals with. It also offers the opportunity for members to experience interpersonal learning. It does so by providing a forum in which to receive feedback from one's peers about things they do that positively or negatively impact their relationships within the group. Support groups also provide its members the opportunity to practice altruism which will positively impact the self-esteem of those group members who feel like they no longer have anything to offer anyone or the world around them. Support groups pay many dividends to be sure. I, however, think the opportunity to practice altruism is the most subtle yet powerful and life affirming of the many things groups have to offer. -
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Many patients who are in pain feel the emotional effects of suffering along with the physical aspects of pain. These may include feelings of anger, sadness, hopelessness or despair. In addition, pain can alter one's personality, disrupt sleep, interfere with work and relationships and often have a profound effect on family members. Support and counseling from a psychiatrist or psychologist, combined with a comprehensive pain treatment program, may be needed to help you manage your condition. These trained professionals also can teach you additional self-help therapies such as relaxation training or biofeedback to relieve pain, lessen muscle spasms and reduce stress. -
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Boston Women's Health Book Collective , Administration, answered
The categories of therapists include marriage and family therapists, mental health counselors, nurses, social workers, psychiatrists, and psychologists. It is useful to know the details about different specialists, especially since it affects insurance coverage. The type of therapy has a significant impact on whether or not it helps you. For example, it may be useful to turn to a cognitive or behavioral therapist to deal with a particular phobia such as the fear of crowded places. Earlier, psychiatrists (trained medical doctors) were the only therapists permitted to hospitalize people and to prescribe medications; but now many social workers and psychologists also have the privilege to hospitalize patients and some states allow psychologists, nurses, and other professionals to prescribe medications. In addition, some therapists routinely collaborate with psychiatrists or others who can prescribe medications.
Historically, social worker training has included substantial focus on an individual in the context of family and community (social welfare issues). Psychologists are trained to administer and interpret standardized psychological tests and practice psychotherapy or other types of clinical interventions. Psychiatrists are medical doctors with more training about physical diseases and psychopharmacology.
Therapists of all kinds use various approaches and usually have a particular style and approach that you can ask them to describe. While all these therapists may be licensed in your state, they may not all be reimbursed by insurance. Check with the professional organization or licensing board for each specialty in your state to find out whether they can accept third-party reimbursement. Be sure to ask about fees and insurance before you make the first appointment. Many of us do not have insurance coverage for such professional help, and free care options are frequently not available, which is yet another reason why we need major health and medical care reforms in this country. Some therapists offer sliding-scale fees.
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Dominion Hospital answeredSee All 2 Answers
Psychotherapy, also called talk therapy, can be very helpful for people with mental illness. By discussing your symptoms and the distress and problems they cause with a professional, you gain insight into yourself. You learn how to manage your symptoms and cope with the problems mental illness can cause. Talking may also help the symptoms be less severe or even go away.
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Dr. Julie Hanks, PhD, LCSW, Social HealthMaker , Marriage & Family Therapy, answered on behalf of Top 10 Social HealthMakersSee All 3 AnswersMental health therapy can be performed by various health and mental health disciplines. The important distinction to look for is state licensure. It can get confusing trying to sort through the acronyms used by licensed professionals. Here's a sampling of different disciplines licensed to practice of mental health therapy in the US:- Licensed Psychologist
- Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner (APRN)
- Psychiatrist (MD)
- Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
- Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
- Mental Health Counselor (LMHC)
- Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
- Pastoral Counselors may also be licensed
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Dominion Hospital answeredSee All 6 Answers
Mental health therapies are modes of treatment for mental illnesses. Most often, therapies include drug therapy and psychotherapy. Addiction is a form of mental illness and may include gambling, alcoholism, or drug abuse, among other issues. Psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers who are specially equipped to treat people with addictions are known as addiction counselors.
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Dominion Hospital answered
Drug therapy can be a part of somatic mental health therapy. As the name suggests, drug therapy includes the use of medication to treat mental illnesses. Antidepressants including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-nor epinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are used to treat depression. Antipsychotic drugs or atypicals such as risperidone and aripiprazole are used to treat schizophrenia. Antianxiety drugs such as clonazepam and lithium are used to treat phobias and bipolar disorders respectively.