- QUESTION
Psychotherapy
The role of the psychiatric nurse practitioner is founded on psychotherapy. Because using a holistic paradigm is becoming more popular and cost-effective, it is important to know how the psychiatric nurse practitioner uses psychotherapy skills to include caring, connection, narrative, and anxiety management for the patient.
Using APA format and including three scholarly references, write a two- to three-page paper (not including the reference page) addressing the following:
Discuss the elements of psychotherapy and give a clinical example of each from your past nursing experience.
Explain the biological basis of anxiety and discuss in general the priorities for treatment using the practice treatment hierarchy.
| Subject | Psychology | Pages | 5 | Style | APA |
|---|
Answer
Psychotherapy
Since the assimilation of psychotherapy in healthcare systems, the medical field has been able to manage mental health conditions that could not be treated using biological therapies. The aim of psychotherapy has been charging patterns for multi-adaptive behavior, minimizing environmental factors that cause mental issues, enhancing interpersonal as well as other competencies, resolving internal conflicts among the disabled, and fostering a clear sense of identity. By using elements such as cognitive behavioral therapy, psychoanalysis, holistic therapy, and humanistic therapy, I will describe how psychotherapy has been an effective approach in handling mental illness.
Elements of Psychotherapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is associated with the things that people and how they affect their emotions. Therapists who use this approach tend to concentrate on specific problems that affect thinking. These practitioners believe that faulty perceptions or irrational thinking cause dysfunctions (Gabbard, 2017) (v. By inducing a change of perception, therapists believe that patients can change their thought patterns. The most common problems treated by cognitive therapy are depression and anxiety.
In most cases, Cognitive therapy is referred to as behavioral therapy since it aims to help people in the way they think (behavior) and the way they act (behavior). One of the situations that we had to use cognitive therapy is when treating a sixteen-year-old girl who had depression. According to the patient, her father abandoned their family leaving them in serious financial issues. After assessing the patient’s social progress, it became definite that she had low self-esteem to the point that it pushed her to anticipate suicide. However, the doctor used different mental toolkits that challenged her negative thoughts into positive ones. As a result, the
Psychoanalytic Therapy
Amongst all the psychotherapeutic methods, psychoanalysis is the most well-known mode of treatment but is the most miss-conceptualized approach by mental health consumers. Therapists who use these techniques spend most of their time listening to patients expressing their life experiences which is why it is mostly referred to as “talk therapy” (Sharf, 2015). The therapists will analyze the significant events or patterns that play a role in the patient’s current challenges. Psychoanalysts believe that unconscious feelings and childhood events, motivations and thoughts contribute to maladaptive behaviors and mental illnesses
A good example where this therapy proved to be effective is when we treated a war veteran with the post-traumatic disorder. The patient had difficulties in concentrating and making practical life decisions. By providing a safe space and showing him empathy, the veteran was able to air out issues that contributed to the accumulation of stress and tension. The simple sharing sessions relived his burdens and the patient was able to overcome his fears.
Holistic Therapy
Holist is therapy is a medical technique that attempts to address a patient as a whole person rather than viewing someone as sick. The method aims to describe an individual in terms of their body, mind, and spirit. Therapists who use this method tend to coax their patients to gain awareness of the relationship between the mind, body, and spirit to boost their self-awareness and self-esteem (Wampold & Imel, 2015). One of the situations where we had to use this approach was when we encountered an alcoholic patient that was eager to quite. During the therapy sessions, the therapist was keen to explain to the patient how the human body functions. The patient was able to learn that for one to be whole, the mind, body, and spirit have to work together and that the consumption of substances usually distorts this order. During the recovery process, the patient was able to accept himself and worked on different routines to change for the better.
Humanistic Therapy
Humanistic therapy is an approach that explains the importance of people making rational decisions to achieve their desired goals (Wampold & Imel, 2015). The method resonates with a better understanding of one’s surroundings and the development of true-self acceptance. Its core belief is that people possess moral awareness that enables them to make the right choices.
The time when this method was used in our institution is when we were treating young students with depression. From the data collected, a majority of the patients were African Americans who often complained about racial prejudice. During treatment, these patients were taught on the importance of accepting themselves to overcome criticism. The patients were able to understand that they cannot change their skin complexion and use that notion to work towards their personal goal.
The biological basis of anxiety
Anxiety is a complex behavioral and psychological trait related to behavioral responses that emanate from one’s memory. Studies have shown that the biological basis of anxiety is genetics. When a baby is born, practitioners can observe temperamental differences (Sharf, 2015). Some children are more sensitive to stress and stimulations than others and these traits can be traced to the genealogy of their parents. The most effective methods for treating anxiety are using cognitive-behavioral and psychopharmacological interventions. These methods follow the practice treatment therapy of providing safety to patients, managing their cases, and developing their wellness using future goals.
In conclusion, psychotherapy has been an effective method in treating patients suffering from mental illness. By using therapeutic elements such as cognitive behavioral therapy, psychoanalysis, holistic therapy, and humanistic therapy, therapists have been able to care and manage patients with depression and anxiety.
References
Gabbard, G. O. (2017). Long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy: A basic text. American Psychiatric Pub.
Sharf, R. S. (2015). Theories of psychotherapy & counseling: Concepts and cases. Cengage Learning.
Wampold, B. E., & Imel, Z. E. (2015). The great psychotherapy debate: The evidence for what makes psychotherapy work. Routledge.