Mind4Youth

Author: Key Kessens

We can free ourselves from the shackles of emotional prisons together. When we avoid our trauma, a cloud of darkness can seem to overtake our thoughts & feelings. The best way to describe these seasons is losing my spark & feeling out of control. Hopelessness is a poisonous feeling. I’ve experienced traumatic situations that left a toxic mark on me. The hole I dug seemed impossible to climb out of, but I thankfully made it out. If I can do it – we can do it.

On the bright side, we are not required to punish ourselves because of our trauma. There is hope in healing. Psychological treatment can give a sense of ambition in these dark times to reinstate your spark. With the correct knowledge of the two most favored treatment types, you can decide which path to take on your healing journey. If you don’t know where to start searching, both psychotherapy & psychiatry have exponential benefits in improving your overall well-being. 

I will guide you through the key features, mental health benefits, similarities, & differences to assist you in solving your lane to individualization. Follow the light at the end of the tunnel because when we can personalize our journeys to suit our needs, we are more inclined to be motivated to heal.

Psychotherapy Key Features

My academic definition of psychotherapy is an emotional treatment option that helps someone overcome personal problems & maintain growth. This choice is mostly referred to as talk therapy. In talk therapy, sessions vary in frequency & duration. When I attended therapy, I had sessions for one hour every two weeks on Thursdays. Other sessions could be once a week for fifty-five minutes (Psychiatry.org – What Is Psychotherapy?, n.d.). The frequency & duration depend on your individual needs.

Treatment Modalities

For teens, there are three therapy modalities: individual, group, & family therapy. All types of treatment can be long-term (years) or short-term (weeks/months).

• Individual therapy – clients meet one-on-one with their therapist. 
• Group therapy – involves the clinician meeting with several clients at once.
• Family therapy – is similar to group therapy but consists of one or more families meeting together. 

Although there are different treatment settings, the approach is the same. Psychotherapy’s goal is to look at mental health conditions from a psychological perspective. 

Education Requirements & Therapist Types

There are many processes in becoming a psychotherapist. According to Doctor Yalda Safai, the most common path is a master’s degree in psychology (Safai, 2023). Psychology is the study of the mind & human behavior with attention to scientific research. Hence the psychological approach that psychotherapists use. 

Psychologists are not the only type of therapists who can administer psychotherapy. Therapists who can provide psychotherapy are psychologists, psychiatrists, or licensed social workers (Psychiatry.org – What Is Psychotherapy?, n.d.). There are significant differences in the education of these therapists. 

A psychologist has a PhD in psychology & is trained to administer psych tests. Social workers have either a bachelor’s or master’s in social work & are trained to know community resources. Psychiatrists earn a medical doctor’s degree, which allows medication prescriptions (Seiple, 2024). Each therapist type has education requirements in place to utilize their special training.

Despite the type of therapist, the most important factor is that the patient & the therapist have trust in their relationship to ensure the treatment is effective. Therefore, the therapists’ most basic requirement is confidentiality. Another significant requirement is no physical contact between the therapist & patient in all therapy methods (Psychiatry.org – What Is Psychotherapy?, n.d.). These regulations ensure the safety of both parties in psychotherapy. 

Therapy Methods

What are the different psychotherapy practices? The most helpful psychotherapy methods for teens are cognitive, behavioral, & humanistic. 

• Cognitive therapy – focuses on how a patient’s feelings develop their thoughts (Seiple, 2024). The relationship between thoughts & feelings creates our emotions. Our behaviors stem from our emotions because they lead us to take action.
  • Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) – helps clients examine how their emotions affect their behavior. The goal is to change the cognitive distortions in the patient’s subconscious that trigger self-defeating behaviors. CBT is mostly used to treat depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), & eating disorders.
  • Dialectal behavioral therapy (DBT) – is another form of CBT that focuses more on emotional regulation rather than digging into the subconscious. This cognitive method teaches the patient mental skills like mindfulness & emotional intelligence so they can take personal responsibility to change self-disruptive behaviors. DBT is most likely used in cases of borderline personality disorder (BPD), PTSD, eating disorders, & chronic suicidal thoughts/actions. 
  • Exposure therapy – is another type of CBT that treats clients’ phobias &/or anxieties by displaying them with what they fear so it becomes more familiar. This type of therapy is used to treat specific phobias, PTSD, & anxiety. 
• Behavior therapy – employs new learning principles to help patients change their unhealthy behaviors (Seiple, 2024). This method focuses on the behaviors themselves.
  • Counterconditioning – the client learns new responses to things/events that trigger undesirable behaviors. This form of therapy helps the patient change their reactions to situations that previously triggered negative responses. The idea is to replace the old trigger & negative reaction with a new, positive response to get healthier outcomes. This therapy method is used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), PTSD, & phobias.
• Humanistic therapy – helps people become more self-aware & accepting of themselves (Seiple, 2024). Instead of exploring the patients’ past & the subconscious mind, this therapy focuses on the conscious mind by emphasizing the clients’ present & future.
  • Nondirective therapy – is a form of client-centered therapy where the therapist does not give advice/interpretations of events. The therapist helps their client understand their emotions & identify conflicts. The goal is to create a safe space free of judgment for the clients to explore themselves & use empathy to help redirect them into accepting who they are. This treatment type is used in instances of personality disorders, panic disorder, substance abuse, specific phobias, stress management, & eating disorders.

Cognitive, behavioral, & humanistic therapy reinforces individualization in teens. The clear focus in each type helps the client adapt to their personal & individual emotional needs. Cognitive therapy centers the attention on the subconscious mind to determine how the past influences the clients’ character in the present & future. Behavioral therapy’s focal point is on unwanted behaviors to reshape the clients’ habits with healthy actions that better align with their character. Humanistic therapy emphasizes the present & future to guide their true character into their conscious awareness & acceptance. 

Psychotherapy Well-being Benefits

Then, how can psychotherapy benefit clients’ overall well-being? Psychotherapy treats a wide variety of psychological & emotional issues. The key is to help ease symptoms & find the root cause of conditions. There are emotional, behavioral, & lifestyle improvements that come from psychotherapy. 

• Emotional benefits  – psychotherapy helps clients cope with grief, trauma, & stressful life events. Talk therapy improves emotional well-being to the point that it’s linked to positive changes in the brain & body. Researchers proved through brain imaging techniques that the changes in the brain from talk therapy were similar to differences after one uses medication (Psychiatry.org – What Is Psychotherapy?, n.d.). Therefore, psychotherapy can be as effective as medical approaches. 
• Behavioral benefits – mental health conditions are known to cause unhealthy habits. These behavioral patterns – along with the emotional improvements – can assist clients in getting back to healthy personal & work lifestyles. 
• Lifestyle benefits – talk therapy redirects clients’ negative thought patterns & reactions to their feelings into healthy viewpoints. The way we live improves when we change our mindset & habits. 

All of the benefits from talk therapy build up on one another to elevate & heal our overall well-being.

Psychiatry Key Features

My academic definition of psychiatry is emotional & medical treatment that helps treat the physical & psychological problems one faces. Psychiatry is broader because of the wide range of treatment options (How Psychiatrist Can Benefit Your Overall Health?, 2022). Combining different aspects of the whole human gives psychiatry a more holistic approach.

Treatment Approach

The focus is on the person as a whole being, so including the mind & body in treatment is essential to psychiatry. Psychiatrists administer psychological treatment from a medical perspective. They consider mental & physical symptoms to determine the most beneficial treatment type. 

Education Requirements.

To become a psychiatrist, medical school is required. There are two paths to becoming a psychiatrist. (1) regular medical doctor or (2) osteopathic (treat the whole person & not just the symptoms) medication doctors with a specialty in mental health (Safai, 2023). Psychiatrists are qualified medical doctors with special training in assessing, diagnosing, & treating mental health conditions & physical symptoms (How Psychiatrist Can Benefit Your Overall Health?, 2022). These special doctors offer a wide variety of helpful options in psychological treatment. 

Treatment Options

Not all psychotherapists can diagnose mental health conditions, so psychiatrists being educated in how to diagnose mental illnesses makes them an important asset to treatment. They use psychotherapy techniques or refer their patient to a psychotherapist to treat the diagnosed mental health conditions. Psychiatrists can prescribe medications for mental &/or physical symptoms. 

Another key feature is that they are qualified as doctors so they can order medical tests to assess physical symptoms & rule out medical causes of mental health symptoms. For example, a psychiatrist determines that their patient has a thyroid condition causing depressive symptoms (Psychiatry.org – What Is Psychotherapy?, n.d.). 

Psychiatry Well-being Benefits

Psychiatry provides a large variation of treatment options to elevate mental & physical health. There are key psychological & physical benefits that derive from psychiatry. 

• Psychological benefits  – diagnosing a mental health condition can provide clarity to the patient. Using talk therapy after a diagnosis can improve the clients’ feelings & thoughts towards the condition, themself, & their experiences. 
• Physical benefits – being able to evaluate physical symptoms & prescribe medication for mental &/or physical symptoms can ease any pain the patients experience. 

The greatest part of psychiatry is that it also presents all the talk therapy advantages. The mental & physical benefits are personal to psychiatry. The individualized approach easily allows clients to adapt to their mental & physical needs. 

Individual Needs

There are two similarities between psychotherapy & psychiatry that are worth mentioning. They both are treatments for emotional/psychological issues & they can be used together to treat them. 

The differences stem from the approach because psychotherapy is a psychological approach & psychiatry is a medical approach. Therefore, there are contrasting education requirements, separate roles, & offer different treatment methods. 

The fact that they both treat emotional/psychological conditions from distinct perspectives means that there is flexibility in your path to healing. For instance, I would choose to see a psychiatrist so I could obtain a diagnosis. Let’s say I get diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Considering the list of talk therapy treatment types, I would start dialectal behavioral therapy (DBT) to help treat the BPD symptoms. I would be better equipped to handle my emotions, make less impulsive decisions, & utilize self-care. Frequent headaches are a physical symptom of BPD, so the psychiatrist could prescribe me medication to alleviate those symptoms. This path is personalized to fit my independent needs in my healing journey so I can better adapt to them.

Journey to Individualization

Sigmund Freud noted that psychoanalysis relates to our individualization. The unconscious simply can take over our conscious efforts & leave us in a dark place. Combating the darkness with therapy guides us to live personal lifestyles that fit our needs. 

Take control of the darkness by seeking help from trained & professional individuals who want to help you improve your overall well-being. Psychotherapy &/or psychiatry can be the missing piece to your healing journey. These treatments have clear features & benefits that can help you find the light at the end of the tunnel. 

What better initiative is there than finding your spark again? Disband that cloud of darkness & come into the light. Please remember that it’s never too late to find your spark. Don’t ever give up on yourself.

References

How Psychiatrist Can Benefit Your Overall Health? (2022, November 21). Journey Healthcare. Retrieved September 7, 2024, from https://www.journeyhealthcare.com/how-psychiatrist-can-benefit-your-overall-health/

Psychiatry.org – What is Psychotherapy? (n.d.). American Psychiatric Association. Retrieved September 7, 2024, from https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/psychotherapy

Safai, Y. (2023, February 16). Psychotherapy vs. psychiatry: Differences and more. MedicalNewsToday. Retrieved September 7, 2024, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/psychotherapy-vs-psychiatry#summary

Seiple, C. (2024). Ch 16 Therapy and Treatment.