Psychotherapy is a type of treatment in which the doctor uses the word as a tool to influence the patient's psyche. In the broad sense of its understanding, this direction covers the communication of the patient and the doctor as a whole. Indeed, in the treatment of diseases of any profile, the doctor, communicating with his patients, inevitably has a psychological impact on them. That is why the moment of establishing contact is so important, as well as a personal approach to each person, taking into account the characteristics of his personality and specific social conditions.
The main advantage of rational psychotherapy is the elimination of manifestations of the disease by changing a person's attitude to himself, to his condition and to everything around him.
Ways to heal with a word
What are the main directions that are elements of psychotherapy? They are represented by the following main ways to eliminate diseases:
- Rational psychotherapy.
- Suggestive psychotherapy. This method includes suggestionin reality, what happens when a person is in a state of hypnotic sleep, as well as self-hypnosis, which is called autosuggestion.
- Group or collective psychotherapy. It can be domestic and behavioral, playful. There are also imagotherapy and psychoesthetotherapy.
- Narcopsychotherapy.
All of the above methods will have the maximum impact on the patient when combined with other types of elimination of the disease, including drug treatment, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, exercise therapy, etc.
The direction of rational psychotherapy
To get rid of diseases, the doctor can influence the patient with the help of explanations. The main thing is that they are logically reasoned. A similar method is known in medical practice under the name "rational psychotherapy". When using it, the doctor must explain to his patient what he does not understand and does not know, and which can shake his false beliefs.
Simultaneously with the direct verbal influence of rational psychotherapy, indirect suggestion also accompanies. For example, the method of clarifying the situation is sometimes applied to other persons in the presence of the patient. This allows you to ensure that the therapeutic effect is achieved indirectly. In addition, various didactic techniques are used in rational psychotherapy, as well as emotional impact.
Most often, treatment is a dialogue that a doctor has with his patient. Such an interview allowsexplain to the person the circumstances that led to the disease. In this case, the doctor describes the nature and prognosis of the intended treatment. The therapist needs to keep his argument simple and clear. At the same time, he, using any facts and indicators that indicate even slight improvements, should try to inspire the patient and help him overcome the pessimistic ideas that take place.
The success of using the method of rational psychotherapy largely depends on the personality of the doctor, on his interest in curing the patient, as well as on sincerity, the ability to convince and patiently listen, win sympathy and trust.
The first experiments, which considered the use of such a technique, were carried out on the basis of the classical and operant conditioning described by IP Pavlov, as well as B. Skinner. The main formulation of these concepts consisted in the “stimulus-response” chain and adhered to the postulate that said that behavior that leads to the achievement of the desired result should be strengthened, and vice versa, that does not lead to it, fade away or weaken.
Today, there are a large number of methods of rational psychotherapy. Consider those that are most widely used in practice.
Paul Dubois method
The rational therapy proposed by this Swiss neurologist is the most affordable way to cure the patient. It is used not only by narrow specialists, but also by general practitioners.
Rational psychotherapy Dubois usesthe patient's ability to draw logical conclusions, make comparisons, and also prove the validity of the facts. This method was an alternative to treatment by suggestion. At the same time, rational psychotherapy primarily relied on the thinking and mind of the patient.
Paul Dubois believed that the origins of the development of neuroses lie in errors of judgment and weakness of the intellect. Of course, at present, these theoretical conclusions are not accepted unconditionally. Nevertheless, many of Dubois's recommendations and conclusions, which he made on the basis of numerous observations, are of great practical value. An example of this is the description of a conversation between a Swiss neurologist and his patient, who suffered from insomnia. You can get acquainted with it in the book by A. M. Svyadoshch “Neuroses”: “Do not think about sleep - it flies away like a bird when it is being chased; destroy your empty worries with sound thinking and end the day with some simple thought that will let you sleep peacefully.”
Dubois relied entirely on logic in his practice. Using this scientific direction about the laws of thinking, he quite convincingly demonstrated to his patient the errors that took place in his reasoning and were associated with an incorrect assessment of the pathological condition. Such an effect on the patient is the basis of this method. But besides this, Dubois's rational psychotherapy includes emotional influence, suggestion, study and further correction of personality, as well as rhetorical didactic techniques.
Albert's methodEllis
This psychologist developed a method of rational-emotional psychotherapy. It is based on three main aspects of human mental activity. These are thoughts, or cognitions, as well as behaviors and feelings.
In Ellis' rational-emotive psychotherapy stand out:
- Descriptive cognitions. These thoughts contain the objective information that was perceived by the individual.
- Evaluative cognitions. This type of thought reflects a person's attitude to reality.
According to the provisions of A. Ellison's methodology of rational emotional psychotherapy, the two types of cognitions mentioned above have connections of varying degrees of rigidity. Negative and positive emotions are caused not at all by objective events that have occurred, but by their assessment. In this regard, many psychopathological disorders and symptoms in the emotional sphere can be considered as the result of disorders in the cognitive area, which is called irrational attitudes. They represent rigid links between descriptive as well as evaluative cognitions. These violations are expressed in instructions and demands, orders, etc. and do not correspond to reality either in quality or in strength.
Being unrealized, irrational attitudes provoke the emergence of negative emotions in inadequate situations, which complicate the life of an individual and prevent him from achieving his goals. For the normal functioning of the psyche, it is necessary to create a rational system of evaluative cognitions. Flexible links are also important, connecting such thoughts with descriptive ones.
What is the method of rational-emotive psychotherapy? It includes the identification of existing irrational attitudes, the implementation of a confrontation with them, as well as the revision of flexible (rational) attitudes and the consolidation of their functioning. A patient who has successfully completed this path begins to respond adequately to ongoing events.
A. Ellison outlined his main ideas in the book “Humanistic Psychotherapy: A Rational-Emotional Approach”. In it, he pointed out that any person is able to control and influence their own emotional reactions in the form of behavior and feelings. Moreover, since he himself, albeit involuntarily, but forced himself to suffer, he is also able to do everything to stop it. The book teaches its reader not to be suggestible and not to depend on circumstances. To do this, you just need to not think about how the majority of others are feeling.
Aaron Beck Method
This researcher has developed a method of cognitive psychotherapy. It is based on the assertion that mental disorders and emotional reactions occur in connection with cognitive skills and structures that were acquired by a person in the past.
According to the statements of the American professor A. Beck, those psychological disorders that preceded neurophysiological disorders are directly related to the aberration of thinking. By this term, the researcher understood the incorrect processing of information, which, as a result, contributed to the distortiona person's vision of a situation or object. Such cognitions are the main cause of false ideas. As a result, the patient has inadequate emotional reactions.
Unlike other methods of rational psychotherapy, the method created by A. Beck contains the rules for regulating behavior, which is based on two main parameters, namely danger/safety and pain/pleasure. The axis of the first of these two combinations of elements includes those events that are associated with psychosocial, psychological and physical risk. However, the rules for regulating behavior in most cases do not take into account the real situation. This leads to the fact that the individual has various problems. Using the method of rational psychotherapy by A. Beck, it becomes possible to modify the existing rules, make them more flexible and less personalized, that is, bring them into line with the existing reality.
Cognitive Addiction Psychotherapy
The real scourge of modern society is alcoholism and drug addiction. These are diseases that can be caused by a genetic factor or are a model of the behavior of people who are not able to solve their problems, and relieve the tension that has arisen in the body using psychoactive substances.
And here individual rational psychotherapy of drug addicts and people who drink alcohol excessively can come to their aid. What is this method? This is a cognitive rational psychotherapy aimed at identifying the main triggers, which arethoughts, situations, and people that trigger drug or alcohol use. This method allows a person to get rid of bad habits. This happens due to awareness of one's own thoughts, careful study of the situation and further change in behavior.
George Moreno's Psychodrama
Psychotherapy in rational therapy can also use a group approach. This is what distinguishes the method of J. Moreno, based on the theory of sociometry he created, designed to become the key to solving many social problems. When applying this method, the doctor offers his patients a role-playing game. In its course, he creates conditions that force a person to spontaneously express his feelings about the problem that is relevant to him. The main postulate of this method is the statement that any individual has a natural ability to play.
Thanks to this, when playing a particular role, he can independently influence his problem and even stop the crisis situation. Such a psychotherapeutic process leads to overcoming non-constructive behavioral stereotypes and ways of emotional response, forming an adequate and deep self-awareness in the patient.
Behavior modeling
This method belongs to cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy. With its help, the patient is stimulated to independently solve his problems. Cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy is carried out in three stages:
- Self-observation with elements of self-control.
- Conductanalysis of problem behavior with the definition of its source (teachers, parents, environment, etc.).
- Conclusion of a psychotherapeutic contract. This is a kind of contract, which is a register of planned changes, as well as protocols achieved after doing independent home exercises.
Techniques for directing rational psychotherapy
How can a person get rid of negative emotions? To do this, he will need to apply one of the techniques of rational psychotherapy. Most of them are used by professionals to treat neuroses in their patients. Sometimes with their help it is possible to eliminate psychosis.
The most common causes of such pathologies are accumulated negative emotions. The patient fixes on psychotraumatic situations, which causes him to have excessive acute experiences that cause illness.
Techniques of rational psychotherapy are most indicated for resentment caused by unfulfilled hopes. By the way, a person often resorts to this technique quite unconsciously. He shares his grief with relatives, a friend, and sometimes even with a stranger. First of all, he hopes to justify his own position in the current conflict. However, this is not the main point here. It is important to understand the reasons for what happened, why it may turn out that the offended person is to blame for what happened. And this means that there is no one to be offended by.
Distraction
People also resort to a similar method in their lives quite unconsciously. We try not to think about the traumatic situation. Howeverthis can be quite difficult to do.
The method of distraction allows you to get the maximum effect with weak, but constantly affecting negative stimuli. In this case, negative emotions can gradually accumulate, leading a person to nervous breakdowns and neuroses.
How to escape from a traumatic situation? Recommended for this:
- Sports games. Tennis, football or volleyball are great for relieving irritation and resentment.
- The use of aesthetic therapy. In a state of disorder, visiting an art exhibition, watching a good comedy, listening to talented music is recommended.
- Going to visit good friends. Such a step will eliminate the anger accumulated in the soul and not vent it on loved ones.
- Communication with nature. Negative emotions are especially well eliminated by the river, in the forest, in the mountains and in other beautiful places, where peace of mind returns to a person.
In case of prolonged exposure to negative factors, it is recommended to change the situation by taking a vacation and going on a trip.
Role auto-training
When using this method, the patient will need to get used to the image of a cheerful or calm person. This method perfectly helps as a prevention of upcoming conflict and stressful situations. However, only a person with an artistic nature can feel its effectiveness.
In order to enter the role, you will need to choose the right ideal for yourself. An example could beeither a real person or a movie character. But it is worth remembering that in order to remain calm in various situations using this method, you will need preliminary training.
Muscle relaxation
This method, which is also called autogenic training, is especially popular with psychotherapists. Often people use it when working on their own to solve their problems. Autogenic training is an independent method proposed in 1932 by a German psychotherapist I. Schultz.
The main task of this method is maximum relaxation with the simultaneous suggestion of certain sensations to oneself, as well as learning to control the functioning of internal organs. Lightning-fast muscle relaxation allows you to quickly eliminate nervous tension, and do it in any situation.
