Sometimes, life events can cause us to feel lost, frustrated, confused, or hopeless. When these feelings take over your daily life and begin affecting your relationships, it is time to seek professional help and treatment, which you can find through psychotherapy.
What Is Psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy is a treatment used for mental health problems, in which the patient speaks with a psychiatrist, psychologist, or another mental health practitioner. It’s not only helpful for people with depression, but also for those with anxiety orders, anger issues, and even people with chronic illnesses.
Psychotherapy is usually the first treatment option before medication. In many cases, therapies are as effective as drugs, like antidepressants. However, this is highly dependent on your situation and health.
There are several types of psychotherapy treatments. Some of the most widely used ones are:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy
- Dialectical behavior therapy
- Acceptance and commitment therapy
- Psychodynamic and psychoanalysis therapies
- Interpersonal therapies
- Supportive therapies
Therapy sessions may be conducted one-on-one, in pairs, with your family, or in a group setting. Your therapist will discuss your options and help you determine the best type and format for you. Generally, there is minimal risk involved with psychotherapy. However, since it deals with emotions and experiences that are sometimes painful to recount and discuss, you may feel a little exhausted after each session.
How Does It Work?
Before you undergo psychotherapy, you must first find a therapist you can trust, especially since you will be talking about yourself in-depth with them. In your first session, your therapist will gather information about you through questions that will ask about your current and past physical and emotional health.
During therapy sessions, you will learn more about yourself by talking about your thoughts, feelings, and life events. Your therapist will help you understand your condition, emotions, thoughts, and actions. Your therapist will encourage you to speak about what you are thinking and how you are feeling.
As you start to learn about yourself, you will become more aware of what causes your feelings, thus improving your ability to deal with them. In addition, your therapist will help you find healthy coping methods to deal with what you are going through. With some approaches to psychotherapy, your provider may ask you to do homework or give you activities to help you develop coping methods.
Through psychotherapy, you will be able to know more about what makes you feel the way you do. Once you understand what affects your emotion, your therapist will then help you find a way to deal with it. In some cases, they may need to prescribe medication to help you.
Psychotherapy is effective for many people, but for it to truly work, you must want to participate. You have to attend the sessions, be honest with your therapist, and be willing to do the assigned homework and activities.
Who Will Benefit From Psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy is generally used to treat people with issues, such as:
- Anxiety disorders
- Mood problems
- Addiction
- Eating disorder
- Personality disorders
However, it can also help people who went through or are going through a lot in their lives, including:
- War survivors
- Abused individuals
- Insomniacs
- Aggressive people
- Dysfunctional families
- Patients with chronic illness
- Mothers facing an empty nest
Psychotherapy In New York
Finding the right therapist and undergoing psychotherapy can positively affect your emotional and mental health.
Rivia Medical in New York has a team of mental health practitioners who are ready to help you. Our psychiatrists, social worker, and nurse practitioners will be your partners in finding the best treatment for your mental or emotional health problems. If you have questions about how we can best help you, give us a call at (212) 203-1773. Alternatively, you can schedule a visit through our online portal. We look forward to hearing from you!
