The human psyche as a set of mental processes, experiences, sensations, emotions and memory is a delicate instrument that requires constant attention and careful treatment. A psychotherapist is one of the medical specialties that specialize in working with the psyche.

The subject of a psychotherapist’s activity is the human psyche as a complex category, subject to deviations and disorders of varying severity under the influence of external factors, heredity, stress, which are not accompanied by serious damage (organic pathology) to the patient’s brain.

Psychologist, psychotherapist, psychiatrist: similarities and differences

Many people who are far from medicine have some confusion with the specialization of doctors, associated with similar names of professions. It is difficult for them to figure out who the psychotherapist, psychiatrist or psychologist is, what psychoneurology is, and what the psychotherapist treats.

There is one similarity between these professions: they all work with manifestations of the human psyche. However, the profession of psychologist, unlike the other two, does not belong to medical specialties, since to practice psychology it is enough for a specialist to have a humanities education. A psychologist does not engage in diagnosis, examination, therapy, or prescribe medications.

The specialization of a psychiatrist involves the treatment of human mental illnesses primarily with medications, based on conclusions about the causes that gave rise to mental disorders.

The help of a psychotherapist is carried out through conversational influence in the form of a conversation with the patient, although often the psychotherapist also prescribes medications that together help people cope with mild disorders and borderline states of their psyche.

Basic psychotherapeutic treatments

In terms of applying the treatment methodology, the psychotherapist uses a multifaceted influence on the person.

Today medicine uses fairly well-known and effective methods, including:

• psychoanalysis, which allows the doctor to detect and professionally, using a special technique of influence, displace the detected traumatic experiences and internal conflicts from the patient’s consciousness;
• existential psychotherapy, which helps the patient comprehend his life values ​​and priorities, push him to make an independent, responsible choice of life path;
• Geshalt therapy, based on personal interaction between the doctor and the patient, and others.

Types of diseases treated by a psychotherapist

A psychotherapist deals with mild to moderate cases of manifestations of the following diseases and painful conditions, including:

• neuroses;
• depression;
• some harmful habits for humans;
• unreasonable anxiety;
• various addictions;
• state of psychosis;
• anorexia;
• paranoia;
• chronic fatigue;
• manifestation of apathy;
• panic states;
• various phobias;
• consequences of mental trauma;
• nervous tension and others.

Most often in hospitals and clinics, a psychotherapist treats people with neuroses. Almost every adult, no matter how strong and strong-willed he is, is susceptible to varying degrees of stress. Under certain conditions, this influence leads to persistent painful conditions that require medical attention.

In adults, a psychotherapist treats symptoms such as:

• apathy, indifference to others, events, situations;
• hysterics;
• increased anxiety, panic, phobias;
• state of depression;
• increased craving for alcohol, other drugs that allow you to disconnect from real problems, and others.

What happens at an appointment with a psychotherapist

Typically, during an appointment, the psychotherapist does the following:

• listens to patient complaints;
• assesses the situation regarding the course of the disease depending on the development of the patient’s nervous system;
• determines the causes of symptoms and painful conditions;
• if necessary, refers for a detailed examination to related specialists;
• determines the treatment plan;
• makes appointments according to the treatment plan;
• carries out therapeutic activities;
• informs the patient about the examination results, diagnosis, treatment plan;
• provides necessary consultations and recommendations.

Treatment with a psychotherapist occurs primarily in the form of conversation. Confidential conversation using professional influence techniques has a great impact on the consciousness and subconscious of patients. The voluntary basis of a conversation with a doctor, as well as the possibility of adjusting some aspects of treatment, give positive results and contribute to a faster recovery process.

Let us list the main methods of professional therapeutic influence on the psyche, which are used during an appointment with a psychotherapist:

• conversation;
• hypnosis;
• psychoanalysis;
• self-control training;
• coding;
• neuro-linguistic programming and others.

Advice to the patient: never hide or distort the truth from the doctor: as a result, the psychotherapist may make an incorrect diagnosis and prescribe inappropriate treatment.

Psychotherapy for children

Childhood neuroses can manifest themselves at different ages. In the children's department, a neurologist helps a child until he reaches three years of age, and if the painful condition continues at an older age, the course of treatment is carried out by a psychotherapist.

Here is a list of painful manifestations that may indicate the onset of the disease in a child, and if they occur, you should consult a specialist:

• deterioration in academic performance;
• anorexia;
• uncontrolled overeating;
• inappropriate behavior: harsh rudeness, increased excitability, tearfulness, etc.;
• nervous conditions, childhood fears and others;
• enuresis;
• passivity, apathy, reluctance to communicate with others;
• hyperactivity.

In such situations, in addition to medical care, the care and attention of his parents is very important for the child, who must promptly notice dangerous symptoms, patiently help the child deal with his attitude towards himself and his peers, teach them to overcome difficulties and make the right decisions in conflicts. Such care can prevent many problems that their grown-up child will encounter in his life.

This is a medical specialist whose psychotherapeutic treatment consists of various conversations and trainings, both one-on-one with a psychotherapist and in specialized groups, the participants of which, as a rule, are selected individually.

(see also Psychologist)

What is included in the competence of a psychotherapist?

A specialist (doctor or psychologist) who provides assistance most often using non-pharmacological methods.

Simply put, a psychotherapist is a person who has mastered one of the areas of psychotherapy.

Psychotherapists work both with mentally healthy people and with people in “borderline states”, that is, in states on the verge of health and illness (neuroses, depression...). The psychotherapist uses certain psychotechniques to help the client solve his problem.

What diseases does the Psychotherapist treat?

- Depression;
- Schizophrenia;
- Neurosis;
- Anorexia;
- Bulimia;
- Alcoholism;
- Fears and phobias;
- Panic attacks;
- Alzheimer's disease;
- Psychoses;
- Insomnia.

What organs does a psychotherapist work with?

Brain.

When should you contact a Psychotherapist?

- Psychotherapy is indicated for you if you suffer from depression, fears, anxiety, insomnia, appetite disorders, neurotic disorders.
- If you have experienced severe grief, stress, and the echoes of these experiences affect your physical and mental state.
- If you suffer from physical ailment, intense pain, bodily discomfort.

Many illnesses are based on the mechanisms of exposure to various stressful situations. Everyday “minor stresses” are forced out of consciousness, accumulate and turn into an unconscious internal conflict, which transforms into physical ill health.
- Family psychotherapy can help couples who cannot cope with their problems and disagreements on their own.
- If you are unhappy with your life and want to try to make it better, or want to be more consistent with who you could become, but have not yet become.

If you feel that there is something more dormant within you than what you are able to realize in life, then one of the options available to you lies in the field of psychotherapy.

When and what tests should be done

Only instrumental research methods are carried out.

What are the main types of diagnostics usually carried out by a Psychotherapist?

- Ultrasound Dopplerography of the arteries of the neck;
- Transcranial Dopplerography of intracranial vessels;
- Electroencephalography;
- ECG;
- Ultrasound of the liver, pancreas, spleen, kidneys;
- Examination of the fundus and visual acuity. One of the most common relaxation methods. The method is based on alternate tension and relaxation of various muscles and muscle groups to achieve a state of relaxation.

When training, it is important to tense the muscles strongly, then relax them completely, and pay attention to the difference in sensations that arise when the muscles are tense and relaxed. With regular training (daily or every other day), after about 3-4 weeks, relaxation skills appear that can be used to overcome stressful situations, reduce tension, anxiety, fear, and restlessness.

Learning to relax, like any other learning, requires regular practice.

You can study at any time of the day, but it is advisable to choose a time when no one will distract you. There is no need to rush or make excessive efforts to achieve relaxation - this will interfere with relaxation.

Here is one of the modifications of the method.

Basic principles: tension and relaxation of each muscle group lasts 4-5 seconds, and each exercise is repeated 3-4 times.

When tense muscles, concentrate on the sensations, try to feel how the muscles contract, compress, become hard and dense. When relaxing, pay attention to the pleasant sensations that arise in the muscles, feel how when they smooth out, they relax more and more. Just focus your attention on these very pleasant sensations of relaxation spreading through your muscles, on feelings of peace and relaxation.

Sit comfortably.
- Tighten your forehead muscles. To do this, raise your eyebrows as high as possible.

Try to feel how the forehead muscles tense, become tight, and relax.

Now tense the muscles of your eyelids, cheeks and upper jaw. To do this, you need to close your eyes tightly and wrinkle your nose.

Concentrate on the sensations that arise when these muscles tense and relax.

Muscles of the lower face

Clench your teeth and open the corners of your mouth as if smiling.
- Concentrate on the sensations of tension in these muscles and relax, relieve tension.
- Lower your chin to your chest, without touching your chest, and tense your neck muscles and relax.
- Now squeeze your shoulder blades together and tighten your upper back muscles and relax, release tension.
- Moving on to the lower back - press your back against the back of the chair and bend over, feel the muscles in your lower back tighten and relax completely.
- Clench your hands into a fist and strongly tense the muscles of your hands and forearms and relax again.
- Now we tense our arm muscles. Rest your palms on the armrests, as if trying to push off from them, strongly tense your arm muscles and relax your arms.
- Take a deep breath into your chest, hold your breath a little (the chest muscles tense), then take a calm, full exhale.

Abdominal muscles

Pull your stomach in and tighten your abdominal muscles and relax your abdominal muscles.
- Tighten the muscles of your legs: press your feet to the floor and lift your toes, pull them towards you (heels pressed to the floor). Concentrate on the tension of these muscles and relax, relieve tension.
- Now press your toes to the floor and lift your heels as high as possible. Feel how the muscles of your feet and legs tense, relax your leg muscles.
- Place your feet on the floor (as if you are going to stand up), tense the muscles of both legs and relax.
- Now you can completely relax. Sit in a relaxation position (rest your back against the back of the chair, feet on the floor, legs not crossed, hands on the armrests or on the hips, fingers not clasped) and relax the muscles of the face, neck, shoulders, arms, back, chest, abdomen, legs.

If you notice that any muscle is even slightly tense, try to free yourself from this tension. Concentrate all your attention on the pleasant sensations of peace, relaxation, warmth, and peace. Try to feel the muscles relaxing more and more. Enjoy the sensations of complete relaxation spreading throughout your entire body.

When you are ready to finish relaxing, move your arms, legs and open your eyes.

Psychotherapist is a specialist with a higher medical or humanitarian education who treats so-called borderline mental disorders and uses psychotherapeutic methods for this. Borderline mental disorders are mild symptoms of mental disorders that occur in completely healthy people from a medical point of view.

To become a psychotherapist, after graduating from a higher educational institution ( medical or humanitarian) you need to undergo retraining or advanced training on the topic “Psychotherapy”. Psychotherapy is one of the methods of treating mental disorders and psychological disorders, which includes many techniques. The principle of psychotherapy is the joint work of the doctor and the patient on the latter’s psyche.

In the United States of America, a psychotherapist and a psychiatrist are the same specialist, since psychiatrists actively use psychotherapy methods and only they are allowed to prescribe medications. Those specialists who engage in psychoanalysis without having a medical education are called psychoanalysts or simply psychologists in the United States.

The Greek word "psyche" ( translated as "soul") arose from the name of the Greek letter ψ (pronounced "psi"), which became a symbol of a free soul, as it was associated with a bird. A psychotherapist studies the human psyche, that is, his soul, from two points of view - medical and psychological. From a medical point of view, the psyche is the result of biological reactions occurring in the brain, that is, the state of the brain. From a psychological point of view, the psyche is the inner world of a person, which is formed as a result of his interaction with the outside world.

Among psychotherapists you can find the following specialized specialists:

• psychiatrist-psychotherapist – a doctor who has completed postgraduate training in the specialty “Psychiatry”, as well as retraining in the topic “Psychotherapy”, and treats all types of mental disorders;
• psychotherapist-narcologist – a doctor who, after medical school, was trained in the specialty “Psychiatry and Narcology”, and after that took a thematic advanced course in “Psychotherapy”;
• child psychotherapist – specialist who deals with disorders that occur most often in childhood ( stuttering, urinary incontinence and others);
• teenage psychotherapist – deals with disorders that are often observed in adolescence;
• psychotherapist-gerontologist – works with elderly people whose mental disorders often manifest themselves as psychosomatic diseases and neuroses;
• psychotherapist-hypnologist – a specialist who uses suggestion during hypnotic sleep as a treatment method;
• psychotherapist-analyst ( psychoanalyst) – a specialist who studies unconscious programs that arise as a result of psychological trauma in childhood and that control human behavior;
• Gestalt therapist – a specialist who uses Gestalt psychology, the principle of which is to concentrate on the present moment, removing claims from oneself and the people around ( Gestalt therapy includes a variety of techniques, including art therapy and psychodrama).

What does a psychotherapist do?

A psychotherapist studies the human psyche, identifying and treating borderline neuropsychiatric disorders. A psychotherapist is a teacher, a curator who helps to complete a course of “adaptation” in case of a disorder of one or more components of the psyche. The slogan of a psychotherapist-psychologist can be represented as follows: “you can help a person if he wants to recover from mental disorders, but you cannot help a person who likes the status of “sick” and who does nothing to help himself.”

The psyche is the inner world of a person, a kind of instrument that allows him to perceive the world around him ( study) and change his behavior depending on what happens to him ( adapt). Unlike other processes of learning and adaptation of the body to the environment ( for example, conditioned reflexes), a person can control mental processes due to the presence of consciousness.

From a psychological point of view, with mental disorders, one of the following components is disrupted:

• feelings ( affect) – emotional reaction to events and phenomena;
• mind ( mind or cognitive functions) – higher brain functions ( "smart" functions), which include memory, perception, speech, intelligence and the ability to perform learned movements automatically;
• will ( desires) is the ability to consciously regulate and control one’s behavior and other actions that are related to the body or psyche.

Borderline mental disorders include:

• neuroses;
• psychosomatic disorders ( physical illnesses with psychological causes).

Borderline disorders are not considered normal, but they are not a severe pathology either. Borderline disorder does not involve delusions, hallucinations, or dementia, so people do not always seek help.

A psychotherapist treats the following disorders:

• anxiety disorders;
• phobias ( fears);
• obsessive-convulsive disorder ( obsessive-compulsive disorder);
• acute and chronic stress disorder;
• dissociative disorders ( hysteria);
• somatoform disorders ( hypochondriacal syndrome);
• neurasthenia ( chronic fatigue syndrome);
• dependence on alcohol, narcotic and toxic substances;
• addiction to cravings ( mania);
• anorexia nervosa;
• bulimia nervosa;
• pathological drowsiness;
• somnambulism;
• nightmares;
• sexual dysfunction;
• violation of sexual orientation;
• change in sexual preferences;
• personality disorder;
• mental retardation;
• nervous tics;
• enuresis, encopresis;
• stuttering;
• manic syndrome;
• psychosomatic illnesses.

Neurosis

Neurosis or neurotic disorders are a group of disorders that are caused by a “disruption” of mental activity ( nervous breakdown), but are not associated with any disease of the internal organs or brain. Many neuroses are treated by doctors of other specialties, since the symptoms of neurotic disorders, first of all, lead a person to a therapist, cardiologist and neurologist. Moreover, although these doctors almost never find diseases of the internal organs that could cause these symptoms, they still cannot convince the patient that their symptoms are caused by neurosis. Therefore, for such cases, the term “neurocirculatory dystonia” was introduced. The latter, in fact, is a neurotic disorder that doctors have the right to treat.

Phobias ( anxiety-phobic disorders)

With this form of obsessive-compulsive neurosis ( according to the new classification - anxiety-phobic disorders) an anxious state is caused by factors or objects in the external environment that currently do not pose a danger to a person. Symptoms of an anxiety-phobic disorder can manifest as discomfort or frighten a person, while he cannot be convinced that there is no danger.

The most common phobias are:(fears):

• claustrophobia– fear of closed spaces;
• agoraphobia– fear of open spaces;
• acrophobia– fear of heights;
• arachnophobia– fear of spiders;
• algophobia– fear of pain;
• scotophobia– fear of the dark;
• cardiophobia– fear of developing heart disease.

Panic disorder

It also refers to obsessive-compulsive neurosis, but is characterized by an extremely severe state of anxiety and fear, which forces the patient to run away and seek help. This disorder occurs in the form of panic attacks with vegetative symptoms ( sweating, palpitations, shortness of breath). Panic attack and angina attacks ( chest pain due to damage to the heart vessels) or bronchial asthma ( suffocation due to bronchospasm) are difficult to distinguish, so people often turn to general practitioners, cardiologists, pulmonologists and neurologists. General practitioners and cardiologists use the terms “vegetoneurosis” and “cardioneurosis” to describe panic disorder.

Obsessive-convulsive disorder

Obsessive-convulsive disorder is a special type of obsessive-compulsive disorder in which a person constantly thinks about what might happen ( obsessions), and performs actions or “rituals” ( convulsions) to avoid possible adverse events. A striking example is constantly washing your hands when you have obsessive thoughts about bacteria and their health hazards.

Acute reaction to stress

It occurs during strong emotional experiences that exceed in strength the usual experiences experienced by the human psyche, while a person’s behavior, consciousness and perception are temporarily disrupted.

Post-traumatic stress disorder

Occurs after emotional or physical stress, causing a person to experience unpleasant events again and again ( fighting, rape and more). The duration of this disorder is 1 month or more.

Dissociative disorders ( hysterical neurosis)

Dissociation means duality, which is a disorder in which a person loses control of one or more functions but retains control of other functions. For example, during a hysterical attack, a person does not control emotions and may lose memory, but he is able to control body movements, therefore, falling to the floor, he chooses a “more comfortable” place. It is also important that attacks always occur in the presence of witnesses.

Hysterical neurosis can manifest itself with the following symptoms:

• memory loss;
• stupor ( numbness);
• fugue ( escape in an unknown direction);
• trembling in the limbs, staggering when walking;
• trannies ( fixation on something).

Somatoform disorders

The term "somatoform" means "having the shape of a body." Thus, somatoform disorders are a neurosis with symptoms of diseases of the body, that is, internal organs ( diseases of internal organs are called “somatic diseases”). At the same time, no changes are detected in the organs themselves, no objective reasons for the occurrence of complaints are identified, that is, the symptoms seem to be there, but there is no disease of the internal organ.

Depending on the complaints, there are the following types of somatoform disorders:

• chronic somatoform pain disorder– pain “for no reason”;
• body dysmorphic syndrome– a person is convinced that he has a pronounced defect in appearance ( frequent patient of plastic surgeons);
• hypochondriacal syndrome– a person is sure that he has at least 2 serious diseases, requires constant examination and the “most modern” treatment, believes that he cannot be cured, blames doctors for their inability to treat;
• somatization disorder– these are long-term and numerous complaints of physical illness with symptoms of dysfunction of various organs.

Neurasthenia ( chronic fatigue syndrome)

Neurasthenia is a mental weakness that cannot withstand mental trauma, but works in “overexcitation” mode. Constant overstimulation causes mental and physical fatigue, as a result a person complains that he gets tired very quickly.

Dependence on alcohol, drugs and toxic substances

The emergence of addiction refers to emotional-volitional disorders, which ultimately lead to personality changes and impairment of mental or cognitive functions. A psychotherapist helps a person with addiction during the rehabilitation stage ( treatment is controlled by a narcologist).

Addiction to cravings ( mania)

Mania can have different meanings for a psychiatrist and a psychologist. A psychiatrist calls mania or manic syndrome a change in emotional state, with increased excitability in the form of active speech, gestures and readiness for action. In psychology, mania is irresistible, obsessive thoughts about an object of desire, a painful obsession with something. In this sense, mania differs little from addiction to alcohol and drugs.

The most common types of mania are:

• gambling addiction– pathological desire to gamble;
• pyromania– pathological desire to set something on fire;
• kleptomania– pathological tendency to steal;
• trichotillomania- Tendency to pull out one's own hair.

Anorexia nervosa

Anorexia nervosa is a type of eating disorder in which a person refuses to eat. Most often observed in teenage girls who want to look the most attractive and are terribly afraid of gaining weight ( get fat). The most common symptom that brings a woman with anorexia to the doctor is menstrual dysfunction. A man with anorexia turns to a sex therapist because his sexual function suffers. It is the gynecologist and sex therapist who most often make the diagnosis of “anorexia nervosa”, after which they refer the person to a psychotherapist.

Bulimia nervosa

Bulimia is a term for voracious appetite attacks. Bulimia nervosa often accompanies anorexia nervosa.

Insomnia

Insomnia is a type of sleep disorder in which a person has difficulty trying to fall asleep, wakes up early and is unable to fall back to sleep, or wakes up frequently in the middle of the night.

Pathological drowsiness

Doctors call pathological sleepiness hypersomnia. Hypersomnia is manifested by increased sleepiness, and the person not only “really wants to sleep,” but constantly falls asleep during the day in the most inappropriate places ( not working, driving).

Nightmares and horrors in dreams

Horror during sleep ( night terrors) represent episodes of pronounced horror, which are accompanied by screaming, movements and correspond to experiences in a dream. After waking up, these movements persist for some time, after which confusion sets in.

With nightmares, a person clearly remembers and can tell in great detail a dream with a nightmarish theme ( I usually have the same dream). After awakening, a person quickly enters a state of wakefulness.

Somnambulism ( sleepwalking)

Somnambulism or sleepwalking is manifested by walking in a dream, while a person can get dressed in a dream and, as it were, go to work or perform actions that he performed during the day. The “sleepwalker” does not come into contact with people who try to talk to him in this state. After waking up, a person does not remember anything about what he did in the dream.

Sexual disorders

Sexual dysfunction is considered by psychotherapists in cases where it does not have any organic cause. Organic causes are factors that change the structure of an organ, that is, leading to visible changes that can be identified using medical diagnostic methods.

A psychotherapist treats the following sexual dysfunctions:

• loss of sexual desire;
• increased libido;
• lack of sexual satisfaction;
• lack of sexual response ( erections);
• premature ejaculation;
• vaginismus ( reflex spasm of the vaginal muscles during sexual intercourse);

Changes in sexual behavior include:

• transsexualism– the desire of an adult to live the life of the opposite sex in society, that is, a man considers himself a woman and wants to be treated as a woman, and a woman, on the contrary, wants to be a man;
• Gender identity disorders in children– this is dissatisfaction with one’s sex and an unyielding desire to belong to the opposite sex;
• disorders of sexual preference- the emergence of sexual desires and fantasies that are associated with unusual objects and actions ( sadomasochism, voyeurism, fetishism).

Personality disorder

Personality disorder is not just a “bad” character and not a pathology, it is a borderline state between a mentally healthy and pathologically altered personality, which has clear criteria.

The personality disorder must meet the following criteria:

• disharmonious character traits appear in any situation;
• a disharmonious character arises in childhood or adolescence;
• the disorder is persistent ( does not progress);
• the disorder leads to negative emotional experiences in the person and those who communicate with him;
• a person’s behavior disrupts his adaptation in society and affects his professional activities.

It is disadaptation ( adaptation disorder) in society distinguishes personality disorder from accentuated personality. Accentuation of character is described as a change in character, with the sharpening of some negative traits, which make it difficult, but do not interfere with adaptation in society.

Types of Personality Disorder

Type	Characteristics
	sensitivity; suspiciousness; touchiness.
	"cold" people; neutral attitude towards both good and bad; tendency to solitude and fantasies.
	callousness towards people and animals; irresponsibility; easily resorts to violence in any psychologically unfavorable situation. lack of guilt.
	impulsiveness; unstable mood; outbursts of anger; inability to plan and take into account the consequences of one’s actions.
	suggestibility; theatrical behavior; emotional instability; need for attention; preoccupation with one's appearance.
	doubts; inability to make decisions independently; pursuit of excellence; pedantry; stubbornness; control over other people.
Alarming (evasive) personality disorder	a premonition of something bad; preoccupation with other people's opinions of oneself; need for approval, good treatment and security.
	shifting responsibility for one's life to others; excessive compliance; fear of loneliness; making independent decisions is possible only with the approval of loved ones.

The names of personality disorders and severe mental pathologies often have the same roots, and this is no coincidence. The ending “oid” means that the disorder is similar to a manifestation of mental illness, but, nevertheless, is distinguished by the absence of other symptoms.

Mental retardation

Mental retardation is a mental underdevelopment of the mind, that is, such mental functions as memory, perception, speech, intelligence ( IQ). Psychiatrists deal with the problem of mental retardation in children, since this pathology occurs as a result of brain damage from birth or until the age of three. Psychotherapists and psychologists train these children and provide them with psychotherapeutic assistance.

Stuttering

Stuttering refers to interrupted speech and repetition of sounds or prolonged pronunciation.

Selective mutism

Mutism is a child’s refusal to speak in certain situations, for example, in kindergarten or school, while his ability to speak is not impaired ( At home the child talks as usual).

Nervous tics ( Tic disorders)

Tics are irregular muscle contractions independent of a person’s will that are periodically repeated.

Enuresis and encopresis

Enuresis is involuntary urination during the day or at night, which is observed in children who already know how to restrain the urge to urinate. If the pediatric urologist has not identified any changes in the urinary system that could cause enuresis, and the neurologist has not detected epilepsy and other neurological disorders, then the child is treated by a psychotherapist. Encopresis is the involuntary loss of feces.

Depression

Depression is a depressed state of mind, in which there is not only a bad mood, but also an unwillingness, or rather an inability to move and think.

Psychosomatic illnesses

Psychosomatic diseases are those diseases of the organs ( soma - body), which develop against the background of constant experiences and, having no other “output,” are “discharged” on a certain organ, disrupting its function. Unlike somatoform disorders ( organ neuroses) psychosomatic diseases are manifested by objective symptoms that can be detected during examination or medical examinations and tests.

The main psychosomatic diseases are called the “holy seven”.

The most common psychosomatic diseases are:

• duodenal ulcer;
• bronchial asthma;

How does an appointment with a psychotherapist work?

An appointment with a psychotherapist takes place in a conversational format. A person who turns to a psychotherapist is called a client, not a patient, and certainly not a patient. Conversation can take many forms, depending on the therapist and the techniques he or she chooses to use.

In the classic view, in the office of a psychotherapist-psychanalyst there should be a sofa or a comfortable chair where the client sits. The psychiatrist himself sits next to him, usually at the head of the bed, so that the client does not see him, but hears him. This scheme is convenient from the point of view that it is easier for a person to talk about his problems, express thoughts and emotions without concentrating on the psychotherapist’s face, while it is necessary to hear his voice, since the client must know that he is heard, listened to and interested in his problems. However, if the couch is missing, this should not be misleading. With almost everyone else ( except psychoanalysis) in psychotherapy techniques, the psychotherapist and his client most often talk while sitting opposite each other.

The examination format may differ if the psychotherapist is a doctor. In this case, the person ( in this case we can call him a patient) will undergo both medical and psychological examination.

The first and subsequent appointments with a psychotherapist differ not only in duration, but also in content.

During the first examination, the psychotherapist carries out the following actions:

• listens to the person's main complaints;
• talks with the client, finding out the purpose of his request;
• collects information about the patient ( about life and health);
• conducts tests to determine the state of the psyche;
• determines a person’s mental status;
• conducts psychodiagnostics ( tests and questionnaires);
• describes a person's personality;
• is interested in the result that the client expects from working together with a psychotherapist;
• talks about possible methods of psychotherapy that will help a person in each specific case;
• develops a treatment strategy.

During repeated consultations, the psychotherapist evaluates the effect of the treatment.

Mental status is the state of the psyche at the time of the study; it can change throughout life or as a result of treatment with a psychotherapist. Mental status is assessed by a psychotherapist during a conversation with the patient.

Using psychodiagnostics, the psychotherapist collects the following information about the patient:

• congenital features of the constitution ( temperament) – type of response of the autonomic nervous system ( system that regulates the functioning of internal organs) for stress;
• character traits– personality traits that are formed from childhood and also shape the type of reaction to stress;
• degree of personality development– personal maturity ( correspondence of skills, abilities and worldview to age), the presence or absence of a desire for self-development and self-improvement;
• presence of traumatic situations– environmental factors ( personal life, work, relationships, financial situation), to which the psyche finds it difficult to adapt;
• stress resistance– the ability of the psyche to quickly adapt to situations without negative consequences for mental health;
• cognitive abilities– level of development of higher brain functions ( memory, intelligence and others).

Where does the psychotherapist meet?

Depending on where exactly the psychotherapist is seen, you can distinguish a psychotherapist from a “non-psychotherapist” ( psychologist). If a psychotherapist works in a medical institution ( psychiatric clinics, multidisciplinary diagnostic centers), he has a higher medical education, that is, he is a doctor. If a psychotherapist sees in a non-medical center, that is, conducts a private practice, then this is a specialist psychologist. This is the basic rule, but there are exceptions. For example, clinical ( medical) psychologists can work in medical centers and assist psychiatrists in treating patients by counseling patients and their treating doctors.

What problems do you see a psychotherapist for?

A psychotherapist is consulted when mental comfort or mental health is disturbed. Mental health is a state of comfort in relation to oneself, with other people and with the outside world as a whole, in which a person can work and live fully. However, this does not mean there are no problems. The main role of the psyche is to help a person become stronger by overcoming difficulties. Mental disorder is the inability of the psyche to overcome the difficulties that have arisen.

Healthy psyche(mental health)has the following characteristics:

• self-respect;
• the ability to cope with failures;
• independence;
• effective coping with stressful situations ( psychic training);
• behavior control;
• harmonious development of the psyche ( harmonious character);
• sufficient mental development ( intelligence).

The need for treatment from a psychotherapist arises if signs of a mental disorder violate the following aspects:

• human performance;
• daily activities ( food, sleep, sexual function);
• life in society.

In order not to get confused about the diseases that should be treated by a psychiatrist for the disorders that a psychotherapist deals with, at the end of the 20th century psychiatry was divided into “major” and “minor”.

Sign	"Major" mental disorders	"Minor" mental disorders ( border)
Personality change	Gross personality changes combined with other symptoms ( hallucinations, delusions)	Accentuation of character ( sharpening some character traits) and personality disorders
Self-awareness (awareness of your illness)	Absent	Available
Behavior control	Absent	Saved
Delusions, hallucinations, dementia	Available	None
Autonomic symptoms (palpitations, diarrhea, sweating, shortness of breath, skin rash and others)	Not typical	Characteristic, pronounced
Severity of mental disorders	Pronounced	Weakly expressed
Relationship with stress	Unexpressed	Clear
Brain damage	Available	Absent
Danger of human behavior for oneself and others	Available	Absent
Reversibility	Slightly reversible disorders ( practically irreversible)	Reversible disorders
A striking example	Schizophrenia, epilepsy, psychosis	Neuroses, psychosomatic disorders, personality disorders
Who is treating?	Psychiatrist	Psychotherapist

Although disorders are divided into “major” and “small”, psychotherapy is carried out in both cases. The difference lies in who organizes this therapy. For “major” disorders ( they can be called pathologies) treatment is carried out either by a psychiatrist-psychotherapist, or by a psychiatrist together with a psychotherapist. For “minor” disorders, which are called borderline, the psychotherapist has the right to conduct psychotherapy independently, but prescribes medications only if he has a higher medical education.

Problems that should be addressed to a psychotherapist

Problem	Main reasons	Treatment method
Fears (phobias)	the emergence of a situation that posed a danger to life, while fear became entrenched in the subconscious, manifesting itself even when the object was mentioned; experience of separation from parents in childhood.	drug treatment; psychoanalysis; behavioral therapy; hypnosis; auto-training; Gestalt therapy; Frankl's logotherapy; group psychotherapy; neurolinguistic programming ( NLP).
Anxiety, worry (anxiety disorder)	discrepancy between reality and expectations ( demands on yourself or others); suffered psychological trauma is harm caused to the psyche, a situation that the psyche could not “digest.”
Panic attacks (panic disorder)	an unsuccessful defensive reaction of the psyche to a stressful situation.	drug therapy; breathing into the bag; psychoanalysis; behavioral therapy; family therapy.
Intrusive thoughts (obsessive-convulsive disorder)	genetic predisposition; hidden aggression directed at others.	drug therapy; behavioral therapy; psychoanalysis.
Acute reaction to stress	strong psycho-emotional experience ( natural disaster, loss of loved ones, rape), the severity of which is several times greater than the usual level of stress on the psyche.	drug therapy; sleep therapy; Gestalt therapy; group psychotherapy; family psychotherapy.
		drug treatment; eye movement desensitization and reprocessing; group psychotherapy; family psychotherapy; auto-training.
Hysteria (dissociative disorder)	attitude to achieve what you want at any cost ( “I want it, no matter what”); the different demands that mother and father made in childhood; hereditary predisposition; the presence of “unsolvable” situations; using the disorder as a method of manipulation.	drug therapy; psychoanalysis; rational psychotherapy; Gestalt therapy; hypnotherapy.
Hypochondria, dysmorphophobia, “pain for no reason”		drug therapy; suggestive therapy; psychoanalysis; meditation therapy.
Neurasthenia	prolonged emotional and mental stress; conflict between desires and possibilities ( “I want to, but I can’t”).	tranquilizers; autogenic training.
Anorexia nervosa	depressive disorder in adolescence; psychotrauma in childhood.	drug therapy; cognitive behavioral therapy; psychoanalysis; Gestalt therapy.
Bulimia nervosa
Pathological drives (mania)	hidden feelings, anxiety, depression and aggression; genetic predisposition; mistakes of upbringing.	drug therapy; behavioral therapy; cognitive therapy; psychoanalysis.
Alcohol addiction	violation of adaptation in society; impossibility or inability to solve problems in another way.	cognitive behavioral therapy; provocative psychotherapy; group psychotherapy; hypnotherapy.
Drug addiction	inability to receive pleasure from other sources; “escape” from problems; "bad" company; poor awareness of the consequences.	rational psychotherapy; Gestalt therapy; behavioral therapy; hypnotherapy; group psychotherapy.
Insomnia	increased anxiety; fear of losing control over the situation; brain damage; traumatic brain injury; depressive disorder.	drug therapy; electrosleep; enotherapy; hypnotherapy; auto-training.
Pathological drowsiness	brain damage; traumatic brain injury; neurotic disorders.	drug therapy.
Sleepwalking (sleepwalking)	the formation of a focus in the brain that is awake and interferes with the deep sleep phase.	drug treatment.
Horrors and nightmares in dreams	fears, complexes and aggression repressed from consciousness into the subconscious, which manage to “break through” at the moment of sleep.	drug treatment; cognitive behavioral therapy; psychoanalysis.
Disorders associated with sexual intercourse	neurotic reaction to disharmonious relationships in a couple; depression; various fears associated with sexual intercourse; psychotrauma after rape.	drug treatment; couple's psychotherapy; behavioral therapy; psychoanalysis; hypnotherapy.
Changing sexual preferences	violation of sexual communication; deep psychological problems ( desire to dominate, assert oneself, feelings of guilt).	psychoanalysis.
Feeling of belonging to the opposite sex	violation of gender-related attitudes that a child receives in childhood; disruption of the brain centers that are responsible for sexual behavior.
Personality disorder	a disharmonious and abnormal character is formed as a result of the layering of experienced experience and upbringing on the genetic characteristics of the psyche ( temperament).	drug therapy; psychoanalysis; cognitive behavioral therapy; group therapy; Gestalt therapy; rational therapy; Frankl's logotherapy; client-centered therapy; assertiveness training.
Selective silence in a child (selective mutism)	psychological or emotional trauma; excessive parental care ( usually mothers).	behavioral therapy; family therapy; art therapy.
Nervous tics	unexpressed emotions and hidden experiences ( especially when faced with family conflicts).	behavioral therapy; body-oriented therapy.
Fecal and urinary incontinence in children	genetic predisposition; mental retardation ( learning difficulties); psychological stress.	behavioral therapy; drug treatment.
Stuttering	features of the constitution ( special brain function); psychological stress; incomplete development of the speech centers of the brain.	drug treatment; suggestive psychotherapy; autogenic training ( auto-training).
Mental retardation	congenital brain damage; acquired ( up to 3 years) brain damage.	drug correction; behavioral therapy; family psychotherapy; art therapy.
Depression	severe emotional experiences; fixation on negative thoughts; lack of other people around; depletion of adaptation mechanisms of the psyche; genetic predisposition.	drug therapy; Gestalt therapy; cognitive behavioral therapy.
Manic syndrome		drug therapy; cognitive therapy.
Psychosomatic illnesses	If a person holds back emotions for a long time and does not release them, then they begin to affect the internal organs and cause disruption of their function. Long-term dysfunction, in turn, gradually leads to structural changes that cause severe damage to the organ.	Gestalt therapy; neurolinguistic programming; sleep therapy.

What research does the psychotherapist do?

The studies that the psychotherapist prescribes can be divided into medical and psychological. Medical tests can only be prescribed by doctors ( psychiatrists or psychotherapists with another medical specialty). If a psychotherapist graduated from a humanitarian university, then he can refer the patient to a psychiatrist, who, in turn, will prescribe the necessary research. In the absence of brain pathology and a superficial level of mental disorder, such a patient is considered healthy from a medical point of view, but needs psychological help, so he is referred back to a psychotherapist-psychologist.

Medical tests prescribed by a psychiatrist-psychotherapist or psychotherapist

Study	What does it reveal?	How is it carried out?
Electroencephalography (EEG)	epilepsy; encephalopathy ( non-inflammatory brain damage); brain tumors; traumatic brain injury.	A cap with electrodes, which are connected to a computer, is placed on the subject’s head. The electrodes record the bioelectrical activity of the brain and send the data to the computer. Brain activity is recorded in the form of oscillations of different amplitudes ( electroencephalogram). Before the study, medications that affect brain activity are stopped and hairpins are removed.
Brain tomography (computer and magnetic resonance)	schizophrenia; epilepsy; brain tumor; stroke.	Tomography of the brain is carried out either using X-ray irradiation ( computed tomography or CT scan), or nuclear magnetic resonance ( MRI) . During the examination, the patient is positioned on a couch on which he moves inside the round tomograph. After the brain scan, the data undergoes computer processing.
Ultrasound examination (Ultrasound) intracranial vessels and arteries of the neck (dopplerography)	atherosclerotic narrowing or compression ( osteochondrosis, tumor) large cervical or cerebral arteries.	During the examination, an ultrasound probe is placed over the areas where the large cerebral arteries are located ( temples, back of head, eye sockets). To determine blood flow in the vessels of the neck, the patient is asked to tilt his head back.
Ultrasound of internal organs and heart	diseases of internal organs ( ).	The patient lies on his back, the ultrasound sensor is installed over the organ being examined ( liver, kidneys, heart and others).
Electrocardiography	heart rhythm disorder ( frequent companion of neurotic disorders).	Electrodes are placed on the chest and the bioelectrical work of the heart is recorded.
Laboratory tests (blood, urine, stool tests)	diseases of internal organs ( including psychosomatic diseases).	Biological material ( blood, urine or feces) collected in the laboratory or at home ( except blood) in the morning on an empty stomach.

The purpose of a medical examination is to identify pathologies that should be treated by a psychiatrist or neurologist.

The main diagnostic method used by a psychotherapist is psychodiagnostics ( literally – “diagnosis of the soul”). Psychodiagnostics is not the diagnosis of a mental disorder, but the identification, using psychopathological tests, of mental characteristics that predispose to various disorders.

Psychopathological tests most often used by psychotherapists

Test	How is it carried out?	What does it reveal?
Rorschach test ("ink stains")	A person is shown one by one 10 cards with images of spots of different colors and shapes, asking him to talk about what he sees.	depression; mania; neurosis; anxiety disorders; hypochondria; phobias; sexual disorders; personality disorders; accentuation of personality; schizophrenia; epilepsy; dementia; psychasthenia; tendency to aggression.
Thematic apperception test (TAT)	During the test, a person is shown black and white pictures of people and asked to tell what scene is depicted there ( what's happening?). Usually there are 20 pictures, but their number may vary depending on the type of test. The test is carried out for neuroses, depression and psychosomatic disorders ( including sexual).	causes of the disorder; emotional state ( anxiety, depression, fears); character traits; degree of self-acceptance; interpersonal relationships; way to solve problems; motivations that affect a person.
Projective drawing	The subject is asked to draw a person or a house, a tree and a person doing something, as well as a family.	intellectual maturity; personality traits ( ability to adapt); impulsiveness; emotional state ( anxiety states); interpersonal relationships.
Neuropsychological testing	During the tests, the subject is given various tasks, for example, remembering and naming words, drawing a clock. The tests evaluate the cognitive functions of the brain and distinguish patients who require the help of a psychiatrist from those with whom a psychotherapist or psychologist can work.	memory; intelligence; speech; perception; ability to perform learned movements ( praxis).
Self-administered questionnaires	The subject is asked to fill out questionnaires and answer questions by choosing one of the options, or to evaluate how well the statements in each item correspond to his experiences.	depression; anorexia nervosa; bulimia nervosa; anxiety disorders; dysmorphophobia; neurasthenia; personality disorders.

A diagnosis of a mental disorder cannot be made solely on the basis of psychopathological tests. A person with a mental disorder ( for example, personality disorder) can give answers to tests given by a mentally healthy person.

What methods does a psychotherapist use to treat?

Each psychotherapist has his favorite techniques that he knows and which he successfully applies, so most often the type of psychotherapy is grouped according to the general principle of operation of the techniques. When conducting psychotherapy, a person takes an active part in the treatment. This is very similar to the teamwork of an athlete and a coach. Athlete ( patient) has a goal, and the coach ( psychotherapist) knows how to achieve this goal. At the same time, the athlete himself must achieve the goal ( without this - nothing).

A psychotherapist has the right to prescribe medication. Medication is a temporary solution to relieve symptoms until psychotherapy helps. Moreover, drug therapy is not prescribed in all cases, but only in cases of extreme agitation or depression of the psyche.

Treatment methods used by a psychotherapist

Disorder	Treatment method	How does the method work?	Approximate duration of treatment
Neurotic disorders
Anxiety-phobic disorder	Drug treatment (tranquilizers, antidepressants, nootropics).	Elimination of anxiety, fear ( tranquilizers and antidepressants) by influencing the transmission of nerve impulses in the brain or by improving metabolic processes in nerve cells ( nootropics).	The course of treatment with tranquilizers is 3 – 12 weeks, antidepressants – 6 – 12 months, nootropics – 1 – 3 months.
	Psychoanalysis	With the help of psychoanalysis, unconscious conflicts are identified ( cause of neuroses), after which the person consciously begins to reprogram his previously unconscious attitudes.	The number of sessions is from 2 – 3 to 4 – 5 times a week for several months or several years ( Duration depends on individual mental characteristics).
	Behavioral therapy (desensitization)	Desensitization ( literally – removal of “sensitivity”) is training the psyche to have a “weak” reaction to the source of fear and anxiety, as a result a person begins to behave more calmly in an alarming situation.	The total number of sessions for the formation of “new” behavior in anxious conditions is on average 30 ( 2 sessions per week).
	Hypnosis	With the help of hypnotherapy, the psychotherapist puts a person into a trance state when the consciousness has poor control over incoming information. In this state, the consciousness assimilates the psychotherapist’s attitudes without thinking about their “correctness.”	One session lasts on average 30 - 40 minutes, usually several sessions are prescribed.
	Autotraining	Autotraining is self-tuning and self-hypnosis, with the goal of reprogramming your negative unconscious beliefs that determine your reaction to stress into new positive beliefs. Autotraining works according to the scheme “relaxation, concentration, suggestion.”	Long-term and constant self-tuning is required for reprogramming; auto-training techniques should be used after the disappearance of the disorder as a preventive measure.
	Gestalt therapy	Gestalt therapy helps bring a person's consciousness to the present moment ( here and now). To do this, we use techniques called games ( art therapy, psychodrama, “empty chair”). An alarming situation from the past is transferred to the present, the person completes it ( solves the problem of an unfinished traumatic situation) and changes his attitude towards her.	The total number of sessions is on average 10 – 20, but may be more.
	Group psychotherapy	The principle of group psychotherapy can be represented as the creation of a micro-society or company where people with a neurotic disorder help each other adhere to a new lifestyle that they have chosen as a treatment for a neurotic condition.	The optimal course is 2 – 2.5 months, the number of sessions is 4 – 5 times a week, each session lasts 1.5 hours.
	Frankl's logotherapy	Logotherapy ( literally – word therapy) is a method of psychoanalysis, during which a person finds a new meaning for his existence, and the psychotherapist himself does not impose his ideas on him. When the lost meaning of life is restored, the neurotic state disappears, which, according to Frankl’s theory, arises precisely as a result of a purposeless existence.	The average duration is 2 weeks.
	(NLP)	Using special techniques, the psychotherapist conveys a message to the subconscious, forming a new vision of the “terrible situation” in the person. The effect is reinforced by phrases that more easily convey the main message to the subconscious.	Many NLP techniques help get rid of fears and anxiety in one session.
Panic disorder	Drug therapy ()	Tranquilizers interrupt the transmission of impulses in the brain, which cause a reaction of severe anxiety ( panic). Antidepressants increase the content of one of the “happiness hormones,” serotonin.	Tranquilizers are taken when a panic attack is approaching or during an attack. The course of treatment with antidepressants is more than 6 months, even in the absence of attacks.
	Psychoanalysis	In psychoanalysis, the psychotherapist and the patient “look” for the cause of panic attacks in a person’s childhood experiences, and then change their attitude towards the event.	Treatment of panic attacks using psychoanalysis can last for years, but with successful identification and elimination of childhood psychotrauma, the person is completely cured of panic attacks.
	Behavioral therapy	The principle of behavioral therapy is the formation of new conditioned reflex reactions of human behavior during a situation that causes a panic attack.	The number of sessions ranges from 10 – 25.
	Breathing into the bag	Due to rapid breathing, hyperventilation or excess oxygen often occurs during a panic attack. This dangerous condition disrupts the functions of the respiratory and emotional centers. To normalize blood gas composition ( oxygen and carbon dioxide) a person during a panic attack is asked to breathe into a bag.	You need to breathe until the panic attack passes, which will mean restoration of the level of gases in the blood.
	Family therapy	Family therapy is carried out if the cause of panic attacks is disharmonious relationships in the family, especially in children. Solving interpersonal relationships leads to recovery from panic attacks.	Depending on the cause, family therapy can last from 2 – 3 sessions to a year or more.
Obsessive-convulsive disorder	Drug treatment (antidepressants, anticonvulsants)	Anticonvulsants eliminate jerky movements, and antidepressants change the direction of thoughts due to an increase in the content of “happy hormones” ( in particular serotonin) in the brain. As a result, obsessive thoughts stop “imposing themselves” on the person.	Antidepressants are taken for a long time - up to a year or more. The duration of treatment with anticonvulsants is determined individually.
	Behavioral therapy (paradoxical intention)	Paradoxical intention forces a person to allow the “worst” to happen. By performing these actions, a person gradually loses fear, since fear is deprived of its basis. They start with “small” fears and gradually move on to “big” ones.	Usually the number of sessions is 4 – 12. The effect is noticeable after the first sessions.
	Psychoanalysis	Psychoanalysis forces a person to “go back in time” and understand what exactly makes him constantly control the situation.	Psychoanalysis requires a long discussion of problems with a psychotherapist.
Acute reaction to stress	Drug therapy ()	Tranquilizers and antidepressants eliminate anxiety that occurs as a reaction to stress.	Tranquilizers are taken for several weeks, and antidepressants are taken for a long time.
	Sleep therapy	This treatment method is based on the principle that inhibition of mental processes during sleep helps the psyche adapt, that is, overcome stress.	Requires 12 – 15 sessions.
	Gestalt therapy	With Gestalt therapy, a person is helped to feel “here and now”, where there is no stress reaction.	The number of sessions ranges from 4 – 5 to 10 – 12.
	Group psychotherapy	The person spends time around people who have also been exposed to the stress response. Seeing how others work, cope and are cured, the human psyche begins to believe in its own healing.	Group therapy is carried out 4–5 times a week, a total of 40–50 sessions are required.
	Family psychotherapy	Family psychotherapy is carried out if the cause of an acute reaction to stress is conflict in the family.	An average of 8 – 10 sessions are carried out.
Post-traumatic stress disorder	Drug therapy (antidepressants, tranquilizers, antipsychotics)	Antidepressants and tranquilizers help get rid of anxiety and a depressed state of mind, and antipsychotics eliminate the hallucinations that occur with this disorder.	Tranquilizers are used in short courses ( several weeks), antidepressants - at least a year, the duration of taking antipsychotics is determined individually.
	Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing	The effect of this technique is based on the fact that when reproducing traumatic scenes in memory and simultaneously moving the eyeballs from side to side, the anxious “spasm” that has become entrenched in the brain around the traumatic situation is eliminated.	The exercise is carried out for 10 minutes. It takes several sessions to erase information about psychological trauma.
	Group psychotherapy	The principle of group psychotherapy is based on showing a person that what happened to him happens to others and, if they can cope with this problem, then he can too.	Group therapy is carried out for 2 - 3 months, 4 - 5 times a week.
	Family psychotherapy	Family therapy provides an opportunity to talk about what happened with family members and relieve stress from both the patient and his loved ones, since family members often believe that if they are not reminded of what happened, the person is more likely to forget everything.	Usually up to 10 sessions are carried out.
	Autotraining	Removing feelings of guilt and changing attitudes towards the events that occurred with the help of positive attitudes that a person instills in himself. It turns out to be especially effective in cases where there has been physical violence ( rape or beating).	Autotraining is carried out until the person is completely rehabilitated.
Dissociative disorders (hysteria)	Tranquilizers	Tranquilizers calm the nervous system and help you sleep.	The course of treatment is 3 – 12 weeks.
	Psychoanalysis	Through psychoanalysis, the psychotherapist identifies the reasons and norms of behavior that have formed in a person during his life on an unconscious level. Awareness of the cause is often sufficient for change.	Psychoanalysis is carried out from several months to several years.
	Rational psychotherapy	The principle of rational therapy is a reasoned and clear explanation to a person of the psychological cause of his illness. Often this may not be a direct conversation, but a message to a third party in the presence of the patient.	Up to 10 sessions are required.
	Gestalt therapy	The use of Gestalt therapy techniques helps calm the nervous system ( art therapy or painting therapy) or rethink your desires, play out a relationship with another person in the form of a representation ( psychodrama), thereby feeling both parties to the conflict ( yourself and others).	Number of sessions – up to 10 – 12.
	Hypnotherapy	Through hypnosis, a psychotherapist influences a person’s subconscious, instilling in him a new behavior program.	The number of sessions is up to 10 – 15.
Somatoform disorders	Drug treatment (antidepressants, tranquilizers, beta blockers, anticonvulsants)	Antidepressants and tranquilizers eliminate a person’s anxiety about his health or his appearance. Beta blockers normalize the rhythm and heart rate, anticonvulsants relieve pain.	Tranquilizers are prescribed in short courses ( several weeks), antidepressants are used for several months, beta blockers are used for a long time, anticonvulsants are used depending on the doctor’s prescription.
	Suggestive psychotherapy	During suggestive therapy, the psychotherapist instills in a person in a state of wakefulness or hypnotic sleep instructions about his cure and good health. Audio recordings may be used. Gradually, a change occurs in the program of the subconscious, which controls a person’s reactions and feelings.	Up to 15 sessions are carried out.
	Psychoanalysis	Psychoanalysis allows us to identify and consciously change the unconscious need to experience physical illness.	Psychoanalysis takes a long time.
		Cognitive behavioral therapy works on the principle of consciously teaching a new positive outlook on events, which eliminates psycho-emotional stress and pain.
	Meditation therapy	The principle of meditation is stopping the thought process, observing your breathing and body. In the absence of thoughts that provoke pain, it disappears.	It is carried out for a long time until the effect is achieved.
Neurasthenia	Drug treatment (tranquilizers)	Tranquilizers allow you to get rid of the main component of neurotic disorders - anxiety.	Take for several weeks ( no more than 12), so as not to cause addiction.
	Autogenic training	Autogenic training allows you to change the thoughts characteristic of neurasthenia “I want, but I can’t” to “I want, so I can.”	Constant and long-term training is required until a person feels that he has self-confidence.
Behavioral disorders
Eating disorder (Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa)	Drug treatment (antidepressants, tranquilizers)	Antidepressants eliminate a depressed state of mind by acting on the mood center in the brain, and tranquilizers relieve fears and anxieties at the thought of gaining excess weight.	The course of treatment is determined depending on the severity of the condition; tranquilizers are taken for about 2 - 3 weeks. Antidepressants are prescribed for depressive disorder lasting up to 12 months.
	Cognitive behavioral therapy	Cognitive therapy teaches new positive ( realistic) attitude towards life events and people’s actions that led to the appearance of appetite disorders.	Short-term therapy consists of 15 sessions, and long-term therapy consists of 40. Each session lasts up to 1 hour.
	Psychoanalysis	Psychoanalysis identifies psychotraumas received in childhood or adolescence and fixed on a subconscious level. Understanding the cause helps eliminate eating disorders.	Psychoanalysis requires long-term therapy.
	Gestalt therapy	Gestalt therapy allows you to feel self-confidence as a result of rethinking expectations and claims towards yourself and others.	The number of sessions ranges from 12 to 15.
Disorder of habits and urges (mania)	Drug therapy (tranquilizers, antidepressants)	Tranquilizers eliminate the excited state that makes you succumb to pathological desire. Antidepressants increase the level of serotonin, which causes a feeling of pleasure, and the psyche ceases to “demand” other satisfaction ( gambling or computer games, theft and other).	Treatment with tranquilizers lasts 1–2 months, and antidepressants are taken for 6–12 months, sometimes longer.
	Behavioral therapy	Behavioral psychotherapy “teaches” a person to distinguish pathological drives ( to gambling and computer games, theft, arson) from normal behavior, control the impulses of these drives and change your behavior, as well as enjoy other things.	Number of sessions – 30.
	Cognitive therapy	Forms a pathological attraction in a person’s mind with a feeling of shame and fear of being punished.	Course – from 15 to 40 sessions.
	Psychoanalysis	Psychoanalysis examines the unconscious reasons that form satisfaction from arson and theft, and situations from which a person “runs away” into computer games or joins gambling.	Psychoanalysis takes a long time ( from several weeks to several years).
	Group therapy	Group therapy uses the principles of reward for abstinence and punishment for violation ( "token economy").	Group therapy is similar to Alcoholics and Drug Addicts Anonymous, so it can be carried out several times a week for years.
Alcohol addiction	Cognitive behavioral therapy	This therapy teaches a person the skills to solve problem situations in a different way, without drinking alcohol, and also teaches him to control his pathological desire and distract the mind when a craving for alcohol appears.	From 15 to 40 sessions are conducted to develop and consolidate skills.
	Provocative psychotherapy	The method is based on provoking a person to action. The therapist, during the conversation, puts the person in such an emotional state ( to the point of anger) that he feels that “this cannot continue” and “something needs to change.”	The number of sessions is determined individually; usually long-term therapy is carried out in 25–30 sessions.
	Group psychotherapy	Group psychotherapy operates like an Alcoholics Anonymous society, where people help each other overcome addiction using 12 rules or steps.	People addicted to alcohol visit such communities weekly, even after overcoming their addiction ( already as a “coach”).
	Hypnotherapy	During hypnotic sleep, the subconscious mind perceives information as a guide to action, therefore, when a person is suggested that he no longer wants to drink alcohol, he develops an aversion to alcoholic beverages.	About 10 – 15 sessions.
Drug addiction	Rational psychotherapy	The patient is told about the causes, mechanisms, consequences and the possibility of effective treatment of addiction.	All types of psychotherapy for drug addiction are carried out in specialized rehabilitation centers, where patients are isolated from family members and are not given the opportunity to get a “dose”. Rehabilitation takes a long time.
	Gestalt therapy	Gestalt therapy for drug addiction helps to identify so-called unfinished gestalts, that is, desires, after which it teaches how to realize them, while constantly being in a state of “here and now.” Techniques such as theatrical performances, art therapy and others help with this.
	Behavioral therapy	The dependent patient is taught to timely identify emerging desires, control them, and be distracted by other activities.
	Hypnotherapy	The psychotherapist instills in the person’s subconscious the thoughts that he does not want to take drugs, that he can easily do without them. The subconscious mind perceives the “new program” and changes a person’s behavior.
	Group psychotherapy	Group therapy is carried out like a society of “narcotics anonymous”, where addicted people help each other not to succumb to temptation and live without drugs. Groups also use incentives for long periods of abstinence.	It takes a long time.
Insomnia	Drug therapy (tranquilizers, barbiturates, antipsychotics, antidepressants)	The drugs are anti-anxiety and sedative ( hypnotic) effect.	The duration of administration is set individually, depending on the severity and type of sleep disorder.
	Electroson	Electrodes are placed on the patient's eyelids, which send a low-frequency current through the eye sockets to the brain, which has an inhibitory, calming effect on the brain.	The number of sessions ranges from 10 to 15.
	Enotherapy	A certain amount of wine of a certain variety, drunk before bed, helps to relax the body and fall asleep.	Selected individually.
	Hypnotherapy	In a state of hypnotic sleep, bypassing consciousness, the psychotherapist inspires the person’s subconscious that his sleep will normalize and he sleeps peacefully.	About 10 – 15 sessions are carried out.
	Autotraining	Before going to bed, a person performs self-tuning, which helps to relax the muscles, calm the mind and fall asleep.	Long term and regularly.
Pathological drowsiness	Drug therapy (nootropics, antidepressants)	The drugs stimulate brain function, improve mental activity and stability of the nervous system.	The drugs must be taken for several months.
Sleepwalking (somnambulism)	Drug therapy (tranquilizers and antidepressants)	The drugs cause deeper sleep and reduce the likelihood of foci of wakefulness in the brain.	Tranquilizers are used for 1 – 4 months ( well), if necessary, the course is repeated, antidepressants are taken for a long time - from 6 months or more.
Horrors and nightmares in dreams	Drug treatment (antidepressants, tranquilizers)	Drugs in a certain dose cause deepening of sleep ( During the deep sleep phase, a person does not dream).	The drugs are taken for several months.
	Cognitive behavioral psychotherapy	Using various techniques, a person changes the scenario of a nightmare, replacing each element that is important from a psychological point of view with something positive.	15 – 40 sessions are carried out.
	Psychoanalysis	According to the theory of psychoanalysis, nightmares and horrors arise due to unconscious mental problems that the psychotherapist identifies during psychoanalysis. When a causal situation is discovered, the person is cured of nightmares.	Effective psychoanalysis requires a long visit to a psychoanalyst ( up to several years).
Disorders associated with sexual intercourse	Psychotherapy for a married couple	A man or woman may experience difficulties in sexual relations with each other due to mutual claims and grievances. When relationships are normalized, sexual intercourse also normalizes.	Therapy is carried out over several months, sometimes longer.
	Drug treatment (antidepressants)	Antidepressants solve problems of sexual function that are associated with a depressed and anxious state of mind.	The duration of administration is determined individually, but the drugs must be used for at least several months.
	Behavioral therapy	Helps eliminate those elements in a couple’s behavior that disrupt sexual harmony ( erotic training for both partners).	Sessions are held 1 – 2 times a week, the total number of sessions is on average 10.
	Psychoanalysis	Psychoanalysis helps to find unconscious psychotrauma ( usually in childhood), identifying problems and fears associated with sexual intercourse. After conscious processing of this information and a change in attitude towards the traumatic situation, the disorder goes away.	Depending on the duration of the disorder and the cause, psychoanalysis may take from several months to several years.
	Hypnotherapy	A man in a state of hypnotic sleep is instilled with thoughts about active sexual function, the possibility of obtaining sexual satisfaction, and so on.	10 to 15 sessions are required.
Violation of sexual preference and gender identity	Psychoanalysis	With the help of psychoanalysis, the episode that programmed a person's sexual behavior in childhood is processed consciously and replaced with new attitudes.	Long-term psychoanalysis is required.
Personality disorders
Paranoid personality disorder	Cognitive behavioral therapy	During classes, a person gradually learns to perceive the world around him without prejudice and behave in society in accordance with accepted norms of communication.	Depending on the severity of the disorder, it takes from several months to two years.
	Psychoanalysis	If the cause of the disorder is childhood psychotrauma, then psychoanalysis is used to consciously solve the problem.
	Drug treatment (tranquilizers, neuroleptics)	The drugs act on the brain, eliminating excessive agitation and anxiety.	Appointed for a period of 2 months.
Schizoid personality disorder	Group therapy	Group therapy for schizoid personality disorder emphasizes self-acceptance and using existing abilities to the maximum benefit for yourself and others.	The duration of therapy depends on the severity of the disorder.
	Neuroleptics	Antipsychotics help calm an overly excited psyche.	Neuroleptics are taken for 2 months.
Dissociative identity disorder	Behavioral therapy	Behavioral therapy teaches a person to control his feelings, understand the feelings of other people and follow moral standards. In this case, the principle of “token economy” is often used ( for following the “new” rules, tokens are given, and when returning to the old ones, tokens are taken away).
	Lithium preparations (mood stabilizers)	They help a person get along in society, reduce the severity of attacks of anger and aggression.	The drugs can be taken for 3 to 5 years.
Emotionally unstable personality disorder	Gestalt therapy	Gestalt therapy helps solve unresolved problems that the psyche perceives as unfinished action. For this purpose, methods are used where people interpret their actions and actions in theatrical productions ( psychodrama), gradually analyzing your true desires.
	Behavioral therapy	During therapy, the behavior pattern of a person with a personality disorder is gradually replaced.	10 – 15 sessions are carried out.
	Lithium preparations	Under the influence of antipsychotics, it is easier for patients to communicate with people.	Prescribed for a long time ( several years).
Histrionic personality disorder	Psychoanalysis	Psychoanalysis allows you to find the causes of the disorder in childhood and consciously solve the problem from the point of view of an adult.	Psychoanalysis can be effective from the first months of therapy.
	Rational therapy	The person is told about the reasons for the development of hysteria and methods of self-control.	It takes several months.
	Drug therapy (anticonvulsants, neuroleptics)	The drugs eliminate the excited state of the psyche.	Take 2 months.
Anankastic personality disorder	Frankl's logotherapy	Logotherapy allows you to rethink life values ​​and the meaning of existence.	It takes at least 2 weeks.
	Psychoanalysis	Psychoanalysis eliminates the cause of the disorder - the desire to meet the parents' expectations.	Psychoanalysis is carried out for at least several months.
	Client-centered therapy	In this therapy, the psychotherapist “immerses” in the patient’s inner world, after which they work together on the patient’s personal growth.	From 15 to 35 sessions.
Alarming(evasive)personality disorder	Group therapy	In a group under the guidance of a psychiatrist, new norms of behavior and response to events that are associated with the risk of being rejected by other people are developed and reinforced. The more a person risks, the weaker he reacts to refusal and rejection.	Group therapy lasts for several months.
Dependent personality disorder	Assertiveness training	The main principle of this technique is to teach a person to say “no” to the requests and desires of other people if he does not want to fulfill them.	Number of sessions from 4 to 12 ( sometimes more is needed).
	Group therapy	Group therapy is designed to encourage every instance in which a person has not succumbed to the will of others, which increases self-esteem.	Conducted over several months.
Disorders that occur in children and adolescents
Selective mutism	Behavioral psychotherapy	Behavioral therapy “erases” the child’s habitual behavior style and teaches “new” ones. To consolidate new habits, the child will be encouraged ( praise, give toys or sweets), if he uses them and is scolded if he does not adhere to the new rules of the “game”. After the child “talks” to the psychiatrist, other people are invited to the sessions.	Duration ranges from several months to several years.
	Art therapy	With the help of drawing, a child expresses those emotions that he cannot express through speech. Gradually the irritation goes away and the child becomes more sociable.	The number of sessions is set individually.
	Family therapy	A common cause of selective mutism is conflict in the family, so a psychotherapist can help the child by restoring harmonious relationships between family members.	Depending on the cause, family therapy can last from 2 – 3 sessions to a year or more.
Tic disorders	Behavioral therapy	During therapy, the child is taught to sense the beginning of a tic in time, to voluntarily perform his tic, thereby making this contraction amenable to volitional control, or to perform a movement in which this tic cannot occur.	1 course consists of 10 – 15 sessions, usually requiring several months.
	Body-oriented psychotherapy	This therapy allows you to remove “clamps” or “muscle armor” that arise in different muscle groups, with specific types of fear and anxiety disorders.	5 to 15 therapy sessions are required.
Enuresis and encopresis	Behavioral therapy	The child is taught ways to control the urge to urinate and defecate, and to consolidate the effect, he is encouraged when he succeeds.	The number of courses required for treatment is determined individually, 1 course – 10 – 15 sessions.
	Drug treatment (antidepressants)	The drugs have a calming, hypnotic effect.	Use for several months, longer if necessary.
Stuttering	Suggestive psychotherapy	A psychiatrist, in a state of wakefulness or hypnotic sleep, inspires a person that his speech becomes smooth and clear, that when talking he easily and calmly expresses his thoughts through speech.	The number of sessions ranges from 10 – 15.
	Neurolinguistic programming	With the help of certain phrases and actions, the psychotherapist consolidates information in the person’s subconscious that normalizes speech.
	Autogenic training	Positive statements that a person repeats to himself are “recorded on tape” by the subconscious, and after a sufficiently large number of repetitions, “the tape plays on its own,” improving the person’s speech and eliminating emotional overload.	Long and constant repetition.
	Medicines (tranquilizers)	The drugs have an auxiliary effect, which is aimed at relieving anxiety, fear and depression in order to facilitate the process of communication.	A short course of tranquilizers is prescribed ( 1 – 4 months).
Mental retardation	Nootropics	The drugs increase learning abilities in children with mental retardation by improving metabolism in brain tissue.	1 course lasts an average of 2 months.
	Behavioral therapy	Behavioral therapy takes place in a playful way and is designed to reinforce in the child information about the successful completion of a task using a reward system. In this case, the child is not reprimanded for mistakes and is encouraged in any case.	Therapy is carried out depending on age according to special medical and pedagogical programs for a long time and regularly.
	Family psychotherapy	To maximize the potential of a child with mental retardation, family support is important, so parents and loved ones are also trained.
	Art therapy	Art therapy relieves anxiety and aggression in children with mental retardation.
Psychosomatic illnesses
Diseases of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, gastrointestinal tract, autoimmune diseases	Gestalt therapy	The “empty chair” Gestalt therapy technique works with the symptom as a living object with whom and on whose behalf you need to talk.	An average of 15 sessions are conducted.
	Neurolinguistic programming	With the help of NLP techniques, the psychiatrist enters into the subconscious, like into a computer, information about the healthy functioning of the body, which is consolidated with a phrase, when uttered, the program in the brain computer turns on and normalizes the functioning of the internal organs.	NLP allows you to “introduce” a new program in one session; several more sessions can be scheduled for consolidation and development.
	Sleep therapy	During sleep, mental processes in the brain are inhibited. After prolonged inhibition, the regulation of the functions of internal organs is better.	Requires 12 – 15 sessions.
Affective disorders ( mood disorders)
Depression	Drug therapy (antidepressants, tranquilizers)	The drugs eliminate the depressed state of thoughts and movements, while relieving anxiety.	Tranquilizers are taken for 1 – 4 months, antidepressants – for 6 – 12 months.
	Gestalt therapy	Gestalt therapy “returns” a person from the past ( escape from fears) or from the future ( life in anticipation of fears) into the “here and now” state. From the present moment a person draws the energy necessary to restore a depressed state.	From 12 to 30 sessions are carried out.
	Cognitive behavioral therapy	During the sessions, negative thoughts and expectations are replaced by positive, real ones, the person learns to control his thoughts and actions, especially with suicidal tendencies.	15 – 40 sessions are carried out.
Manic syndrome	Cognitive therapy	Cognitive therapy changes a person’s mental stereotypes, helping him to adequately assess situations and perceive the world around him.	From 15 to 30 sessions are carried out.
	Normotimics	They normalize the excited state of the psyche so that a person can evaluate what is happening more adequately.	Taken for several years.

How does a psychotherapist differ from a psychiatrist and psychologist?

Psychotherapist, psychiatrist and psychologist are specialists who study the human soul ( his psyche) and are involved in the prevention and treatment of mental disorders. However, they differ in their interpretation of the causes and methods used to treat mental disharmony. A psychotherapist can be either a doctor or a psychologist. In fact, it is psychotherapists who combine medical and psychological approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders in their work.

Difference between psychiatrist, psychotherapist and psychologist

Peculiarities	Psychiatrist	Psychotherapist	Psychologist
What kind of education does he have?	higher medical.	higher medical; higher humanitarian.	higher humanitarian.
What does he do?	orders a diagnostic test; makes a diagnosis; treats as severe ( epilepsy, psychosis, dementia, schizophrenia), and unexpressed mental disorders ( borderline disorders); conducts a medical examination; admits the patient to the hospital.	sends for diagnostic testing ( ); diagnoses only borderline mental disorders; treats borderline mental disorders independently; treats severe mental disorders together with a psychiatrist.	advises patients with mental disorders; determines the psychological portrait of a person; does not treat mental disorders.
Whom does it treat?	people who don't realize they are sick.	people who realize they have a disorder.	people who have problems related to personal growth, adaptation in the world or in relationships with other people.
Treatment principle	treats the disease, taking into account its manifestations and syndromes.	treats a specific person taking into account the characteristics of his psyche.	does not treat, only advises and guides.
What treatment methods does he use?	medicinal ( psychopharmacology) treatment; electroconvulsive therapy; insulin therapy.	hypnosis; psychoanalysis; Gestalt therapy; behavioral therapy; cognitive therapy; group therapy; family therapy; drug treatment ( if he has a higher medical education).	helps solve psychological problems or gives advice on improving various aspects of life.
Where does he work?	medical institution ( clinic, hospital, dispensary).	medical institution; private office in a non-medical institution.	non-medical institution.

A psychotherapist is a specialist who helps overcome psychological difficulties, provides support in difficult life situations, and helps find the causes of psychosomatic diseases and other negative manifestations.

What does a psychotherapist do? The main “tool” of a psychotherapist is conversation. Such a conversation has little in common with ordinary everyday conversation. The psychotherapist builds the conversation in a certain way and within the framework of the ethics of psychotherapy. His task is to provide support during conversations with the client, come to an understanding of the causes of problems and consider options for solving them, and help the client find internal resources to overcome difficulties and achieve goals.

Who is a psychotherapist for a client - a mentor, a teacher? No, the psychotherapist does not give ready-made advice or “teach”. He and the client look for solutions to problems, help them understand and accept themselves and the surrounding situation, and find the strength to act.

Oksana Barkova, psychotherapist:

“A 35-year-old woman came for a consultation with complaints of insomnia, apathy, reluctance to live and wake up in the morning, loneliness and difficulty in relationships with men, fear of dying, anxiety that worsens in the evening, influxes of uncontrollable thoughts that take over the consciousness for several years . The medications prescribed by the psychiatrist and neurologist partially relieved the symptoms, but essentially nothing in my life changed.

When finding out the reasons that could lead to such a difficult emotional state, it turned out that a couple of years ago her father, unexpectedly for his family, committed suicide, and it was the client who discovered this when she came home. From that time on, anxiety and insomnia appeared, and then the condition progressively worsened. In the process of working together, exploring and completing what needed to be completed, it was possible to achieve a stable emotional state, sleep and appetite normalized, sexual desire, joy and interest in one’s life appeared. Psychotherapy was long-term, regular for two and a half years. The result, according to the client, is worth it! Of course, such work requires courage and desperation from the client to admit his intention to live differently! And from the therapist - a lot of wisdom, patience, compassion and courage, to be there in difficult situations that cause a lot of feelings and embarrassment. We had it all)."

What does a psychotherapist treat?

A psychotherapist works with a wide range of problems, the main types of which we will consider below. In this article we will look at what a psychotherapist treats in adults. Child psychotherapy is a separate field of activity.

Psychosomatic diseases. This is a group of diseases, the cause of which is considered to be physiological and mental factors. These include, in particular, the following:

• Cardiovascular diseases (hypertension, vegetative-vascular dystonia, etc.)
• Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, etc.)
• Rheumatoid arthritis.
• Skin diseases (neurodermatitis, urticaria).
• Sexual disorders.
• Respiratory diseases (bronchial asthma).

The list is incomplete. Psychosomatic diseases include a fairly large list of diseases. Since the development of such diseases is influenced by certain characteristics of the human psyche, working with a psychotherapist is a necessary measure for recovery.

It is not entirely true to say that a psychotherapist treats these diseases. It is more correct to say that this specialist is working to eliminate the causes of psychosomatic diseases.

Pain, illnesses of unknown origin. It happens that a person is sick and feels unwell, but they cannot give him a diagnosis. One narrow specialist redirects to another, a second to a third, until the circle is closed. In this case, the source of physical illness may be a person’s internal experiences, often unconscious. The psychotherapist helps the client realize what is causing the problem in his psyche. And further work on this problem, thereby getting rid of physical illness. Thus, we can say that a psychotherapist “treats” illnesses that have psychological causes.

Infertility. There is often a situation where a man and a woman are completely healthy, but they are unable to become parents. The reason may be negative internal attitudes and subconscious fears. Many people know stories when spouses “planned, but nothing worked out, and then went to the sea together - and that’s it.” And the point here is not the healing effect of sea air. As a rule, on vacation people are in a good mood, relax, forget about problems - that is, their psyche at this time is in a different state than at home. Therefore, the result is not long in coming. A psychotherapist, working with a couple, helps to “tune” the psyche to a positive result. Remove negative attitudes, fears, relieve anxiety. And finally become the parents of a long-awaited baby.

Excess weight, eating disorders(anorexia, bulimia). Often the cause of overweight or underweight is unresolved internal problems and conflicts. A psychotherapist helps to find the essence of the problem and work through it. The result is normalization of eating behavior. It is also worth noting that the psychotherapist successfully treats dysmorphophobia.

In what other situations does a psychotherapist help?

Depression, apathy, loss of strength, lack of desires. A psychotherapist helps you find resources to get out of the situation, overcome current life difficulties, formulate goals and outline steps towards them.

Loss, grief, loss. There are situations when nothing can be changed, you can only accept reality and find the strength to live on. A psychotherapist becomes a support for a person at a difficult moment in life, helps and supports. In modern society, it is not customary to talk about loss, and often a grieving person is left alone with his pain. A psychotherapist will always listen and hear, find the right words, and help you find resources and goals for your future life.

Phobias, fears, obsessions, panic attacks. Such manifestations do not appear “out of nowhere” and always have a psychological reason. The psychotherapist, together with the client, looks for and works through this reason. And after that the problem goes away. It is useless to fight phobias and similar problems “symptomatically” - it is necessary to find their root.

Dependencies. Anyone who has tried to give up any habit, even the most harmless one, knows how difficult it is. The problem with habit is that it is rooted in the human psyche. To give up a habit, you need to influence the psyche, and this is extremely difficult to do on your own. A psychotherapist, with the power of words, helps to gently and painlessly get rid of unwanted addictions, including love ones.

We looked at who a psychotherapist is and what he does. This is not a complete list of problems that this specialist works with. What else does a psychotherapist treat and what symptoms should you contact him for? People come to him in cases where there are symptoms of the disease, but specialists cannot make a diagnosis, as well as in various life situations that are difficult to overcome on their own.

This is a doctor with a higher medical education who graduated from a university with a degree in psychiatry and received additional retraining in psychotherapy. Like, he has the right to diagnose and treat patients, only their therapeutic methods will differ.

Treats serious mental disorders mainly with medication. The psychotherapist primarily treats with words, talking with the patient, although he also uses medications. His competence includes milder mental illnesses or borderline conditions.

What does a psychotherapist treat?

The list of diseases that a psychotherapist treats is almost identical to the ailments that fall under the competence of. The main diseases include:

• psychoses;
• neuroses;
• autism;
• anorexia, bulimia;
• various types of addictions (alcohol, food, drugs);
• depression;
• phobias;
• panic attack, excessive anxiety;
• emotional burnout syndrome;
• megalomania;
• paranoid manifestations.

When is a consultation needed?

All people, one way or another, are exposed to stress and find themselves in situations that test our psyche for strength. It can be difficult to determine the line when a person can cope with a problem on his own, and when he needs to seek help from a specialist. The following symptoms will help you understand when a consultation with a psychotherapist is necessary:

• there are various fears in life;
• hysterical attacks occur periodically;
• nervous exhaustion, increased irritability, anxiety for no reason;
• depression;
• apathy, indifference to surrounding people, current events;
• thoughts about not wanting to live appear.

Methods used

At the appointment, the doctor, depending on the situation and personal preferences, can use different techniques to assist the patient.

• Psychoanalysis- a method that allows the patient to understand himself: what is happening to him, why, and, most importantly, how to deal with it.
• Psychodrama. Through it, either lived stage episodes from the patient’s life are played out, or upcoming ones that require finding a solution.
• Gestalt therapy. The technique is based on an experimental approach to psychotherapy, the goal of which is to expand a person’s consciousness and fill his life with meaning.
• Music, dance, aromatherapy.
• Hypnosis- a change in the state of consciousness that combines sleep, wakefulness and sleep with dreams.
• Neurolinguistic programming (NLP)- is based on the technique of imitating the behavior of successful people.

Child psychotherapist

What diseases does a child psychotherapist treat? Typically, mental disorders are associated with changes in behavior:

• the baby constantly conflicts, shows aggression, and is impulsive;
• difficult to adapt to a new team, withdrawn into oneself;
• neurotic reactions: stuttering, poor sleep;
• stressful life situations: parents divorce, death of a loved one or long separation, moving to a new place, birth of a brother or sister.

Up to 3 years of age, assistance is usually provided by a neurologist. The psychotherapist will be able to fully apply his treatment methods closer to 4-5 years, when the child learns to speak well. When working with children, exciting therapy methods are used, which makes the treatment process relaxed:

• Art therapy.
• Play therapy.
• Sand therapy.
• Fairytale therapy.