Psychotherapy is a general term for treating mental health problems by talking with a psychiatrist, psychologist or other mental health provider (“Psychotherapy…” 2013). Science is defined by a department of systematized knowledge as an object of study or knowledge or a system of knowledge covering general truths or the operation of general laws especially as obtained and tested through scientific method (“Science…” 2015). Psychotherapy typically uses a type of trial and error method, using several combined treatments to treat a number of different disorders. Science is more methodical, unquestioning, and follows an “a + b=c” way of thinking. To understand why psychotherapy is not a science, one must first understand the history, methods,
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The Middle Ages went back to believing in the supernatural and tortured the mentally ill to relieve them of their demons. The earliest advocate of psychotherapy for treating the insane was Paracelsus (1493-1541). Then, in 1853, psychiatrist Walter Cooper Dendy introduced the term “psycho-therapeia”. Around the turn of the century, Sigmund Freud developed psychoanalysis and made profound contributions to the field with his descriptions of the unconscious, infantile sexuality, the use of dreams, and his model of the human mind. Freud’s methods were used primarily over the next 50 years, and soon afterwards many new methods were derived from his practices. These included behavioral psychology and cognitive-behavioral therapy. Carl Rogers developed interpersonal therapy during the 1940’s, which focused on the transmission of warmth, genuineness and acceptance from the therapist to the individual. By the late 1960’s, there were over 60 types of psychotherapies being practiced (Haggerty, M.D., …show more content…
Yet, there are some guidelines as to which therapies tend to be most effective for each disorder. For instance, teen eating disorders tend to improve with family-focused therapy. The reason being is that this makes parents responsible for what their child is eating. This therapy also helps the child strive to gain control back of what he or she eats, which is an incentive to do better. Family-focused therapy also tends to be help in patients with bipolar disorder ("NIMH · Psychotherapies," n.d.). While patients who are schizophrenic are usually medicated for their condition and resulting symptoms, they too can benefit from cognitive-behavior therapy. “People with schizophrenia often have comorbid disorders, such as substance use, depression, and anxiety.5 The impact that anxiety symptoms have on quality of life and interaction with psychotic symptoms, including contributing to distress and impairment, for people with schizophrenia has been described.32 These problems may also be successfully managed with CBT” (Gillig,
The Middle Ages went back to believing in the supernatural and tortured the mentally ill to relieve them of their demons. The earliest advocate of psychotherapy for treating the insane was Paracelsus (1493-1541). Then, in 1853, psychiatrist Walter Cooper Dendy introduced the term “psycho-therapeia”. Around the turn of the century, Sigmund Freud developed psychoanalysis and made profound contributions to the field with his descriptions of the unconscious, infantile sexuality, the use of dreams, and his model of the human mind. Freud’s methods were used primarily over the next 50 years, and soon afterwards many new methods were derived from his practices. These included behavioral psychology and cognitive-behavioral therapy. Carl Rogers developed interpersonal therapy during the 1940’s, which focused on the transmission of warmth, genuineness and acceptance from the therapist to the individual. By the late 1960’s, there were over 60 types of psychotherapies being practiced (Haggerty, M.D., …show more content…
Yet, there are some guidelines as to which therapies tend to be most effective for each disorder. For instance, teen eating disorders tend to improve with family-focused therapy. The reason being is that this makes parents responsible for what their child is eating. This therapy also helps the child strive to gain control back of what he or she eats, which is an incentive to do better. Family-focused therapy also tends to be help in patients with bipolar disorder ("NIMH · Psychotherapies," n.d.). While patients who are schizophrenic are usually medicated for their condition and resulting symptoms, they too can benefit from cognitive-behavior therapy. “People with schizophrenia often have comorbid disorders, such as substance use, depression, and anxiety.5 The impact that anxiety symptoms have on quality of life and interaction with psychotic symptoms, including contributing to distress and impairment, for people with schizophrenia has been described.32 These problems may also be successfully managed with CBT” (Gillig,