Psychotherapy: General principles

Abstract

Psychotherapy is a process based on different types of schools of thought, with patient and therapist working together through talking therapies to bring about a sustained change. Three types of psychotherapy have been described: supportive, re-educative, and constructive. Each has a specific set of rules and strategies that the therapist must follow. Once again, the explanatory models of patients and their families will influence whether they engage in therapy or not. Those from minority cultural groups may enter therapy with a pre-existing defence, such as seeing the majority population as the problem, and the therapist may find it difficult to engage them. It is worth recognizing that different schools of therapy may not always apply to other cultural groups. In addition, it may be that ethnic minority therapists have faced discrimination and this experience will affect their attitudes. Furthermore, they may not be willing to share negative experiences.