The 7 best psychotherapy techniques

A summary of several psychotherapy techniques widely used for their effectiveness and versatility.

Psychotherapy can take many forms, always adapting to the characteristics and needs of each patient.

However, there are a number of techniques widely used in psychotherapy, there are a number of techniques widely used in various types of psychological therapy due to their versatility and efficacy when working on recurrent aspects treated in consultation. In this article we will see several of them.

Psychotherapy techniques to help patients: which are the best?

This is a brief summary of the most adaptable and useful techniques and strategies in therapy in a wide variety of cases.

Cognitive restructuring

This is one of the most widely used sets of techniques in psychology practices around the world, and is associated with cognitive and cognitive-behavioral therapy. Inspired by the Socratic dialogue, in which a series of questions leads to review and test what we think we know, this practice is very useful to detect dysfunctional beliefs.This practice is very useful for detecting dysfunctional or highly irrational beliefs and, after becoming aware of their problematic aspects, replacing them with other belief systems and cognitive schemes from which to interpret the world (and ourselves).

2. Assertive Training

Assertiveness is one of the most important skills to know how to manage personal relationships and to maintain an adequate level of self-esteem.. It consists of having the ability to find the middle ground between empathy and respect for the point of view of others, on the one hand, and respect for our own interests and opinions, on the other. Thus, assertive people do not leave anything out if they consider it is important and should be said, even if they assume that it will cause discomfort or some discomfort at first, because in the medium and long term it is the best thing to do.

That is why in psychotherapy several exercises are used to "train" people in assertiveness, so that they do not let their problems accumulate because they have not expressed an uncomfortable truth in time, and at the same time avoiding being hurtful and abrupt in their comments. In short, this will enhance both their social skills and, more indirectly, their self-esteem.

3. Controlled exposure

Controlled exposure is a very effective to help patients who suffer from anxiety problems, and to help them to. Basically, it allows them to face their fears in a safe place where they have the help and supervision of the psychologist, and facing situations that they really have possibilities of overcoming at that moment and with their degree of ability in the management of emotions.

4. Empty Chair

The Empty Chair is one of the best known techniques of humanistic therapies and specifically of Gestalt therapy; it can be summarized in the iconic image of the patient sitting in front of an empty chair and expressing himself with increasing fluency and honesty about a topic related to the problem to be addressed.

This technique is mainly used to reach a resolution of emotional blockages based on the fear of facing one or more ideas, especially if they are linked to traumatic events or have left a strong imprint on the emotional memory of the person. For example, it is used in mourning processes after the loss of loved ones, in sessions in which self-acceptance is worked on, etc.

5. Externalization of the symptom

The externalization of the symptom helps to see the problem to be treated with perspective and to approach it from a constructive mentality that does not give in to the fear of fear. that does not give in to the fear of leaving the comfort zone or to the paralysis of not knowing what to do at first. It is a very good way to start a process of managing emotions starting from the fact of recognizing that there is a problem, and understanding the implications of that problem.

6. Self-characterization

Many of the solutions arrived at through psychotherapy involve discovering new aspects of oneself. discovering new aspects about oneself. Aptitudes that had gone unnoticed, sources of potential that had not been given a chance, and also, of course, defects that we had not noticed before but that are limiting our quality of life. Psychotherapists know this, and that is why they help and accompany their patients in this mission of building an adequate self-concept, adjusted to what is realistic and what is important.

7. Associative Letters

This group of techniques helps to make the narratives with which the patient explains reality appear in the context of psychotherapy by showing the "mental routes" that he/she usually uses to think about his/her daily life. In essence, a kind of game is proposed in which each patient embodies the concepts he/she most frequently uses to structure his/her representation of the world, relating ideas to each other.relating ideas to each other.

Do you want to be trained in the theory and practice of psychotherapy techniques?

If you are interested in learning about this field of work in psychology, the Course on Techniques and Tools for Intervention in Psychotherapy organized by Instituto Mensalus may be what you are looking for. This 100% online training program, which starts on April 12, 2021, offers 3 months of theoretical and practical classes designed for psychology professionals who want to specialize in clinical practice.

The classes are designed and taught by psychotherapists who spend most of their time working with patients, and include videos, guides and tutorials as well as experiential exercises and a communication channel with the teachers to resolve doubts. All this, in a course based on an integrative theoretical position, which combines many strategies and approaches to patient intervention and many of the techniques we have seen here.

If you want to know more about the course, access the Mensalus Training page.

Bibliographical references:

• Almendro, M.T. (2012). Psychotherapies. Manual CEDE de Preparación PIR, 06. CEDE: Madrid.
• Michel Hersen & Cynthia G Last (1993). Manual of behavior therapy cases. Bilbao: Desclée de Brouwer.
• Nichol, M.P. & Schwartz, R.C. (2008). Family Therapy: Concepts and Methods. New York: Pearson Education.
• Schacter, D.L.; Gilbert, D.T.; Wegner, D.M. (2011). Psychology. New York, NY: Worth Publishers.
• Olivares, J. & Méndez, F.X. (2008). Behavior Modification Techniques. Madrid: Biblioteca nueva.