Psychoeducation in psychological therapy

This practice is part of the daily practice of psychology consultations.

Effective psychological treatments for psychological disorders known today are very varied and contemplate different blocks or steps, in fact, each psychological therapy has its own idiosyncrasies.

However, within the framework of cognitive-behavioral therapy, there is a fundamental element for the adequate psychological intervention in certain mental disorders: the tool of psychoeducation.. In this article we will explain in a simple way what this resource is and in which psychological disorders it is most frequently used, as well as some practical examples of its application.

• Related articles: "Types of psychological therapies".

What is psychoeducation?

Psychoeducation, always carried out by the professional in charge of the treatment, constitutes the prelude to many of the psychological treatments applied in clinics and hospitals. This does not mean that psychoeducation has to be used only at the beginning of the therapeutic process, but that it can be dosed to ensure that the problem is understood. can be dosed to ensure that the patient's or client's understanding of the problem is by the patient or the client (or group of patients).

Thus, psychoeducation consists in the explanation by the treating psychologist of different psychological constructs and variables that explain the problem of the patient or group of patients. In general, it is explained what the disorder consists of. (although in many cases it is not necessary to label the problem as a "disorder" for the patient, but rather to explain its characteristics so that he or she understands it and can deal with it in a more adaptive way), how the disorder affects the patient's life, frequent symptoms, what treatments exist, what can be done to improve, etcetera.

Sometimes, we will call psychoeducation to all the technical information that we explain in therapy that we consider necessary for the patient's improvement. For example, how we become depressed, what is functional and dysfunctional anxiety, how marijuana influences the brain, what repercussions does induced vomiting have on our organism...

Tools used in this type of psychological intervention

Although each professional usually develops his or her own psychoeducational script In view of the sessions with the patients, it is important to emphasize that the content of the explanation must be adapted to the level of understanding and comprehension of the person, and in most cases the resources that we will see below are always useful.

The use of analogies and metaphors

As psychological phenomena are usually complex, it is good to make comparisons with everyday elements.

The use of a blackboard or visual aid

It is very useful to interact with the patient while the explanation is given. For example, asking questions and having the patient answer based on his or her own experience).

Provide a summary of what was explained in the psychoeducation session(s).

This is useful so that the person can take it home, read it calmly and ask any questions about it.

Finally, to facilitate the psychoeducation process and complement it, psychologists recommend the following the reading of didactic manuals on some problematic issues (not with the objective of having them read self-help manuals, but in order to better understand what is happening to them and to work on it together in the sessions). Watching films, documentaries, etc. are also useful.

Why is psychoeducation so important?

Psychoeducation is therapeutic in itself. Some patients often report that after they have been able to take advantage of psychoeducation sessions and understand what is happening to them, they deflate like a "balloon", they feel calmer, with better expectations. In fact, many of the people suffering from anxiety reduce their symptomatology by understanding the mechanisms and causes of their anxiety..

The level of uncertainty of many people is directly reduced, and answers are given to the typical questions such as: what is wrong with me, am I going crazy, does it have a "solution", does it only happen to me or to other people, does it only happen to me or to other people?

Moreover, in some cases and depending on the person's capabilities, just by giving some psychoeducational guidelines in a few sessions, the person can understand the the person manages to understand the mechanisms underlying his or her problem and to put new strategies into practice, which is very interesting and often positive for the person.

It is often especially effective in group sessions with people suffering from similar problems (e.g., a group with panic disorder), since the fact of sharing similar experiences and feeling the emotional support is a very comforting experience. It is a very important aid in the development of individual therapy for these people.

In what types of psychological problems is it used?

In general terms, psychoeducation can be very useful as an initial phase of treatment for most documented psychological disorders or problems. As an example, it is widely used among professionals in such well-known disorders as:

• Anxiety disordersPanic disorder, selective phobia, social anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, generalized anxiety disorder, illness anxiety disorder (hypochondriasis)...
• Bipolar disorder and related disorders.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder.
• Pathological grief.
• Eating disordersbulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, orthorexia...
• Sexual dysfunctions.
• Addictions.
• Self-esteem problems: how low self-esteem is generated and maintained.

Practical examples

Below we will briefly explain the contents that could be explained in a psychoeducation session on anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Psychoeducation in anxiety disorders

It is convenient to explain what anxiety is (emotional response to danger/threat), the objective it pursues (to protect the organism - at this point the use of analogies or metaphors would be positive), the relationship that exists between anxiety and the autonomic nervous system, the process of activation that our organism follows at a physical level in a situation of danger and explanation of all bodily sensations (muscular tension, increased Heart rate, accelerated breathing, dry mouth, trembling legs...).

How our body reacts to situations of "no danger" in which the brain misinterprets that there is a danger, how the first panic attack can occur, the role of our interpretations of our bodily sensations, etc.the role played by our interpretations of bodily sensations, and so on. Obviously, depending on the anxiety disorder we will have to emphasize some concepts or others.

Psychoeducation in post-traumatic stress disorder

This explanation will vary according to the type and frequency of the trauma suffered by the victim. suffered by the victim.

An explanation is given about typical intrusive responses (why distressing memories or nightmares occur), the role of persistent avoidance of memories or stimuli associated with the event, cognitive and mood disturbances related to the episode, the role of persistent avoidance of memories or stimuli associated with the episode (how the exaggerated beliefs about oneself are formed), the significant alteration of activation and reactivity associated with the traumatic event (why one feels hypervigilant all the time, why the outbursts of rage or irritable behavior, sleep disturbances...).

In addition, it is useful to explain the maintenance of PTSD, for example by means of a simple adaptation of Horowitz's model (1986) or Lang's model (1988).