Psychotherapies: Introduction (02:35)

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This program looks at psychotherapies for people having trouble with personal or professional relationships, but without psychological disorders. Roleplaying actors improvise based on patient case histories. Dr. Marvin Goldfried discusses the therapeutic relationship.

Psychodynamic Therapy (03:11)

An actor plays Tom, a man having trouble with his supervisor. Dr. Allan Cooper listens for deeper conflicts as Tom describes physical anxiety symptoms, discovering that Tom’s brother’s suicide is unresolved. Freud developed the therapy to identify unconscious conflicts from childhood.

Discovering Unconscious Conflicts (06:46)

Cooper helps Tom to understand that his lack of self-expression developed in childhood when his father asked him to be strong after his brother's suicide. The therapist’s interpretations demonstrate how Tom's past influences his present.

Psychodynamic Therapy Methods (04:45)

Therapists use and interpret free association, slips of the tongue, dreams and fantasies to help clients uncover unconscious conflicts and loosen defenses protecting against anxiety. Cooper explains transference in Tom's case and helps him to recognize unfinished grief from childhood.

Cognitive-Behavioral Model (02:37)

Rather than uncovering past conflicts, this model tries to understand and modify present factors influencing and maintaining thinking and behavior. Dr. Laurette Morris focuses on Tom's lack of expressiveness, concentrating on problems at work.

Cognitive Restructuring (06:52)

The therapeutic technique aims to change faulty or nonproductive thinking. Morris helps Tom learn to cope with his supervisor's management style that is causing him stress and feelings of powerlessness. Then they rehearse new actions.

Gestalt Therapy (02:40)

Dr. Alan Cohen explains that people have limitations on access to emotional resources. Therapists use dream exploration, creative visualization, and body centered awareness to remove limitations. Emotions impact the body; Cohen helps Deborah become aware of her physical state.

Empty Chair Technique (05:38)

The Gestalt therapy tool helps clients identify how others have contributed to their personality and experience. Therapists begin with current problems, examine how clients present themselves, and help clients try out new experiences and behaviors. Most psychotherapists integrate diverse methods.

Couples Therapy (05:33)

Wanda and Harry meet with Dr. Ana Rivas-Vasquez, bringing up seemingly trivial problems hiding deeper control and love issues. Family therapy combines individuals in a system; therapists must understand their development stage.

Identifying Emotional Needs (04:04)

Many couples try to get their neurotic needs met; therapy must recognize individual issues while treating the relationship. Rivas-Vasquez discusses Wanda and Harry's personality types and meets with Harry individually to try to bridge the gap between them.

Group Therapy (03:05)

People come with individual problems but also work through common problems in a safe environment, including giving and receiving feedback. Dolores McCarthy leads a group discussing relationship issues. Some members are also her individual clients.

Group Therapy Feedback and Transference (08:12)

McCarthy, trained in psychodynamic therapy, uses a combination of therapeutic approaches. One member asks others how they perceive her behavior under stress. The group functions as a microcosm of the outside world. McCarthy discusses how she interprets group silences.

Credits: Psychotherapies (00:0-16)

Credits: Psychotherapies