What treatments does a psychiatrist offer?
Psychiatrists prescribe treatment for a variety of mental health disorders. This almost always includes a form of psychotherapy. This treatment may be provided as an outpatient in their clinic. Depending on the diagnosis and the severity of the concern the treatment may require day patient or inpatient treatment programmes. Often prescription medication is added to the care in an effort to improve the overall mental wellbeing of their patients.
Psychotherapy is called “talking treatment” because it involves the patient talking to someone about their problems. The purpose of psychotherapy is to help patients overcome personal and relationship problems, stress related issues, emotional problems or bothersome habits. Psychotherapy is offered in individual one-on-one sessions in group therapy. Some psychiatrists offer therapy in online discussions using the internet.
Psychoanalytic, or psychodynamic, therapy gives the patient time to talk to the therapist and then to reflect on issues that they may be having with themselves or other people. The psychiatrist will help the patient reflect on how the past affects what is occurring in the present and how they can change their thoughts and feelings to improve their relationships.
Behavioural psychotherapy helps the patient change their behaviour to overcome their problems. It is often used to help patients overcome phobias. Gradual exposure to the situation that is feared lets the patient feel more calm and at ease in that situation.
If the patient’s thoughts and beliefs keep a problem going, the psychiatrist may use cognitive therapy. Ways to test these unhealthy beliefs are presented. The healthier thought processes are then attempted by the patient between meetings and adjusted as needed at follow up sessions. Unlike psychodynamic therapy which mainly looks at the patient’s past, cognitive therapy focuses on the present and the future.
Cognitive behavioural therapy is a combination of cognitive therapy and behavioural therapy. The psychiatrist is more like a coach who gives the patient a series of exercises and activities to complete between sessions.
Patients experiencing problems with relationships, their marriage or their family will participate in family and marital therapy. The therapy sessions would include all persons who are affected by the problem so they can be worked out together. Often more than one therapist will conduct the sessions with the intent of helping the family members attempt different ways of behaving when they are together.