About Psychotherapy in General
Before I explain the specifics of my style of therapy, let's look briefly into just what psychotherapy is in general. As you read this keep in mind that this is psychotherapy as I see it. Other psychologists and psychotherapists will have different interpretations. I'm somewhat unique in this field in that I'm a hypnotherapist that evolved into a psychotherapist. So my take or interpretation is going to be somewhat different than how others might see the profession.
In one sentence, psychotherapy is the art and science of applying psychological knowledge to help a person or group of people better adapt, relate, function, and thrive in an increasingly complicated world.
Some important caveats! That whole "adapt, relate, function, and thrive" doesn't involve:
- Giving Medication. I'm not a psychiatrist, so I can't write you a prescription. I can explain what medication does in general and who typically takes medication for what; that's pretty much it.
- Giving Medical Advice. I'm also not a medical doctor. As a physician friend once noted, Ph.D. means "Phake Doctor!"
- Giving Legal Advice. I can't give advice as to what to tell the cops or offer legal advice.
- Keeping all of your secrets. By law, I have to report certain things, such as child abuse, or elder abuse or if you are about to commit suicide, hurt someone, or become gravely disabled (for more information, see my privacy policy.
To get a better idea of just what I do, let's take apart that one-sentence definition
Psychotherapy is the art...
Psychotherapy starts with building a special relationship with the client to understand where they are coming from and where they want to be, to assess their strengths and weaknesses and level of motivation. This special relationship requires a bit of rapport and empathy. To develop this, especially in a short period of time, is very much an art form!
A good chunk of therapy is understanding what the client is looking for, dividing that progress into manageable steps, and then tailoring those steps to the client's current condition, which ranges from crisis mode to just-help-me-quit-smoking mode.
...and science...
People are unique individuals. The art of psychotherapy is knowing how people are different. The science of psychotherapy is knowing that, quite often, people are similar. Very, very similar. We take pride in our individuality, but deep down we're all much more likely to have a craving for potato chips over green beans, fear touching a spider over touching a cigarette, and none of us can manage to lick our elbows. For example, people will have a fear of flying for a variety of reasons but the vast majority respond best to a treatment protocol that involves: 1. Getting comfortable with the airport 2. Getting comfortable in an airplane, 3. Getting comfortable with the weird bells and engine noise, and 4. Getting comfortable with the concept of being "locked in." All in that order. In a way it's very fortunate we're so similar: it takes a lot of the guesswork out of therapy.
The science of psychotherapy is about knowing about the human condition gleaned from research, observation, and simple trial & error. It's also about testing hypothesizes, predicting behavior and refining theories.
...of applying psychological knowledge...
Therapy isn't just talking about your problems. Even in therapy variations where the client does most of the talking (e.g. psychoanalysis, existential) there are still important concepts (e.g. transference, working through) that need to be explored with the client. So psychotherapy is about applying knowledge and training as well as using special resources, such as equipment (e.g. virtual reality programs) and referrals.
...to help a person or group of people...
Psychotherapy isn't just about helping people who have strange-sounding conditions. My specialty is helping high-functioning people, who just want to lose weight. In fact, many of my clients probably earn more than me! Psychotherapy can be about helping a child with autism or a family cope with sever depression, or testing the neurological capacities of a dementia patient. But it's also about helping a kid lose weight, or take his first flight, or helping a singer quit smoking, or helping an attorney who has to wash his hands fifteen times before he'll leave his house.
...better adapt, relate, and function...
Psychotherapists help people cope with problems, set backs, unexpected events, trauma, and relationship issues. They help people understand themselves and others and to do the best they can with what they have and do better in the future.
...and thrive...
Psychotherapists are not like lawyers, doctors, or mechanics, who you only visit when you have a problem or when something is broke. There's a whole new field in psychology known as positive psychology, which is a focus on why some people are happy, why some people are sad, and how to move the second group into the first one. When I help a good singer sing even better, or help a very bright lawyer pass the bar, or help protect someone against future weight gain, well, sometimes I feel like a dad helping his kid ride a bike for the first time!
...in an increasingly complicated world.
If Los Angeles is one thing, it's increasingly complicated!
There you have my standard definition of what psychotherapy is all about. You can also learn about the different types of therapists, or learn more about cognitive-behavioral therapy, or about hypnotherapy.