What is Psychotherapy?

 

The term psychotherapy is derived from ancient Greek and is comprised of the terms soul and treatment. The aim of psychotherapy is to alleviate distress caused by psychological disorders. Fundamentally, therapy is a dialog between the therapist and the patient. In these therapeutic conversations, the patient is supported in identifying and understanding his or her thoughts, feelings and behaviors to enable changes and develop adaptive coping mechanisms for stressful life situations.

 

What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

 

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) focuses on the interactions between thoughts, feelings and behavior. Specifically, on the influence of our thought/cognitions on our feelings and behavior. And conversely, on the influence of our behavior on our thoughts and feelings. Cognitive behavioral therapy aims to identify and change dysfunctional thought patterns. The patient is actively involved in this process of developing more functional strategies.

 

Which Disorders can be Treated with CBT?

 

All mental disorders of the International Classification of Mental Disorders (ICD-10) can be successfully treated with cognitive behavioral therapy. This includes, for example:

 

• depression

• anxiety disorders

• obsessive-compulsive disorder

• eating disorders

• sleep disorders

• addictive behavior

• Post-traumatic stress disorder.

 

Sequence

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The basis of psychotherapy is a personal consultation. Therapy begins with an intake session, which can last between 50 and 100 minutes. The initial focus is on the exploration of relevant problem areas and setting individual therapy goals. The therapy usually takes place in weekly sessions of 50 minutes. If required, it is possible to arrange sessions of 100 minutes. Sessions can also take place via video. The duration of therapy varies depending on the disorder being treated.