Psychotherapy

What is psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy is a term that can describe many different types of “talking” treatments for problems of mood, anxiety, thinking, behavior, and relationships. There are many different types of psychotherapy but the core feature of all psychotherapy is the relationship between the therapist and the client (or the doctor-patient relationship).

Can I see another psychotherapist as a CPCH patient?

Yes! If you feel that your CPCH doctor is not a good fit for you, please tell us! We understand that you may wish to work with someone else due to personal preference, gender, scheduling, or cost and we will not be insulted! It is critical that you choose a therapist who is the best fit for you and we can make referrals to other psychotherapists in the area.

If you would like to see your CPCH doctor for medications but would like to see a different psychotherapist, you can expect that we will make every effort to coordinate care with your psychotherapist and act as a treatment team on your behalf.

What about group psychotherapy?

In some cases, you may wish to participate in group psychotherapy. CPCH offers group psychotherapy depending upon demand. If we are not currently offering group therapy at CPCH, you can expect that we will help you find a good group, and we will make every effort to coordinate care with your group psychotherapist.

What is Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)?

CBT is a type of talk therapy that focuses on thoughts, feelings, behaviors and how they interact to cause problems in your life. CBT focuses on the present time, although sometimes it is helpful to visit the past to understand your current patterns.

Your doctor will guide you through a close examination of your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and you will practice different exercises in the sessions and at home. Sometimes your doctor will use a workbook to guide your exercises but CBT does not require a workbook approach.

The CBT exercises are designed to improve your insight into your problems, come up with interventions to help the problem, and practice the interventions at home.

You will need to make a significant time and effort commitment to make CBT work for you so make sure to ask your doctor questions to see whether it is right for you.

If you have more questions about psychotherapy, please call us at 919-636-5240 option #1 or email us.