Prasad Amore

THERAPEUTIC APPROACH

There have been many advances made in the field of mental illness treatment methodologies. This has resulted in the fact that mental disorders can be as successfully treated as physical ailments.

Treatment methods for mental illnesses can be generally categorized as

  • Somatic
  • Psychotherapeutic

The class of somatic treatments include the usage of drugs, electroconvulsive therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and vagus nerve stimulation. The last two are therapies that stimulate the brain

Psychotherapeutic treatment methods include the following:
Psychotherapy
  • Individual therapy
  • Group therapy
  • Family therapy
  • Marital therapy
Hypnotherapy

A majority of studies have pointed out that a combination of drugs and psychotherapy works better for patients suffering from mental disorders than when either treatment method is used alone. Clinical psychologists are mental health care professionals who practice psychotherapy on patients. They commonly practice six types of psychotherapy:

  • Behavioural therapy
  • Cognitive therapy
  • Interpersonal therapy
  • Psychoanalysis
  • Psychodynamic psychotherapy
  • Supportive psychotherapy

As one of the best Clinical Psychologists in Kochi & Thrissur, and trained in different areas such as CBT, couples therapy & adolescent therapy, Prasad Amore provides personalized intervention sessions and empowers individuals with various mental issues to overcome their challenges and thrive in their daily lives. Psychotherapy is used to treat many mental health problems including phobias, anxiety disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mood disorders, such as depression, anger issues, or bipolar disorder. It is also the recommended treatment methodology for relationship issues such as family therapy, marital therapy, etc.

  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

    CBT is a form of psychotherapy that is effective for treating a range of mental health problems including, anxiety disorders, problems caused by alcohol and drug use, eating disorders, depression, etc., among others.

    In CBT, the psychotherapist and the client work together collaboratively to understand the problem in depth and develop a strategy. CBT emphasizes that individuals with problems learn to be their own therapists. CBT aims to bring in changes in the patient’s behaviour that will help them to feel better. They together find ways of reacting differently to thoughts and feelings, such as challenging negative thoughts that occur.

    The psychotherapist teaches coping skills using which the patients can change their thinking, and emotions that cause problems and behaviour. These skills are taught to the patient using practical exercises during the treatment sessions and homework exercises. The CBT approach takes a structured form and the intervention to treat a problem is usually between 6 and 20 sessions.

    CBT is a treatment approach which has demonstrated that it is as effective as other psychotherapy methods and treatment using drugs. CBT has a strong evidence base and advances in the methodology have been made via both research and clinical practice. The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) strongly recommends CBT for the treatment of managing long-term illnesses, depression, postnatal depression, OCD, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

  • Clinical Hypnotherapy

    This form of treating mental illnesses uses hypnosis to treat some physical as well as psychological symptoms. The basic premise of the treatment is that hypnosis allows the person to experience deep levels of relaxation, because of which their anxiety and stress levels are reduced.

    The important elements of hypnotherapy are the ability to imagine a situation that causes you anxiety with clarity and then attains a state of deep relaxation. These two states are more easily attained when using hypnotherapy than any other treatment method. However, it is also to be noted that clinical hypnotherapy may not provide the required amount of support when treating complex cases of mental illness.

  • Systemic Therapy

    In systemic therapy, patients are not treated as individuals but rather as people having relationships. This form of therapy is used for individuals, couples or with families who are experiencing relationship problems. Though commonly used for family or couples therapy, the systemic therapy approach can help any group in which people have a relationship or work together.

    Systemic therapy gives a chance to every member of the group to explore their feelings and they can say what they feel to the therapist in a safe, controlled, and non-judgmental environment. The therapist strives to help the members understand differences and the root cause of their problems.

    Systemic therapy helps to identify the issues within a group and address them properly. Each of the members learns to both sympathize and empathize with one another in the group. It helps better communication and enables the group to move on from the problems that were holding them back.

  • Narrative Therapy

    This is a form of psychotherapy that helps patients to identify the skills and values that they possess. Here problems are viewed as separate entities from the people. People’s skills, competencies, abilities, and beliefs can help them to overcome relationship problems they present with.

    During narrative therapy, the turning points in the patient’s life, key relationships, memorable incidents, etc., are explored. This therapy works under the assumption that people use stories about themselves in a negative sense and serves to explore the unseen parts of these stories.

    The therapist and the patient build upon the preferred storyline that exists beyond the actual problem story. This helps the patient to better understand how they experience life. This eventually helps them to address problems later in life.

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

    Essentially this therapy is a type of CBT that teaches mindfulness skills so that patients can live and behave consistently with the personal values they possess while being psychologically flexible. This helps the patients to effectively handle the stresses of everyday life.

  • Mindfulness

    Mindfulness therapy is a type of talk therapy in which the therapists teach the patient how to be more aware of their feelings, thoughts, and emotions. The conversations can take place either in the office setting or via video conferencing methods.

    Mindfulness therapy helps people reduce stress and difficult thoughts and feelings through meditation-based practices. This therapy helps to improve the quality of life of the patient and the overall daily functioning.

    Mindfulness involves switching off the automatic pilot so that an individual is present, aware, and responsive to their experiences. This therapy is recommended for those who suffer recurrent depression and other difficulties such as pain, anxiety, and stress.

  • Compassion Focussed Therapy (CFT)

    CFT is a therapeutic approach that combines ideas in evolution, developmental psychology, social psychology, Buddhism, and the latest neuroscience research. CFT includes practices to develop a compassionate mind and encourages the individuals undergoing treatment to be compassionate towards themselves and others. The therapy, in effect, is a self-soothing system to help create an aspect of well-being for clients.

    CFT uses different techniques such as mindfulness, imagery, breathing techniques, and letter writing. This approach is particularly suited to clients who suffer high levels of shame and are victims of self-criticism. The benefits of this therapy include improved mental and emotional health.

  • Couples Counselling

    This type of counselling helps partners improve the relationship and sort out any issues that they may have between themselves. This therapy helps to rebuild the relationship in case it is strained.

    Couples therapy addresses a wide range of issues including recurrent conflicts between the couple, infidelity, sex issues, or other external stressors. Couples therapy is helpful no matter at what stage the relationship is currently in.

    Couples resort to therapy in cases where individual therapy has not worked for them. Other forms of couples therapy include family therapy, marital counselling and pre-marital counselling.