The Science of Psychology: An Appreciative View, 2nd Edition (King)

Chapter 16: Therapies

Key Terms


biological therapies  Also called biomedical therapies, treatments that reduce or eliminate the symptoms of psychological disorders by altering aspects of body functioning.
antianxiety drugs  Commonly known as tranquilizers, drugs that reduce anxiety by making individuals calmer and less excitable.
antidepressant drugs  Drugs that regulate mood.
lithium  The lightest of the solid elements in the periodic table of elements, widely used to treat bipolar disorder.
antipsychotic drugs  Powerful drugs that diminish agitated behavior, reduce tension, decrease hallucinations, improve social behavior, and produce better sleep patterns in individuals with a severe psychological disorder, especially schizophrenia.
electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)  Also called shock therapy a treatment, commonly used for depression, that sets off a seizure in the brain.
deep brain stimulation  A procedure for treatment-resistant depression that involves the implantation of electrodes in the brain that emit signals to alter the brain's electrical circuitry.
psychosurgery  A biological therapy, with irreversible effects, that involves removal or destruction of brain tissue to improve the individual's adjustment.
psychotherapy  A nonmedical process that helps individuals with psychological disorders recognize and overcome their problems.
psychodynamic therapies  Treatments that stress the importance of the unconscious mind, extensive interpretation by the therapist, and the role of early childhood experiences in the development of an individual's problems.
psychoanalysis  Freud's therapeutic technique for analyzing an individual's unconscious thoughts.
free association  A psychoanalytic technique that involves encouraging individuals to say aloud whatever comes to mind, no matter how trivial or embarrassing.
interpretation  A psychoanalyst's search for symbolic, hidden meanings in what the client says and does during therapy.
dream analysis  A psychoanalytic technique for interpreting a person's dreams.
transference  A client's relating to the psychoanalyst in ways that reproduce or relive important relationships in the individual's life.
resistance  A client's unconscious defense strategies that interfere with the psychoanalyst's understanding of the individual's problems.
humanistic therapies  Treatments, unique in their emphasis on people's self-healing capacities, that encourage clients to understand themselves and to grow personally.
client-centered therapy  Also called Rogerian therapy or nondirective therapy, a form of humanistic therapy, developed by Rogers, in which the therapist provides a warm, supportive atmosphere to improve the client's self-concept and to encourage the client to gain insight into problems.
reflective speech  A technique in which the therapist mirrors the client's own feelings back to the client.
behavior therapies  Treatments, based on the behavioral and social cognitive theories of learning, that use principles of learning to reduce or eliminate maladaptive behavior.
systematic desensitization  A method of behavior therapy that treats anxiety by teaching the client to associate deep relaxation with increasingly intense anxiety-producing situations.
cognitive therapies  Treatments that point to cognitions (thoughts) as the main source of psychological problems and that attempt to change the individual's feelings and behaviors by changing cognitions.
rational-emotive behavior therapy (REBT)  A therapy based on Ellis's assertion that individuals develop a psychological disorder because of irrational and self-defeating beliefs and whose goal is to get clients to eliminate these beliefs by rationally examining them.
cognitive-behavior therapy  A therapy that combines cognitive therapy and behavior therapy with the goal of developing self-efficacy.
integrative therapy  A combination of techniques from different therapies based on the therapist's judgment of which particular methods will provide the greatest benefit for the client.
group therapy  A sociocultural approach to the treatment of psychological disorders that brings together individuals who share a particular psychological disorder in sessions that are typically led by a mental health professional.
family therapy  Group therapy with family members.
couples therapy  Group therapy with married or unmarried couples whose major problem lies within their relationship.
therapeutic alliance  The relationship between the therapist and client—an important element of successful psychotherapy.
well-being therapy (WBT)  A short-term, problem-focused, directive therapy that encourages clients to accentuate the positive.
King: The Science of Psychology, 2nd Edition
Glencoe Online Learning CenterSocial Studies HomeProduct InfoSite MapContact Us

The McGraw-Hill CompaniesGlencoe