CLINICAL
INTERVENTION
 THE CONCEPT OF THERAPY IS NOT NEW. THROUGHOUT THE
RECORDED HISTORY, HUMAN BEINGS HAVE TRIED TO HELP
EACH OTHER WITH LIFES’ PROBLEMS, INCLUDING MENTAL
DISORDERS, IN BOTH – FORMAL AND INFORMAL WAYS.
 WIDE RANGE OF PROCEDURES HAVE BEEN ADVOCATED FOR
HELPING THE MENTALLY DISTURBED. THESE PROCEDURES
INCLUDE INSTNCES OF UNDERTANDING AND KINDNESS, AS
WELL AS EXAMPLES OF TORTURE AND CRUELTY.
 BELIEF THAT PEOPLE WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS CAN
CHANGE, CAN LEARN MORE ADAPTIVE WAYS OF PERCEIVING,
EVALUATING AND BEHAVING, IS THE CONVICTION
UNDERLYING ALL THE PSYCHOTHERAPIES. MOREOVER,
PSYCHOTHERAPIES PROVE TO BE LESS EXPENSIVE IN THE
LONG-RUN THAN ALTERNATIVE MODES OF INTERVENTION.
 ANNA O, WHOSE TREATMENT LAUNCHED PSYCHOANALYSIS,
CALLED PSYCHOTHERAPY AS “ THE TALKING CURE “, AND THAT
IS WHY PSYCHOTHERAPY MIGHT, THUS , BE TERMED AS
“ CONVERSATION WITH A THERAPEUTIC PURPOSE “.
 PSYCHOTHERAPY , AT ITS’ CORE, IS A UNIQUE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN THE CLINICIAN AND THE PATIENT, WITHIN WHICH
THERE IS COMMUNICATION, WHICH CAN RELIEVE DISTRESS
AND SET CONDITION FOR RELEARNING AND PERSONAL
GROWTH.

MORE BROADLY, PSYCHOTHERAPY IS AN INTERNATIONAL
APPLICATION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TECHNIQUES, BY A
CLINICIAN ,TO BRING THE SOUGHT-AFTER PERSONALITY OR
BEHAVIOURAL CHANGES.
MAIN FEATURES OF MODERN CLINICAL INTERVENTION
1.
MODERN CLINICAL INTERVENTION IS SYSTEMATIC AND
EMPIRICAL IN NATURE. THEY UTILIZE SCIENTIFIC METHOD,
LAWS AND PRINCIPLES TO UNDERSTAND AND GIVE
TREATMENT TO PATIENT.
2.
INTERVENTION EMPHASIZES ON BOTH – VERABAL AND NONVERBAL INTERVENTION AND GIVES IMPORTANCE TO
COMMUNICATION.
3. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CLINICIAN AND THE THERAPIST IS
PROFESSIONAL AND INFORMAL.
4. IT EMPHASIZES THE EMOTIONAL ELEMENT AND TRIES TO BRING
PERMANENT CHANGE IN THE BEHAVIOR OF THE PATIENT.
5. PSYCHOTHERAPIES ARE NOT ONLY USED FOR THE TREATMENT
PURPOSE, BUT ARE ALSO UTILIZED FOR PERSONAL GROWTH
AND DEVELOPMENT.
6. WHILE INTRODUCING THE PSYCHOTHERAPIES, THE THERAPIST
MUST KEEP IN MIND THE FOLLOWING GOALS AND OBJECTIVES:
a)
TO BRING CHANGE IN MALADAPTIVE BEHAIOURAL PATTERNS.
b)
TO MINIMIZE OR ELIMINATE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS.
c)
TO IMPROVE THE PERSONAL , INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS AND
OTHER COMPETENCIES.
d)
TO RESOLVE THE DISABLING CONFLICTS AMONG MOTIVES.
e)
TO MODIFY INDIVIDUALS’ DYSFUNCTIONAL BELIEFS ABOUT
THEMSELVES AND THEIR WORLD.
f)
TO REDUCE OR REMOVE DITRESING OR DISABLING EMOTIONS.
g)
TO FOSTER A CLEARCUT SENSE OF IDENTITY.
h)
TO STRENGTHEN THE PATIENTS’ MOTIVATION TO DO THE
RIGHT THINGS.
i)
TO REDUCE EMOTIONAL PRESSURE, BY FACILITATING THE
EXPRESSION OF FEELINGS.
j)
TO REALIZE THE POTENTIAL FOR GROWTH.
k)
TO MODIFY THE MALSDAPTIVE HABITS AND BRING CHANGE
INTO THEM.
l)
TO MODIFY THE COGNITIVE STRUCTURE OF THE PERSON.
m)
TO GAIN SELF-KNOWLEDE.
n)
TO FACILITATE DECISION-MAKING.
o)
TO KNOW AND ALTER THE MALADAPTIVE BODILY STATES AND
STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS.
GENERAL MODEL OF THE PROCESS OF
PSYCHOTHERAPY
I.
STARTING
II.
ESSENTIAL PROCESSES IN PSYCHOTHERAPY
III.
MOVING FROM UNDERSTANDING TO ACTION
IV.
TERMINATING PSYCHOTHERAPY
I.
STARTING
i)
IT STARTS WITH AN INITIAL INTERVIEW, WHEREBY AN
INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CLIENT AND
THE THERAPIST IS DEVELOPED. THE MAIN PURPOSE IS TO
GAIN INFORMATION FROM THE CLIENT AND PROVIDING HIM
AN ASSURANCE AND MOTIVATION THAT HE’LL BE ALRIGHT.
SOME OF THE THERAPISTS OR CLINICIANS ALSO DO THE
INTERVIEW WITH THE FAMILY MEMBERS OF THE CLIENT.
ii)
THE PROCESS OF PSYCHOTHERAPY INCLUDES THE
THERAPEUTIC ALLIANCE. HERE, THE CLIENT IS MOTIVATED ,
SO THAT HE CAN BRING CHANGES IN HIS PRESENT
SITUATION AND CAN REMOVE THE CONFLICTS WHICH ARE
THERE IN HIS MIND. IN THIS STAGE, THE CLIENT IS ALWAYS
UNDER THE STRESS WHETHER TO CONTINUE OR DISCONTINUE
THE PROCESS, BUT HIS DETERMINATION TO IMPROVE
DEPENDS ON THE EXPERIENCED THERAPIST AND THE
ENCOURAGEMENT WHICH IS BEING PROVIDED BY THE LATTER.
iii)
PROCESS OF PSYCHOTHERAPY IS MARKED BY SOME
‘FUNDAMENTAL COMMITMENTS’, WHICH EMPHASIZES THE FACT
THAT THE CLIENT DOESNOT HAVE TO HIDE HIS INNER
FEELINGS, CONLICTS, FORBIDDEN MEMORIES ETC., AND HAS
TO EXPRESS HIMSELF/ HERSELF COMPLETELY. THIS
COMMITMENT HELPS THE THERAPIST TO PROVIDE TO THE
CLIENT, THE DESIRED CHANGE.
iv)
BOTH - THE CLIENT AND THE THERAPIST, INVOLVE
THEMSELVES IN THE ‘THERAPEUTIC CONTRACT’, WHEREBY,
THEY REACH A CONTRACT THAT REQUIRES THEM TO SHOW
THEIR OBLIGATION AND UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY ARE
HERE TO BRING IMPROVEMENT IN THE PRESENT SITUATION
OF THE CLIENT. THIS CONTRACT IS BASED ON MANY “IF”
AND “THEN”, AND CLEARS ANY DOUBTS WHICH THE PATIENT
HAS IN HIS MIND REGARDING THEIR CONTRACT.
v)
IN THE PROCESS OF PSYCHOTHERAPY, IT IS IMPORTANT TO
‘SET THE GOALS’, BECAUSE FROM THE BEGINNING, IT
SHOULD BE CLEAR TO THE CLIENT AND THE THERAPIST THAT
WHAT THEY WANT TO ACHIEVE. THE GOALS MAY BE SHORTTERM OR LONG-TERM. BOTH- THE CLIENT AND THE
THERAPIST CAN ALSO BRING SOME CHANGES IN THE GOALS,
AFTER THEY REACH SOME AGREEMENT. THE GOALS SHOULD
FOCUS ON REDUCING THE DISTRESS OF THE PATIENT AND
ON BRINGING SOME ADAPTIVE CHANGES IN THE BEHAVIOR
AND PERSONALITY OF THE CLIENT.
vi)
PROCESS OF PSYCHOTHERAPY MUST ‘SET THE LIMITS’ ALSO.
THESE LIMITATIONS HELP THE CLIENT TO KNOW THAT HE IS
FREE TO EXPRESS HIS LOVE, AFFECTION AND PRAISE
TOWARDS THE THERAPIST, BUT HE IS NOT ALLOWED TO
SHOW ANY KIND OF SEXUAL ADVANCES.
II.
ESSENTIAL PROCESSES IN PSYCHOTHERAPY
i)
PSYCHOTHERAPY IS BASED ON THE FLOW OF
COMMUNICATION. HERE, THE CLIENT IS ENCOURAGED TO
TALK ABOUT HIS PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE. HIS VERBAL
AND NON-VERBAL WAYS OF COMMUNICATION ARE BEING
OBSERVED AND EVEN THE SYMBOLS AND GESTURES THAT
HE MIGHT HAVE MADE TELLS A GREAT DEAL ABOUT HIM.
FACIAL EXPRESSIONS OF THE CLIENT ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO
KNOW ABOUT HIS INNER ASPECTS, AND THE WORK OF THE
THERAPIST IS TO GATHER ALL THIS INFORMATION AND
PROVIDE A CLEAR EXPLNATION ABOUT THE PATIENT. THE
WHOLE PROCESS INVOLVES THE QUALITY OF EMPATHY,
WHICH IS BEING SOWN BY THE THERAPIST TO THE CLIENT.
ii)
THE ESSENTIAL PROCES OF PSYCHOTHERAPY EMPHASIZES
THE IMPORTANCE OF ‘EXAMINING EXPERIENCES’ OF THE
CLIENT.THE CLIENT IS ENCOURAGED TO REVEAL HIS NEEDS,
PROBLEMS, EXPERIENCES, CONTRIBUTION OF HIMSELF,
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AND OTHERS IN IT. FIRST OF
ALL, HE IS ENCOURAGED TO TALK ABOUT HIS PRESENT
EXPERIENCES, AND EVENTUALLY HIS PAST EXPERIENCES
AND FUTURE ORIENTATIONS. PSYCHOTHERAPY IS BASED ON
SUCH EXPERIENCES, BECAUSE THESE PHENOMENAL
EXPERIENCES REVEAL THE UNIQUE STYLE OF THINKING,
COGNITION AND DEFENSE MECHANISMS OF THE CLIENT.
iii)
THE PROCESS OF PSYCHOTHERAPY IS ALSO BASED ON
‘EXPLORING THE PAST’ OF THE CLIENT, BECAUSE IT IS
BELIEVED THAT PAST CONTRIBUTES A LOT TO THE PRESENT
STATE OF MIND OF THE CLIENT.DIFFERENT THERAPISTS
AGREE ON THIS FACT, BUT THERE ARE OTHERS, WHO DONOT
WANT TO EXPLORE THE PAST; RATHER, THEY WANT TO
FOCUS ON THE PRESENT AND FUTURE ORIENTATIONS ONLY.
iv)
THE ‘THERAPIST-CLIENT’ RELATIONSHIP PROVIDES A
FUNDAMENTAL ENVIRONMENT, WHERE ITS’ EASY TO EXPLORE
THE CLIENT. THIS RELATIONSHIP HELPS IN REVEALING:
(a) SPECIAL RELATIONSHIPS OF THE CLIENT.
(b) HIS IDENTIFICATION.
(c) HIS TRANSFER OF FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS TO THE
THERAPIST.
v)
PROCESS OF PSYCHOTHERAPY RECOGNIZES THE ‘ MEANING
AND THE FEELINGS WHICH THE CLIENT ATTACHES TO LIFE ‘.
vi)
THE THERAPIST TRIES TO CLASIFY THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF
FEELINGS AND TRIES TO EXPLAIN THAT BEHAVIOR ON THE
BASIS OF “WHAT”, “WHY” AND “HOW”. THIS HELPS TO
UNDERSTAND THE EMOTONAL STATE OF THE PATIENT, HELPS
IN RECOGNIZING HIS ATTITUDES AND FEELINGS, AND ON
THE BASIS OF THIS, THE THERAPIST FURTHER MOTIVATES
THE CLIENT TO MOVE TOWARDS ACTON.
III.
MOVING FROM UNDERSTANDING TO ACTION
i)
THE PSYCHOTHERAPY PROCESS MOVES FROM IMPROVING
PSYCHOMETRIC PATTERNS, TO DEVELOPING ADAPTIVE
PATTERNS/POTENTIALS.
ii)
IT HELPS TO LEAVE THE FANTASIES, CONFLICTS AND
FORBIDDEN MEMORIES, AND DEVELOP THE SOCIAL
REALITIES. IT ALSO HELPS IN LEAVING THE PAST BEHIND,
FOCUSSING ON THE PRESENT, AND MOVING TOWARDS
FUTURE. HERE, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE THERAPIST
AND THE CLIENT IS VERY IMPORTANT. THOUGH THEY SHARE
EQUAL RESPONSIBILITY, BUT STILL, THE THERAPIST HAS TO
PLAY THE ROLE OF A MODEL, AND HELP THE CLIENT IN
DEVELOPING THE ABILITY TO TAKE THE DECISIONS.
IV.
TERMINATING PSYCHOTHERAPY
THOUGH PSYCHOTHERAPY IS A LIFE-LONG PROCESS, BUT
STILL, IF THE GOALS WHICH WERE SET ARE ACHIEVED AND
THE CLIENT IS FREE FROM HIS DISTURBING FEARS AND
WORRIES AND HAS DEVELOPED POSITIVE AND ADAPTIVE
ATTITUDE, IT IS AN INDICATION TO TERMINATE
PSYCHOTHERAPY.
THANK
YOU