Chapter 15: Psychological Therapies (Critical Thinking Activity = 15 points)
Use the crossword puzzle to fill in the blanks on the next page(s). (You do NOT need
to actually write your answers in the boxes here).
Part 1—Knowing Key Terms (4 points):
Fill in the blanks from the crossword puzzle above using key terms from the
textbook and/or lecture notes.
Across
4. the genuine, open, and honest response of the therapist to the client.- authenticity
7. drugs used to treat psychotic symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, and other
bizarre behavior.- antipsychotics
8. the strengthening of a response by following it with a pleasurable consequence or the
removal of an unpleasant stimulus.- reinforcement
9. psychotherapy that is offered on the Internet. Also called online, Internet, or Web
therapy or counseling.- cybertherapy
10. learning through the observation and imitation of others.- modeling
12. drugs used to treat and calm anxiety reactions, typically minor tranquilizers.antianxiety
14. type of therapy in which a group of clients meet together with a therapist.- group
16. therapy style that results from combining elements of several different therapy
techniques.- eclectic
18. the ability of the therapist to understand the feelings of the client.- empathy
20. the symbolic or hidden meaning of dreams.- latent
21. an insight therapy based on the theory of Freud, emphasizing the revealing of
unconscious conflicts.- psychoanalysis
22. distortion of thinking in which a person draws sweeping conclusions based on only one
incident or event and applies those conclusions to events that are unrelated to the
original.- overgeneralization
23. the use of drugs to control or relieve the symptoms of psychological disorders.psychopharmacology
Down
1. drugs used to treat depression and anxiety.- antidepressant
2. surgery performed on brain tissue to relieve or control severe psychological disorders.psychosurgery
3. In psychoanalysis, the tendency for a patient or client to project positive or negative
feelings for important people from the past onto the therapist.- transference
5. the removal of a reinforcer to reduce the frequency of a behavior.- extinction
6. therapies that directly affect the biological functioning of the body and brain.- biomedical
9. therapy in which the focus is on helping clients recognize distortions in their thinking and
replace distorted, unrealistic beliefs with more realistic, helpful thoughts.- cognitive
11. form of biomedical therapy to treat severe depression in which electrodes are placed
on either one or both sides of a person’s head and running an electric current through the
electrodes that is strong enough to cause a seizure or convulsion.- ECT
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Chapter 15: Psychological Therapies (Critical Thinking Activity = 15 points)
13. treatment methods aimed at making people feel better and function more effectively.therapy
15. therapy for mental disorders in which a person with a problem talks with a
psychological professional.- psychotherapy
17. occurring when a patient becomes reluctant to talk about a certain topic, either
changing the subject or becoming silent.- resistant
19. distortion of thinking in which a person takes responsibility or blame for events that are
unconnected to the person.- personalization
Part 2—Comprehending and Applying Concepts (4 points):
Identify the type of psychotherapy represented by each statement below by
choosing from:
Cognitive
Psychoanalytic
Behavioral
Humanistic (Person-Centered)
Family therapy
1. When she started relating to me in the way she related to her mother, it became clear
that she perceived her mother as a rival for her father’s affection. Psychoanalytic.
2. That child was a bad actor; he had a serious behavior disorder. It wasn’t difficult to
understand how he got that way after I had a few sessions with his parents and
siblings. Family therapy.
3. She has the worst case of agoraphobia I’ve ever seen. A peer counselor is stopping by
everyday to work with her. It took a week to get her out the front door, and more than a
week to get her off the porch. They’re working on walking out to the mailbox now. We’re
making progress, but it’s slow. Behavioral.
4. I had to refer a patient to another therapist last week. I just couldn’t seem to identify
with the guy, and couldn’t accept the way he acted. Feeling as I did about him, I didn’t
think I could help him. Humanistic.
5. The theme of hostility toward authority figures occurs over and over again in his
dreams and free associations, yet he claims that he and his father had a close and
affectionate relationship. Psychoanalytic.
6. I asked her to list the reasons why she thinks she is unable to get through a job
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Chapter 15: Psychological Therapies (Critical Thinking Activity = 15 points)
interview. She gave me three typewritten pages enumerating more fears,
apprehensions, self-criticisms, and negative self-evaluations than I would have
believed possible for one person to have. Her thinking about herself has really gotten
off the track. Cognitive.
7. He needs to convince himself that his past failures are not elements of a pattern that
will govern his future. And he needs to convince himself that he is in charge of his life,
and that he can choose the paths that will lead to accomplishment and satisfaction.
Humanistic.
8. We have this voluntary program at the state penitentiary for men who have been
convicted of child molestation. We are currently trying a method in which we pair
electric shock with pictures of attractive children. Behavioral.
9. People do not develop in isolation. They are part of an interacting system. To effect a
change in an individual, it is necessary to change the social context in which the
individual operates. Family therapy.
10. We think that depression is frequently the result of misinterpretation of environmental
events, a tendency to attribute failures to the self and accomplishments to things like
luck, fate, or the help of other people. Most of us have a self-serving bias in our
attributions; people who are depressed have a self-defeating bias in their attributions.
Cognitive therapy.
Part 3—Understanding and Analyzing Concepts (4 points):
Given below are short descriptions of abnormal behaviors. For each case you
should decide (A) a possible diagnosis of the disorder (drawing on your knowledge
of material from Chapter 14) and (B) the type of therapy you would recommend
(Biomedical Therapy vs. Psychotherapy. Be specific: e.g., if recommending
medication, state which kind; if recommending psychotherapy, state which
approach and some techniques that might be used).
1) “Madge” was found wandering the streets of New Jersey. She was brought to the
attention of a licensed clinical social worker because she would routinely stand in
automobile traffic and scream obscenities at the top of her lungs to no one in particular.
During one of “Madge’s” rare lucid moments, she told the social worker that she lived in a
garbage dumpster and that she obeyed voices who commanded her to do the things she
did. A search by police and news agencies for friends or relatives proved futile; no one
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Chapter 15: Psychological Therapies (Critical Thinking Activity = 15 points)
seemed to know who “Madge” was, she seemed to have nowhere to go, and her
disordered thinking was becoming more and more bizarre.
A.
B.
Diagnosis = Schizophrenia.
Treatment Approach and Techniques = Biomedical therapy with antipsychotics
2) Kurt’s mood swings were unpredictable and excessive in nature. One time he was
hyperactive and extremely elated with accelerated speech and a flight of ideas which, at
times, seemed incoherent. During this period he worked feverishly day and night on an
important novel that “had to be started and finished that week.” Months later, Kurt
experienced a sad period, during which he could not get out of bed for more than minutes
at a time. He would not see any friends for a period of some weeks until he slowly came
out of it and seemed to be normal again (for a while). Sometimes Kurt felt so dejected and
agitated that he contemplated suicide.
A.
B.
Diagnosis = Bipolar
Treatment Approach and Techniques = Biomedical therapy with mood stabilizers
3) Gwen has had an intense fear of dogs since she was a child. When she was 4 years old
her older brother forced her to approach a large sleeping dog who was chained in a yard.
Although she escaped being bitten, the dog’s loud angry barking and frantic movements,
coupled with her crying and agitation, left their mark on her. Now, as an adult, she is still
wary of being around dogs and feels apprehensive and anxious whenever she sees a dog
on the street. Visits to friends who keep pets have been severely cut off; Gwen never
drops by unannounced for fear that the dog might be free in the house. On the rare
occasions when she does visit, the animals must be kept chained out of sight in the
backyard.
A.
B.
Diagnosis = Specific phobia
Treatment Approach and Techniques = Psychotherapy
4) Dan’s drinking had become more frequent over the past 6 months. Although he didn’t
drink to the point of becoming grossly incapacitated and was careful to never drink and
drive, it was clear that his time in the bar after work had increased and that his daily
cocktail had become three or four. Dan blamed his recent problems at work for his “need to
unwind,” and also cited difficulties with his wife, Sharon. According to Dan, when he tried
to discuss his stress with Sharon she seemed distant and uninterested, or dismissed his
problems as minor. She seemed much more concerned about their daughter, Lisa, and her
increasing moodiness.
A.
B.
Diagnosis = Depression
Treatment Approach and Techniques = Psychotherapy
5) Cindy feels as though she is a failure. Although her college GPA is a respectable 3.7
she feels as though she should be doing much better. She is concerned about her parents’
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Chapter 15: Psychological Therapies (Critical Thinking Activity = 15 points)
views of her. Even though they call, visit, and send care packages often, Cindy is sure they
do so because they know she is incapable of caring for herself. When a recent short-term
relationship fizzled out Cindy blamed her own inability to maintain a witty conversation as
the cause of the break-up. Although several other people have since asked her out, she is
nervous about accepting because she knows if things don’t go well she won’t ever get a
second chance.
A.
B.
Diagnosis = Anxiety
Treatment Approach and Techniques = Psychotherapy
Part 4—Synthesizing and Evaluating Concepts (3 points):
Using your knowledge from the textbook and/or lecture notes, answer each
question by typing your response in the space provided below. For each question,
your answer should be one or more healthy paragraphs (Your total answer should
be at least 50 words or more).
1.
Describe psychoanalysis. Include information about its theoretical background, how it
seeks to help people, its key concepts, and an evaluation of its effectiveness.
Psychoanalysis derived from Sigmund Freud. It is a form of insight therapy that aims to
resolve any unconscious conflicts one may have. This can be done by analyzing dreams,
using free association, and resistance and transference of patients and their relationship to
their therapist. The original psychoanalysis has been deemed flawed and few therapists
use the original methods, but changes have been made over time and are used today.
2.
Describe person-centered therapy. Include information about its theoretical
background, how it seeks to help people, its key concepts, and three basic elements
necessary in a successful client-therapist relationship.
Person centered therapy is another example of insight based therapy. It is a nondirective
form of therapy where the patient talks and the therapist listens. It is based on Carl Rogers
with the goal of the therapist having a neutral stance in treatment with little to no direct
actions taken on the client. Authenticity, unconditional positive regard, and empathy are
three important traits for this type of therapy.
3.
Describe one type of cognitive therapy. Include information about its theoretical
background, how it seeks to help people, and its key concepts. What are some
advantages and disadvantages of this type of therapy?
Cognitive therapy is a type of therapy that aims to help patients recognize distortions in
their own thinking and replace those thoughts with realistic, helpful thoughts over distorted,
unrealistic thoughts. It can help patients develop a better mindset and be able to better
navigate obstacles in their lives if they rework the unhelpful thoughts they have.
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