Task 3. Read the text and match each heading with the correct paragraph

E) Behavioural therapies.

Eclectic approaches; Psychoanalysis; Humanistic Counseling; Cognitive-behavioural therapies; Behavioural therapies.

A R Y

Psychological therapies

____  ____Psychoanalytical therapy claims that mental disorders arise as a result of the unresolved conflict between the components of the individual’s personality. This conflict is unresolved because it is ‘unconscious’ or ‘repressed’, in other words the individual is not aware of its existence. If we are unaware of the existence of ‘conflict’ then it stands to reason that we are unable to do anything about it.

The aim of psychoanalysis is to bring this conflict into one’s conscious awareness so that it can be dealt with and ultimately resolved. This is a long-term process involving techniques such as ‘free association’ (or talking about whatever comes to mind), ‘dream analysis’ and ‘hypnotherapy’. All of these techniques enable the individual to become aware of conflicts that in some cases date back to early childhood. Once these conflicts are brought into awareness they can then be ‘worked through’ until the individual’s ‘problem’ is resolved.

____ ‚ ____Behaviourists regard human behaviour as a series of learned responses to external stimuli. Abnormal behaviour is seen as a particular example of learned behaviour, that is one that is maladaptive. Taking the example of a phobia, a behaviourist explanation would suggest that the phobic person has previously learned to associate the feared object with negative consequences.

The aim of behavioural techniques is to ‘unlearn’ this negative association through techniques such as a ‘systematic desensitisation’. The technique works by substituting the learned response of ‘fear’ for the alternative response of relaxation’. By teaching the individual to relax the phobic object can then be introduced gradually until a stage is reached when the individual can face the object without experiencing any fear. The person has then been ‘desensitised’ to the object in a ‘systematic’ way.

____ ƒ ____Behavioural techniques such as systematic desensitisation tend to focus almost exclusively on maladaptive or ‘abnormal’ behaviour and pay little if any attention to the individual’s thinking or reasoning processes. Cognitive-behavioural therapies attempt to combine both behaviour modification techniques and procedures aimed at identifying and changing negative or maladaptive beliefs. This means that if a therapist is working with an anxious service-user he or she would approach the problem from the following two complementary angles. The individual might be taught relaxation techniques, that is behavioural methods, in

order to cope with anxiety symptoms such as panic attacks if and when they happen. In addition, the therapist would try to resolve the negative and/or irrational beliefs held by the service-user that could be precipitating the panic attacks in the first place. By combining these two approaches the therapist is able to deal with the immediate problems of the panic attacks and also to probe more deeply into the reasons behind these attacks to enable the service-user to appreciate the psychological basis of their problem.

____ „ ____Humanistic counseling is based on what is known as ‘the phenomenological approach’ as individuals are seen as possessing a natural tendency towards growth and self-fulfillment. Within this framework mental illness is understood as arising out of ‘frustration’ as a result of circumstances ‘blocking’ the individual’s progress towards fulfilling their potential. This means that the goal of humanistic therapy is to try to get the individual ‘back on course’ in terms of psychological development. The therapist’s role is to help the individual to explore his or her own thoughts and emotions. It is thought that this will enable the individual to arrive at solutions to particular problems. This will then result in the resolution of psychological difficulties. Through a process of self-disclosure and self-examination a new perspective is offered. It is argued that the consequence leads to a change in their maladaptive or abnormal behaviour.

____ … ____This involves combining techniques from each of the main psychological approaches to therapy to provide a comprehensive ‘all round’ therapeutic framework tailored to the service-user’s specific needs. One particular situation in which an eclectic approach can be used is in the case of ‘family therapy’. The rationale behind this type of therapy lies in the belief that individual problems are often caused or exacerbated by communication or relationship difficulties within the family. These difficulties mean that individual therapy is of limited value because, after each therapeutic session, the service-user returns to the ‘disturbed’ family situation and is then back to ‘square one’. In family therapy the whole family meets with one or two therapists who observe the interactions and relationships within what is known as ‘the family system’. In this way each family member can be made aware of how the individual relates to the others and how this interaction may be contributing to the family’s problems.

Key: 1. Psychoanalysis; 2. Behavioural therapies; 3. Cognitive-behavioural therapies; 4. Humanistic Counseling; 5. Eclectic approaches.

Task 4. Are the following sentences true or false? Correct the false sentences with the right information and discuss your answers with your partner.

1. An eclectic approach can be used is in the case of hypnotherapy (true/false). 2. Cognitive-behavioural therapies provide a comprehensive ‘all round’ therapeutic framework tailored to the service-user’s specific needs. 3. Eclectic approaches combine both behaviour modification techniques and procedures aimed at changing maladaptive beliefs. 4. Behaviourists aim to put an end to negative associations through techniques such as a ‘systematic desensitisation’. 5. Psychoanalytic techniques enable the individual to distract from conflicts. 6. The goal of humanistic therapy is to try to radically change the individual’s psychological development. 7. None of the therapies believe that individual problems are often caused or exacerbated by communication or relationship difficulties within the family. 8. Psychoanalysts claim that any conflict is unresolved because it is ‘unconscious’ or ‘repressed’.

Key: 1.false (family therapy); 2. false (Eclectics approaches); 3. false (Cognitive-behavioural therapies); 4. true; 5. false (to become aware of); 6. false (to get the individual ‘back on course’ in terms of psychological development); 7. false (family therapy); 8. true.

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