Devine Perez
May 1, 2012
PSYC 2301
Prof. Marylou Robins
Treatments of Disorders
A Psychological disorder is known as a behavioral or psychological syndrome or pattern that occurs with an individual that can cause significant distress or disability; this is impairment in various regions of the brain. Psychological disorders are not curable however; because of the constant improvement of new medicines there are therapies to controlling the disorder allowing one to live a manageable life. Therapy has become a method of counseling that has been proven many times to bring forth positive results. The ultimate goal of therapy is to help those who are facing a specific problem.
There are several major kinds of therapies used. The first therapy is called behavior therapies. Behavior therapies are action therapies based on the principles of classical conditioning and aimed at changing disordered behavior without the concern for the original causes of such behavior. This therapy is based on the teachings of classical conditioning and operant conditioning. Behavioral therapists work to change problematic behaviors that have been trained through years of reinforcement. A good example of behavioral therapy would be a therapist working with a client to overcome a fear of heights. The therapist would encourage the client to gradually face their fear of heights through experience. Next, the client would slowly expose themselves to greater and greater levels of their fear until the diminishes or disappears entirely. Second type of therapy is called cognitive therapy. Cognitive therapists tend to focus on specific problems. These therapists believe that irrational thinking or faulty perceptions cause dysfunctions. A cognitive therapist may work with a client to change thought patterns. This type of therapy is often effective for clients suffering from depression or anxiety.
