Psychotherapy contributes to mental health.
Before entering into the definition of the word psychotherapy, it is necessary to establish its etymological origin. This is found in Greek and more specifically in the union of two terms: on the one hand, there is psycho ( psyche ) which could be translated as "soul" and on the other hand there is therapy ( terapia ) which would mean "treatment".
Based on this meaning, it could be said in a simple way that psychotherapy is the treatment carried out by a health professional ( psychotherapist ) to ensure that a patient in question can achieve a series of improvements and positive changes in regards to their behavior, their mental and physical health , their adaptation to the environment or their psychological identity.
In this sense, it is common for people to seek psychotherapy because they have behavioral problems, chronic sadness, inadequate eating patterns, relationship conflicts, drug use problems, academic failure or sexual dissatisfaction .
Concept of psychotherapy
The communication link established between a psychotherapist (an expert who has been trained to evaluate conditions and propose alternatives to change the life of the person who requires his help) and the person who requests his professional services (known as the patient ) is known as psychotherapy . This treatment is recommended and used when the goal is to increase the patient's well-being and to bring about changes in his daily behavior , attitudes , and thoughts .
It should be noted that the term psychotherapy is not defined under a specific scientific criterion, but rather it can be used to describe a wide range of scientific aspects that are reflected in different theoretical and practical orientations. Psychotherapy includes a wide variety of approaches and theoretical definitions linked to this field that determine different ways of conditioning and addressing communication between the psychotherapist and each of his patients.
Among the different lines of psychotherapy, we can mention the psychoanalytic , behavioral , humanistic and constructivist currents, among others.
The key to psychotherapy is the bond established between the psychotherapist and the patient.
Contact between the professional and the patient
It is also interesting to mention that there are two aspects that are repeated in all currents of psychotherapy: the direct and personal contact between the specialist and the person who comes to him to begin a treatment, especially through dialogue, and the quality of the therapeutic relationship in the context of communication , that is, the help aimed at achieving a change in the patient. In any case, in recent years a new form of psychological intervention at a distance through the Internet has been developed, known as cyberpsychotherapy .
This is a way for anyone who, due to problems with their professional schedule or personal obligations, cannot attend a clinic or psychotherapist's center. Thus, thanks to the Internet and from home and whenever it suits them best, they can be in contact with said professional and receive the treatment they need to put an end to the problem that worries them and that is harming their daily life.
It is important to note that psychotherapy involves respect and compliance with a code of ethics , which establishes the basis for privacy and confidentiality of the information exchanged within the framework of communication between the psychotherapist and the patient.