5 September 2012
The Effectiveness of Psychotherapy: Supported and Endorsed
Not that I had doubts, but it’s great to have more support behind talk-therapy. The American Psychological Association has released a Resolution on the Recognition of Psychotherapy Effectiveness. An excerpt:
“Be It Resolved that, as a healing practice and professional service, psychotherapy is effective and highly cost-effective. In controlled trials and in clinical practice, psychotherapy results in benefits that markedly exceed those experienced by individuals who need mental health services but do not receive psychotherapy. Consequently, psychotherapy should be included in the health care system as an established evidence-based practice.
Be It Further Resolved that APA increase its efforts to educate the public about the effectiveness of psychotherapy; support advocacy efforts to enhance formal recognition of psychotherapy in the health care system; help ensure that policies will increase access to psychotherapy in the health care system, with particular attention on addressing the needs of underserved populations and encourage integration of research and practice; and support advocacy for funding.
Be It Further Resolved that APA encourages continued and further research on the comparative effectiveness and efficacy of psychotherapy.”
If you are interested in learning more about my services, about me, or perhaps booking an appointment, please call me at 416-873-7828 or email me at info@downtowntherapy.ca for more information.
filed under: general info• psychotherapy
1 August 2012
You Are Not Weak
One of the quiet, yet pernicious, ways which serve to steer people away from seeking the assistance that psychotherapy can bring is the idea that, somehow, seeking assistance is a sign of weakness.
I think part of this comes from movies and TV (though their depictions are getting better), which have historically portrayed individuals seeking therapeutic help as hopelessly neurotic.
Let me be frank: anyone seeking the help of a therapist soon discovers that the opposite is true. Seeking increased self-awareness (an inevitable part of psychotherapy) is an act of will. It is you, saying that you can feel better, be better. It is saying that you deserve to understand yourself better than you currently do. It is to say that keeping things the way they are is not good enough.
Self-improvement is not the admission of weakness of character, but the admission of strength of mind.
If you are interested in learning more about my services, about me, or perhaps booking an appointment, please call me at 416-873-7828 or email me at info@downtowntherapy.ca for more information.
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