Psychology for Dummies (73 page)
Read Psychology for Dummies Online
Authors: Adam Cash
Tags: #Psychology, #General, #Body; Mind & Spirit, #Spirituality
Although not a new field, tests of neuropsychological functioning and cognitive ability, as a result of brain damage, are rapidly becoming a standard part of a lot of psychologists’ testing arsenals. Neuropsychological tests have traditionally been used to augment neurological exams and brain imaging techniques such as an MRI, CT scan, or PET scan.
The technology of scanning techniques picks up on the presence of brain damage, but neuropsychological tests serve as a more precise measure of the actual functional impairments an individual may suffer from. Scans say, “Yep, there’s damage!” Neuropsychological tests say, “. . . and here’s the cognitive problem related to it.”
Neuropsychological testing is used in hospitals, clinics, private practices, and anyplace else where psychologists work with patients who are suspected of neuropsychological impairment. People suffering head trauma or some other insult to their brain may be in need of a thorough neuropsychological examination.
A popular neuropsychological test is in fact not a test at all but a collection of tests called a
test battery.
The
Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Test Battery
consists of numerous tests measuring such neuropsychological constructs as memory, attention and concentration, language ability, motor skills, auditory skill, and planning. The battery even consists of an MMPI-2 and a WAIS-III. It takes several hours to complete the battery, and it’s never done in one sitting. Going through a neuropsychological evaluation can take several weeks, and it can be costly. However, when conducted by a competent professional, the testing can yield a great deal of helpful information.
In This Chapter
Distinguishing analysis from therapy
Freuding out
Analyzing the process
Spending the time and money
I ’ve often wondered how many therapists’ kids ask them to career day at school. “My mom is a therapist. She helps people, I think. She sits around with people, and they talk about their problems. Sometimes they cry, and sometimes they get mad.” Some careers seem easier to describe than others. A lot of people are familiar with the concept of
psychotherapy,
or just
therapy,
even though they may have a difficult time describing exactly what psychother- apy is.
I’ve heard that Eskimo languages contain hundreds of words for snow, and Hawaiians have hundreds of words for surf conditions. Therapists hate to be left out — it seems like there are hundreds of definitions for psychotherapy. Lewis Wolberg defined psychotherapy as a form of treatment for emotional problems in which a trained professional establishes a relationship with a patient with the objective of relieving or removing symptoms, changing disturbed patterns of behavior, and promoting healthy personality development. The symptoms addressed are assumed to be psychological in nature.
J.B. Rotter gives another good definition, “Psychotherapy . . . is planned activity of the psychologist, the purpose of which is to accomplish changes in the individual that make his life adjustment potentially happier, more constructive, or both.” I think a good conversation with friends over a pizza can promote a “happier” life, so what’s all the fuss about? Psychotherapy is more than just a conversation between two people. It’s a professional relationship in which one of the participants is an acknowledged healer, helper, or expert in psychological, interpersonal, or behavioral problems.
Help comes in many forms, and psychologists haven’t cornered the market in helping people wade through the psychological mess that they call their lives. All kinds of people, places, and things can be therapeutic, heal us, or enhance our sense of well-being. Music, literature, great works of art, love, religion, a good movie, the birth of a child, and a beautiful sunset can all serve as forms of therapy. But psychotherapy is a unique activity specifically designed to be therapeutic or curative for psychological problems.
In this chapter and the two chapters that follow, I discuss specific forms of psychotherapy. Each type of therapy has its own goals, although all of them have a lot in common, and each of them emphasize specific psychological issues such as emotions, thoughts, or behaviors. This chapter takes a look at probably the best-known form of psychotherapy,
psychoanalysis.
Psychoanalysis is a type of psychotherapy that has been around for about 80 years. Different variations of psychoanalysis exist, but the basic form,
classic psychoanalysis,
was introduced by Sigmund Freud and further developed by numerous others, such as Otto Fenichel, Anna Freud, Melanie Klein, Heinz Kohut, and Otto Kernberg, to name just a few.
Psychological problems, including emotional, behavioral, and cognitive difficulties, are the general focus of psychotherapy. Psychoanalysis is no different, but it offers a unique view of the problems and a unique method of solving them. Who needs psychoanalysis? That answer all depends on how the causes of someone’s problems are viewed. Therapists of different orientations and training see people’s problems as stemming from different causes. A psychoanalyst might view depression as related to inner conflict, whereas a cognitive therapist may see it as due to faulty thinking. (Read more about cognitive therapy in Chapter 20.) It’s pretty easy, for example, to see when people are having a hard time in their marriage. But everyone, therapists and lay people alike, have a different explanation for the causes of the difficulties. Psychoanalysts also would have an explanation based on their theory and training, specifically their theory of
psychopathology.
Consider the following example: Bill and Teri are expecting their first child. Teri has been enthusiastic — preparing the baby’s room, buying clothes, and thinking of all the things they’ll do together. Bill has been a little less into it. He’s been spending a lot of time away from home lately, staying late at work and coming home after Teri has already gone to bed. He seems distant and often acts irritable. He’s also been complaining of having migraine headaches and fears he might have some serious medical problem. Bill’s migraines have gotten so bad that he’s even starting to miss work. One day while doing the laundry, Teri finds a credit card receipt for a local topless bar in Bill’s pants pocket. She confronts him about it, and he confesses to drinking more than usual and going to strip clubs with his friends recently.
What’s going on with Bill? He’s never been to a topless bar before, and the family physician can’t find any explanation for his migraines. Bill is a good example of someone who may want to seek psychotherapy. He’s acting in ways that neither his wife nor he, himself, understands. Teri has taken enough psychology courses in college to realize that something is bothering Bill, and he’s definitely unaware of and/or not willing to talk about it. She tells him to get some professional help. It seems that Bill is someone “who needs” therapy, but why? Maybe Bill just needs a vacation? Maybe he just needs a good kick in the pants?
People who seek help from a therapist complain of and describe any number of problems, such as
Physical symptoms with no medical explanation
Unusual behavior, thoughts, or feelings
Problems with work or relationships
A lack of motivation or enthusiasm for life
What problems would the therapist focus on if Bill chooses to go to therapy instead of taking a vacation? As in Bill’s case, a lot of people go to psychother- apy because of problems with relationships or work. These are functioning and adaptation problems that center on interpersonal relationships. Bill is also experiencing physical symptoms, he’s irritable, and he’s socially distant, all of which can be considered symptoms of psychopathology. He could be heading for divorce at a time when his first child is on the way. It’s fair to say that old Bill is not so hot.