Using Psychotherapy to Manage Stress

Psychotherapy is a type of therapy used by medical providers to treat mental health disorders. Psychotherapy helps most mental health disorders, such as depression, anxiety, bipolar, post-traumatic stress, personality disorders, and schizophrenia. It can also help to manage stress and conflicts that can affect anyone without a mental health diagnosis.

What is Stress?

Stress is a natural part of life that can come in many forms: emotional, mental, or physical. Occasional stress is harmless to an individual’s health and can even be utilized as motivation for important goals. Moderate levels of stress allow the body and mind to respond at a faster speed. However, when stress becomes chronic, it can cause significant mental strain and long-term health problems.

Everyone perceives and manifests stress differently. However, work is the most common stressor among people. However, anything can cause stress in a person’s life, including divorce, financial obligations, getting married, moving to a new home, chronic illness, emotional problems, and more.

The Effectiveness of Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is effective in treating mental health disorders and emotional distress. According to the American Psychiatric Association, “Psychotherapy can help eliminate or control troubling symptoms so a person can function better and can increase well-being and healing.” Psychotherapy is often combined with medication and other therapies but can produce positive results when done alone.

Medication can be useful in treating severe depression or other psychological conditions. However, taking medication does not teach you new ways to identify solutions to problems or cope with life events. Some people need medication to come to a point where they are comfortable talking about their issues.

People use psychotherapy to cope with life’s stresses, such as the death of a loved one, severe illness or injury, divorce, and job loss. Psychotherapy helps you understand your emotions and thought patterns and identifies ways to conquer negative feelings and fears. Psychotherapy sessions usually last up to one hour and can be short-term or long-term, depending on your specific needs.

Different Types of Psychotherapy

There are several different types of psychotherapy used by psychiatrists and other mental health professionals. The type used depends on each person’s mental health diagnosis and circumstances. Sometimes a combination of fundamentals of different kinds of psychotherapy is used to provide the best outcome.

Play therapy is effective for children who experience trauma, depression, anxiety, and other mental health or mood disorders. According to Dr. Eliana Gil, who works with traumatized children in play therapy, “the therapeutic relationship is intended to help create this environment of trust and comfort so that the child can do some of the things that they will do naturally if given the time, space, and proper context.” Play therapy uses a child’s natural method of expression to help them articulate their feelings more easily through toys instead of words.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of psychotherapy used to treat various mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, eating disorders, marital problems, and severe mental illness. The American Psychological Association states that many studies show that “CBT has been demonstrated to be as effective as, or more effective than, other forms of psychological therapy or psychiatric medications.” CBT is used to change thinking patterns, develop the ability to use critical-thinking skills to cope with difficult situations, and change behavioral patterns. There are several different forms of CBT, including dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), cognitive processing therapy (CPT), rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT), and self-instructional training.

Art therapy is a therapeutic healing method and can make a person more comfortable if they struggle to talk about traumatic life events. This type of therapy is beneficial for anyone who has difficulty talking about emotions, thoughts, or experiences. Art therapy helps ease anxiety and allows a person to open up socially. Typically, during an art therapy session, the individual will work on a piece of art. The therapist may observe or intervene to talk about the feelings behind the artistic process. They may also ask about what was easy or difficult in creating the art and what thoughts or memories came up. Some people may find it is easier to express their feelings and experiences with their hands and art therapy breaks through communication barriers.

Why Seek Therapy for Stress?

Since stress is something that everyone experiences, some people may believe they should handle stress on their own. However, some people need more assistance than they can provide for themselves, especially when a mental health disorder accompanies stress. Professional help can give an individual an outlet to talk about their stress and learn to identify the leading causes of stress in their life and how to incorporate tools to reduce their stress levels.

Stress is a common thing faced by almost everybody. However, it can cause emotional, mental, or physical problems that affect everyday life. Stress can be caused by various factors, including mental health disorders. When stress becomes too overwhelming and interferes with the way a person engages in life, they may need professional help. Psychotherapy is a therapy used to treat various mental health disorders and can be used to manage stress and conflicts. There are numerous types of psychotherapy, including play therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), art therapy, and more. At Achieve Concierge, we offer comprehensive mental health services that include treatments to heal the body, mind, and spirit. We work as a team to help you identify strategies to manage mental health symptoms so you can live a happy, healthy, and fulfilling life. Achieve Concierge offers same-day appointments in person, as well as telemedicine appointments. To learn more about managing stress and how Achieve Concierge can help, call us today at (619) 393-5871.

©2024 Achieve Concierge