Dr. Leslie Becker-Phelps | Psychotherapy: Defined and Discussed

Defined and Discussed

What is psychotherapy? Psychotherapy, also called therapy,
involves working with a professional therapist (like a psychologist),
who is trained to help people reduce emotional distress and change
problematic behaviors. The particular approach used varies
depending on the personalities of the therapist and the client, as well
as on the symptoms being presented for treatment. Unlike most
medical treatments, psychotherapy requires active effort on your
part, including working between sessions on the issues we discuss in
session.

Psychotherapy has benefits and risks. Since therapy often involves discussing distressing parts of
your life, you may experience uncomfortable feelings like sadness, guilt, anger, and loneliness.
On the other hand, psychotherapy also often leads to better relationships, solutions, to specific
problems, and feeling happier (or at least significantly less distressed). Unfortunately, there are
no guarantees of what you will experience.