Glossary

antianxiety drugs	Drugs that can reduce a person's level of anxiety, essentially by reducing excitability and increasing feelings of well-being



antidepressant drugs	Medication that improves a depressed patient's mood and feeling of well-being



antipsychotic drugs	Drugs that temporarily reduce psychotic symptoms such as agitation, overactivity, hallucinations, and delusions



behavioral treatment approaches	Treatment approaches that build upon the basic processes of learning, such as reinforcement and extinction



biomedical therapy	Therapy that relies on drugs and other medical procedures to improve psychological functioningbiomedical_therapy (155.0K)



client-centered therapy	Therapy in which the goal is to reach one's potential for self-actualization



cognitive treatment approaches	Approaches to treatment that teach people to think in more adaptive ways by changing their dysfunctional cognitions about the world and themselves



cognitive-behavioral approach	An approach used by cognitive therapists that attempts to change the way people think through the use of basic principles of learning



community psychology	A branch of psychology that focuses on the prevention and minimization of psychological disorders in the community



deinstitutionalization	The transfer of former mental patients from institutions into the communitydeinstitutionalization (135.0K)



drug therapy	Control of psychological problems through drugs



eclectic approach to therapy	An approach to therapy that uses techniques taken from a variety of treatment methods, rather than just one methodeclectic_approach (171.0K)



electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)	A procedure in which an electric current of 70 to 150 volts is briefly administered to a patient's head, causing a loss of consciousness and often seizureselectroconvulsive_therapy (278.0K)



family therapy	An approach that focuses on the family and its dynamics



gestalt therapy	An approach to therapy that attempts to integrate a client's thoughts, feelings, and behavior into a unified whole



group therapy	Therapy in which people discuss problems in a group



humanistic therapy	Therapy in which the underlying assumption is that people have control of their behavior, can make choices about their lives, and are essentially responsible for solving their own problems



lithium	A mineral salt used to treat bipolar disorderschap07mcw.htm



psychoanalysis	Psychodynamic therapy that involves frequent sessions and can last for many yearspsychoanalysis (144.0K)



psychodynamic therapy	First suggested by Freud, therapy based on the premise that the primary sources of abnormal behavior are unresolved past conflicts and the possibility that unacceptable unconscious impulses will enter consciousness



psychosurgery	Brain surgery once used to reduce symptoms of mental disorder but rarely used todaypsychosurgery (139.0K)



psychotherapy	Treatment in which a trained professional-a therapist-uses psychological techniques to help someone overcome psychological difficulties and disorders, resolve problems in living, or bring about personal growthpsychotherapy (278.0K)



rational-emotive behavior therapy	A form of therapy that attempts to restructure a person's belief system into a more realistic, rational, and logical set of views



spontaneous remission	Recovery without treatment



systematic desensitization	A behavioral technique in which gradual exposure to anxiety-producing stimuli is paired with relaxation in order to extinguish the response of anxiety

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