Glossary
Active listening
A person-centered therapy technique where the therapist fully attends to, understands, and reflects the client's verbal and nonverbal communication without judgment.
Example:
When a therapist paraphrases what a client has said and reflects their feelings, they are demonstrating active listening.
Antianxiety medications
A class of psychotropic medications, often benzodiazepines, that reduce anxiety symptoms by enhancing the effects of the neurotransmitter GABA.
Example:
Someone experiencing severe panic attacks might be prescribed antianxiety medications for short-term relief.
Antidepressants
A class of psychotropic medications primarily used to treat mood disorders like depression by increasing the availability of certain neurotransmitters.
Example:
A doctor might prescribe antidepressants to help a patient experiencing persistent sadness and lack of energy.
Antipsychotics
Medications used to manage psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions, often by affecting dopamine pathways in the brain.
Example:
Someone experiencing disorganized thoughts and paranoia due to schizophrenia might be prescribed antipsychotics to reduce these symptoms.
Aversion therapies
Behavioral techniques that pair an undesirable behavior with an unpleasant stimulus to create a negative association and reduce the behavior.
Example:
To stop nail-biting, someone might use aversion therapy by applying a bitter-tasting polish to their nails.
Biofeedback
A technique that uses electronic sensors to provide real-time information about physiological processes, helping individuals learn to voluntarily control them.
Example:
Someone learning to manage stress might use biofeedback to see their heart rate on a screen and then practice relaxation techniques to lower it.
Cognitive restructuring
A cognitive therapy technique that involves identifying, challenging, and changing negative or distorted thought patterns into more realistic and positive ones.
Example:
If a student thinks, 'I'm going to fail this test,' cognitive restructuring would involve challenging that thought and replacing it with, 'I've studied hard, and I'll do my best.'
Cognitive triad
A concept in cognitive therapy describing negative thoughts about oneself, the world, and the future, often associated with depression.
Example:
Someone experiencing the cognitive triad might think, 'I'm worthless,' 'The world is against me,' and 'Things will never get better.'
Combination Therapy
An integrated treatment approach that combines both psychotherapy and medication to address psychological disorders.
Example:
Someone with severe depression might benefit from combination therapy, attending weekly CBT sessions while also taking an antidepressant.
Cultural humility
A therapist's commitment to self-reflection and lifelong learning about diverse cultural backgrounds to provide respectful and effective care.
Example:
A therapist practicing cultural humility would ask a client about their family's traditions and beliefs to ensure treatment aligns with their values.
Decentralized treatment
The practice of providing mental health care in local community settings, such as clinics and group homes, rather than centralized institutions.
Example:
Community mental health centers are a key component of decentralized treatment, making therapy and support more accessible to individuals in their neighborhoods.
Deinstitutionalization
The historical movement to shift mental health care from large, long-term psychiatric hospitals to community-based treatment facilities.
Example:
The development of effective psychotropic medications contributed significantly to the trend of deinstitutionalization in the mid-20th century.
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
A comprehensive cognitive-behavioral therapy that focuses on emotion regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and mindfulness, often used for borderline personality disorder.
Example:
A client struggling with intense emotional swings and relationship difficulties might participate in DBT to learn healthier coping mechanisms.
Dream interpretation
A psychodynamic technique involving the analysis of the symbolic content of dreams to gain insight into unconscious desires, conflicts, and motivations.
Example:
A therapist might use dream interpretation to explore what a recurring dream about being chased could symbolize for the client's waking life.
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
A biological treatment for severe, treatment-resistant depression that involves inducing a controlled seizure through electrical stimulation of the brain.
Example:
For individuals with severe depression who haven't responded to medication or psychotherapy, ECT can be a highly effective option.
Evidence-based interventions
Therapeutic treatments that have been rigorously tested and scientifically proven to be effective for specific psychological disorders.
Example:
For treating PTSD, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is considered an evidence-based intervention due to extensive research supporting its efficacy.
Exposure therapies
Behavioral techniques that gradually expose clients to feared stimuli or situations in a controlled environment to reduce anxiety and phobias.
Example:
A person with social anxiety might engage in exposure therapies by first practicing conversations with their therapist, then with a trusted friend, and finally in a small group.
Fear hierarchies
A list of anxiety-provoking situations or objects, ordered from least to most frightening, used in exposure therapies.
Example:
For someone with a fear of heights, a fear hierarchy might start with looking at a picture of a tall building and end with standing on a skyscraper's observation deck.
Fidelity
An ethical principle emphasizing loyalty, trustworthiness, and keeping promises in the professional relationship between a psychologist and client.
Example:
Maintaining client confidentiality is an example of a psychologist upholding the ethical principle of fidelity.
Free association
A psychodynamic technique where clients say whatever comes to mind without censoring, to uncover unconscious thoughts and conflicts.
Example:
During free association, a client might start talking about their day, then suddenly recall a childhood memory that sheds light on a current issue.
Group therapy
A form of psychotherapy where multiple clients meet together with one or more therapists to share experiences, receive support, and practice social skills.
Example:
Individuals recovering from addiction might attend group therapy sessions to share their struggles and successes with peers facing similar challenges.
Hypnosis
A state of heightened suggestibility and focused attention, sometimes used in therapy for pain management or anxiety reduction.
Example:
A dentist might use hypnosis to help a patient relax and manage pain during a dental procedure.
Individual therapy
A one-on-one form of psychotherapy where a single client meets privately with a therapist for personalized and confidential treatment.
Example:
Someone seeking highly personalized attention for a specific trauma might opt for individual therapy.
Integrity
An ethical principle requiring psychologists to be accurate, honest, and truthful in all aspects of their professional practice.
Example:
A researcher reporting their study results accurately, even if they don't support their hypothesis, demonstrates strong integrity.
Lesioning procedures
A type of psychosurgery that involves destroying small, targeted areas of brain tissue thought to be involved in a severe mental disorder.
Example:
An anterior cingulotomy is a lesioning procedure sometimes used for severe, intractable OCD or depression.
Lithium
A specific mood-stabilizing medication commonly used to treat bipolar disorder by regulating neurotransmitter activity.
Example:
Lithium is often prescribed to help individuals with bipolar disorder prevent extreme manic or depressive episodes.
Lobotomy
A historical psychosurgical procedure that involved severing connections in the prefrontal cortex, largely abandoned due to severe side effects and ethical concerns.
Example:
The lobotomy was once a common but controversial procedure, often resulting in significant personality changes and cognitive deficits.
Medication
The use of pharmaceutical drugs to manage or treat symptoms of psychological disorders by influencing brain chemistry.
Example:
A doctor might prescribe medication to help a patient regulate their mood swings associated with bipolar disorder.
Meta-analysis
A statistical technique that combines the results of multiple scientific studies to draw a more powerful conclusion about a particular treatment or phenomenon.
Example:
A meta-analysis of hundreds of studies might reveal that cognitive-behavioral therapy is consistently effective across various anxiety disorders.
Mood stabilizers
Medications used to treat bipolar disorder by balancing extreme shifts in mood, from mania to depression.
Example:
Lithium is a common mood stabilizer prescribed to help individuals with bipolar disorder maintain a more stable emotional state.
Nonmaleficence
An ethical principle in psychology that requires practitioners to 'do no harm' and avoid actions that could negatively impact clients.
Example:
A therapist adhering to nonmaleficence would carefully consider the potential risks of any intervention before implementing it with a client.
Psychosurgery
Surgical interventions on the brain performed to treat severe and debilitating mental illnesses, typically as a last resort.
Example:
In rare, severe cases of OCD, a doctor might consider psychosurgery if all other treatments have failed.
Psychotherapy
A talking therapy approach used to address emotional and behavioral issues by exploring thoughts, feelings, and behaviors with a trained professional.
Example:
During psychotherapy, a client might discuss their anxieties about public speaking to understand the root causes and develop coping strategies.
Psychotropic medications
Drugs that primarily affect mental states and behaviors by influencing neurotransmitter activity in the brain.
Example:
Antidepressants and antipsychotics are examples of psychotropic medications used to manage symptoms of mental illness.
Rational-emotive behavior therapy (REBT)
A cognitive therapy that challenges irrational beliefs and assumptions that lead to emotional distress, promoting more rational and realistic thinking.
Example:
If a student believes 'I must get perfect grades or I'm a failure,' REBT would help them challenge this irrational belief and adopt a more balanced perspective.
Respect for people's rights and dignity
An ethical principle recognizing the inherent worth of all individuals and their rights to privacy, confidentiality, and self-determination.
Example:
Ensuring a client provides informed consent before starting therapy is a direct application of the principle of respect for people's rights and dignity.
Tardive dyskinesia
A potential, often irreversible, side effect of long-term antipsychotic medication use, characterized by involuntary, repetitive movements, especially of the face and limbs.
Example:
A patient on long-term antipsychotics might develop tardive dyskinesia, leading to uncontrollable facial tics or lip smacking.
Therapeutic alliance
The strong, positive, and collaborative relationship that develops between a therapist and their client, crucial for successful treatment outcomes.
Example:
When a client feels understood and trusted by their therapist, they have a strong therapeutic alliance, which helps them openly discuss difficult topics.
Token economies
A behavioral modification system where desired behaviors are reinforced with tokens that can be exchanged for tangible rewards or privileges.
Example:
In a classroom, students might earn tokens for completing homework, which they can later trade for extra playtime or a prize from a reward box.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
A non-invasive biological treatment that uses magnetic fields to stimulate or inhibit specific areas of the brain, showing promise for depression and other conditions.
Example:
A patient with treatment-resistant depression might undergo TMS sessions, where magnetic pulses are delivered to their scalp.
Unconditional positive regard
A core principle of person-centered therapy where the therapist accepts and supports the client without judgment, regardless of their actions or feelings.
Example:
Even if a client shares a difficult or embarrassing experience, a therapist offering unconditional positive regard will maintain a non-judgmental and accepting stance.