NURS 6640 Week 1 Foundations of Psychotherapy Essay

NURS 6640 Week 1 Foundations of Psychotherapy Essay Assignment

“Unexpressed emotions will never die. They are buried alive and will come forth later in uglier ways.”

—Sigmund Freud

While working with a patient in the late 1800s, Sigmund Freud discovered the health benefits of talking about emotions and illnesses. When Sigmund Freud introduced his “talking cure” (fundamental psychotherapy), his efforts were met with considerable skepticism. However, as more and more psychiatrists learned that Freud’s methods brought about change in patients who suffered from a variety of mental health issues, his methods were adopted and refined. Today, psychotherapy is recognized as a viable treatment for a wide variety of mental health issues, many of which are examined throughout this course.

This week, as you explore the foundations of psychotherapy, you consider its biological basis. You also examine the influence of culture, religion, and socioeconomics on psychotherapy treatments. Finally, you begin preparing for your practicum experience by examining counseling theories and developing goals to guide your practice.

Discussion: Does Psychotherapy Have a Biological Basis?

Many studies have found that psychotherapy is as effective as psychopharmacology in terms of influencing changes in behaviors, symptoms of anxiety, and changes in mental state. Changes influenced by psychopharmacology can be explained by the biological basis of treatments. But how does psychotherapy achieve these changes? Does psychotherapy share common neuronal pathways with psychopharmacology? For this Discussion, consider whether psychotherapy also has a biological basis.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

Evaluate biological basis of psychotherapy treatments
Analyze influences of culture, religion, and socioeconomics on personal perspectives of psychotherapy treatments

To prepare:

Review this week’s Learning Resources.
Reflect on foundational concepts of psychotherapy.

Note: For this Discussion, you are required to complete your initial post before you will be able to view and respond to your colleagues’ postings. Begin by clicking on the “Post to Discussion Question” link and then select “Create Thread” to complete your initial post. Remember, once you click Submit, you cannot delete or edit your own posts, and cannot post anonymously. Please check your post carefully before clicking Submit!

By Day 3

Post an explanation of whether psychotherapy has a biological basis. Explain how culture, religion, and socioeconomics might influence one’s perspective of the value of psychotherapy treatments. Support your rationale with evidence-based literature.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses.

By Day 6

Respond to at least two of your colleagues by providing an additional scholarly resource that supports or challenges their position along with a brief explanation of the resource.

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