What is Psychotherapy?

What is Psychotherapy? Can Therapy Help You?

What is Psychotherapy? Can Psychotherapy Help You?

People often ask me the question: “What is Psychotherapy?”. Psychotherapy is a type of counseling that is used as a treatment for mental disorders and as a tool for personal growth.  Psychotherapy originated with psychiatrist Sigmund Freud who invented a type of psychotherapy called Psychoanalysis.  Psychotherapy was further developed by Freud’s student, Carl Jung.  Jung influenced the future direction of psychotherapy by changing Freud’s approach a bit: Freud was more focused on what was wrong with people – in other words, on treating their mental disorders or mental illness, while Jung believe that therapists could help people become more “whole”.  In other words, he was more focused on mental health, than on mental disorders.

What is Psychotherapy like today?  Today, psychotherapy (sometimes called “talk therapy”) has greatly expanded and includes a many new methods of therapy and types of psychotherapy.  You may have already heard of some of the more popular ones, like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or Psychodynamic Therapy.  There are literally dozens of types of therapy and approaches to counseling.

That’s great news for consumers because no matter what you’re struggling with, there’s a therapy that can help!  Some therapists practice one type of psychotherapy exclusively (for example, a therapist might be just a Cognitive Behavioral Therapist), but most therapists today are trained in several different counseling approaches and consider themselves “eclectic” therapists.

What is a Psychotherapist?

A psychotherapist is someone trained and licensed to practice psychotherapy.  In Florida, psychotherapists can be licensed as Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Mental Health Counselors, Clinical Social Workers, or Marriage and Family Therapists.  All of these licensed mental health professionals are considered psychotherapists.

Each of these professionals is initially trained in a graduate-level program and have similar core courses like how to diagnose and treat mental disorders, couples counseling, family therapy, substance abuse, etc (with the exception of psychiatrists who are also medical doctors and have gone to medical school), and then receive some specialized training in various areas of mental health.  After that, most therapists continue on to receive even more training in areas that interest them, such as particular therapies like Dialectical Behavior Therapy for example.

Psychotherapy in Plantation FL

As a psychotherapist and counselor in Plantation FL where I serve clients from Plantation and surrounding cities in Broward County such as Weston, Fort Lauderdale, Davie, Sunrise, and Cooper City, I offer several types of counseling and therapy.  As many therapists do, I consider myself an eclectic therapist and I am trained and experienced in some of the most popular and effective psychotherapies.  Plus, since I am both a clinician and a psychology researcher, my clients benefit from my knowledge of cutting edge psychology research that can be applied to their treatment to ensure good results.

Psychotherapy & Counseling – Plantation FL – Greater Fort Lauderdale

Dr. Chantal Marie Gagnon PhD LMHC offers psychotherapy and counseling in her Plantation Florida office.  Her Plantation FL office serves clients in the Greater Fort Lauderdale Area, which include Weston, Davie, Sunrise, Cooper City, Tamarac, Hollywood and Dania Beach.