Class 12 Psychology - WEST-BENGAL
Therapeutic Approaches
The chapter Therapeutic Approaches in Psychology for Class 12 West Bengal (WBBSE) students explores various methods used to help individuals overcome psychological distress and mental disorders. It delves into the nature of psychotherapy, the therapeutic relationship, and the healing process. You will learn about major modalities including psychodynamic, humanistic-existential, behavioural, and cognitive therapies, alongside biomedical approaches and alternative therapies like yoga. Understanding these approaches is crucial for board exams as it bridges theoretical psychological concepts with practical mental health interventions, carrying significant weight in both short-answer and essay-type questions.
Start Learning FreeKey Concepts
Psychotherapy
A voluntary relationship between a trained professional and a person suffering from psychological problems, aimed at removing maladaptive behaviours and promoting personal growth.
Transference and Counter-transference
In psychodynamic therapy, transference occurs when the client redirects feelings about others onto the therapist, while counter-transference happens when the therapist projects their own unresolved feelings onto the client.
Behaviour Therapy
An approach based on learning principles that focuses on identifying faulty behaviours and using techniques like systematic desensitisation and token economy to replace them with adaptive ones.
Cognitive Therapy
Therapy that focuses on identifying and changing dysfunctional thought patterns and beliefs (such as Aaron Beck's cognitive restructuring) to reduce emotional distress and maladaptive behaviour.
Biomedical Therapy
Medical treatments for psychological disorders, including psychotropic medications (antidepressants, anti-anxiety drugs) and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), which alter brain chemistry and functioning.
Alternative Therapies
Non-conventional healing methods like yoga, meditation, and mindfulness that help reduce stress and improve overall psychological well-being by integrating mind and body.
Important Formulas
Board Exam Info
In the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WBBSE) Class 12 Psychology examinations, this chapter typically carries around 8-12 marks. Questions frequently appear as multiple-choice questions (MCQs), short-answer type questions (SAQs) defining specific therapeutic techniques, and long-answer descriptive questions comparing different therapeutic approaches or detailing psychodynamic and behavioural therapy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between psychotherapy and biomedical therapy?
Psychotherapy relies on psychological techniques and verbal communication between the therapist and client to modify thoughts and behaviours, whereas biomedical therapy uses physical or biological interventions like medications and electroconvulsive therapy to alter brain functioning.
How does systematic desensitisation work in behaviour therapy?
It is based on reciprocal inhibition. The therapist teaches the client deep muscle relaxation, constructs an anxiety-hierarchy from least to most feared situations, and gradually exposes the client to these fears while they remain relaxed.
What is the role of the therapeutic alliance in psychotherapy?
The therapeutic alliance refers to the core mutual trust, warmth, and collaborative relationship between the therapist and the client, which is considered the most critical factor for successful therapeutic outcomes.
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