The 4 main characteristics of integrative psychotherapy

Integrative psychotherapy is one of the most interesting and complete therapy proposals, and precisely for that reason, it is also one of the most versatile and complex.

By emphasizing the need to intervene in the whole person and not in each of his problems separately, this way of helping patients has a great capacity to adapt to various types of problems, needs and contexts.

Now... What is it that characterizes integrative psychotherapy? Let's see.

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What is integrative psychotherapy?

Let's start with a basic and summary definition of the term “integrative psychotherapy”. As its name indicates, it consists of a model of psychological therapy in which there is an integration of therapeutic models (developed by various currents of psychology) both in the theory on which they are based, and in the techniques and strategies they use when intervening in patients.

That is, a way of understanding psychotherapy that focuses on the need to understand the human being in their set, as an integral whole in which a great variety of emotional, cognitive and behavioral.

Thus, it is a highly ambitious applied psychology proposal that involves training on all fronts of psychology and behavioral sciences in general, Although not only out of the pure interest in learning and knowing more and more about the human being, but mainly to be able to offer quality professional support to patients; each of them, seen as individuals with their unique characteristics.

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The characteristics of integrative psychotherapy

Now that we have made a first approach to the concept of integrative psychotherapy, surely you are already beginning to understand the logic behind its operation. However, below we will see in more detail its characteristics when used in a psychology consultation.

1. Combines tools, but is not a purely empirical model

Applying integrative psychotherapy does not simply consist of choosing between the therapeutic techniques and strategies that are have been shown to be effective against certain types of problems and use them arbitrarily depending on the tastes of each one.

Although it is influenced by various streams of psychology, it goes beyond browsing research scientific studies and use what "seems to work" to overcome a certain kind of psychological disorder or discomfort emotional. It is not about using techniques in an isolated way, applying a solution read in a manual to solve a specific problem, and then moving on to the next.

Having an integrative vision of the patient implies understanding the set of psychological dynamics behind what causes problems. Thus, in integrative psychotherapy we formulate both a theoretical proposal to explain the patient's discomfort, and a practical proposal through interventions.

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2. Transformation is sought in various areas of the patient's life

Another characteristic of integrative psychotherapy is that it explores all the possibilities of establishing changes in the life of the person (both in their way of interacting with the different contexts of their day-to-day life and in their way of managing their emotions and his own behavior) so that through all these modifications, he is much less likely to lose the progress he has made. accomplished.

That is to say, An attempt is made to intervene in the more areas of their life, the better (as long as they are related to the problem), understanding that the improvement in their quality of life must be global, not specific to a very specific type of situation. For this reason, it is common that at the end of the therapy process the person notices improvements in areas of their life that they had not even considered changing. Of course, this kind of intervention is always done by fully informing the patient about the goals of the therapy.

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3. The goal goes beyond not feeling discomfort

Integrative psychotherapy receives many influences from humanistic psychology and positive psychology, so that by having the goal of enhancing the well-being of people, it is not limited to trying to save the patient moments of discomfort or emotional pain.

Many times, the key is to accept that a part of life is based on accepting those uncomfortable experiences and still knowing how to find stimulating and positive aspects in the day to day. day, so that attention is not always displaced to what makes us suffer (and that, as a consequence of this, loses strength and ability to damage our quality of life).

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4. It involves constant training

This is a characteristic of all types of psychotherapy, but it is especially true in the case of integrative psychotherapy. Understanding the whole person and proposing interventions aimed at improving their overall well-being requires constant learning about the human mind and the behavioral dynamics through which human beings express themselves.

Are you interested in training in integrative psychotherapy?

If you want to specialize in integrative psychotherapy or incorporate its fundamentals into your work with patients, you may be interested the Professionalizing Online Postgraduate Course in Integrative Psychotherapy offered by Instituto Mensalus.

This training program, which has the support of the Nebrija University and is aimed at professionals in the psychology and psychotherapy, offers the possibility of specializing in this type of psychological therapy in a 100% way on-line. It lasts six months and includes live theoretical-practical classes, individual tutorials, constant access to the postgraduate intranet and its materials, sessions supervision with a view of real cases, practical exercises with supervision, and the possibility of consulting professionals mainly dedicated to treating patients.

In addition, at the time of completion, the postgraduate course grants students their own University Degree from the Nebrija University of Madrid.