The 6 currents of psychological therapy (explained and classified)

Within the field of psychology applied to the field of patient care in psychotherapy, we can find a wide variety of currents of psychological therapy. Therefore, if you are looking for psychology services, it is important to understand their similarities and differences in order to have a prior idea and know which one could best fit the problem to be treated.

Among the main currents of psychological therapy, it is worth highlighting psychoanalysis and psychodynamic therapy, humanist, the Gestalt school, the behavioral therapeutic current, cognitive therapy and, lastly, family therapies and systemic.

In this article we will see what each of these currents of psychological therapy consists of, and its characteristics and objectives when applied to patients.

Related article: "The 10 benefits of going to psychological therapy"

What is psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy or psychological therapy is a treatment, based on scientific and psychological evidence and that is based on a conversation for change

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, based on a series of specific characteristics. In other words, psychological therapy is an essentially interpersonal treatment, which is based on a series of psychological principles, in which both the psychotherapist and the patient seeking help for a mental disorder, complaint or issue.

The psychotherapist, therefore, must use psychological therapy, whatever its current, intentionally with the aim of helping the patient to resolve that disorder, complaint or problem that has led him to consultation and, to it, must adapt or individualize each approach in psychotherapy for each particular patient and their needs.

The different currents of psychological therapy share a series of characteristics such as those that we are going to explain below:

They all consist of a type of interpersonal treatment, whose fundamental tool is language.
The psychotherapist must have a series of specific characteristics that are the result of his continuous training.
All currents of psychological therapy are based on a theoretical model that uses psychological concepts.
Everyone can use the evaluation to make a diagnosis, but it does not have to be a fundamental requirement.
The results of the therapy depend on the collaboration in the goals and tasks that are achieved with the patient.
It is essential that the therapist get the patient to collaborate in the therapeutic process towards her own improvement.
In general, psychological therapy is usually individualized, although it can also be for a couple, family or group.

What are the currents of psychological therapy?

These are the most important currents of psychological therapy in the history of psychology.

1. Psychoanalysis and psychodynamic therapies

The first of the currents of psychological therapy that we are going to see is psychoanalysis, one of the first integrated systems of modern psychological therapy. It was first developed by the Austrian psychiatrist Sigmund Freud, whose work "Studies on hysteria" (which he wrote together with another psychoanalyst named Josef Breuer) has been considered as the main starting point of modern psychotherapy.

1.1. Psychoanalysis

It is important to mention that in psychoanalysis emphasis was placed on the study of the psychic unconscious, proposing a series of main techniques to help make the internal and unconscious conflicts that generate discomfort in the person more or less explicit. To do this, psychoanalysts use strategies such as managing the therapist's positions (floating attention and the rule of abstinence), methods to analyze the patient (transference, free association and resistance) and some techniques of change (confrontation, interpretation and clarification).

The current of psychological therapy of psychoanalysis has evolved over the years based on 4 large areas, which we will briefly explain below:

Metapsychology: based mainly on the structure and functioning of the personality,
Clinical theory and technique: responsible for explaining psychopathology, the therapeutic relationship and the therapeutic process
Observation and scientific methodology: deals with inference, natural observation and inductive reasoning.
Social philosophy: is based on trying to understand the behavior of individuals within groups and institutions.

1.2. psychodynamic therapy

On the other hand, psychodynamic therapy, which starts from psychoanalysis, also focuses on the treatment of intrapsychic conflicts, but departing from certain basic ideas of the theory freudian Today, generally proposes therapy processes with clear beginning and end, sharing both currents characteristics such as the ones that we are going to mention below:

Determinism: any psychic phenomenon has some cause.
Multiple determination: different variables could be included in different ways in the behavior.
Unconscious: Both psychoanalysis and psychodynamic therapy emphasize the unconscious part of the mind.
Conflict in neuroses: it is produced by a conflict between internal forces and an environment that inhibits them.
Every behavior is significant: no behavior or thought is casual, they always communicate something.

It should be noted within the psychodynamic current to authors such as Carl Gustav Jung, Alfred Adler, Otto Rank or Sandor Ferenczi. Also to other followers of different currents of psychological therapy that were developed from psychoanalysis, such as the models of Melanie Kelin, Karen Horney, Harry Sullivan, Wilfred Bion, Donald Winnicott, Lacques Lacan or Anna Freud, daughter of Sigmund Freud.

Psychoanalysis as a current of psychotherapy

You may be interested: "History of Psychology: authors and main theories"

2. humanistic psychotherapy

The first of the currents of psychological therapy that we are going to explain is humanism, where we can find a series of humanistic-existential models from the European phenomenological tradition and also from American humanistic psychology, from the hand of psychologists such as Abraham Maslow or Carl R. Rogers, among others.

In humanism there are some characteristics common to all models of psychotherapy that follow this current. In this sense, humanistic therapy is based on key ideas that They focus on human subjectivity and the individual's ability to give meaning to their lives.. These ideas are:

Every human being must develop his potential, possessing a capacity for self-realization.
They focus on the "here and now", the immediate experience.
They oppose the development of diagnostic classifications of mental disorders.
The theories of this model are subordinated to the experience and meaning of the subject to his own experience.

2.1. Maslow's model (hierarchy of needs)

Maslow has been considered as the initiator of humanistic psychotherapy.. He considered that people have a potential with a tendency to growth that can culminate in fulfilling the factor of self-realization and, therefore, developed a theory based on a hierarchy of needs (the famous pyramid of Maslow):

Physiological needs.
security needs.
Membership needs.
Recognition or ego needs.
Self-realization or “peak experience”.

The humanistic therapy developed by Maslow is aimed at helping the patient develop a series of strategies that allow you to overcome those obstacles that are preventing your personal growth.

Related article: "Maslow's Pyramid: The Hierarchy of Human Needs"

2.2. Person Centered Psychotherapy (Rogers)

Carl Rogers's person-centered or client-centered therapy is primarily based on an encounter between two people rather than in the application of a series of therapeutic techniques, since this psychologist developed his therapy model based on trust fully in the client's own capacity (as he referred to the patient) to be able to orient and direct his house towards his own self realisation.

Therefore, this psychologist described a series of attitudes and conditions that he considered fundamental and necessary for a therapeutic change to take place towards customer improvement:

Unconditional positive acceptance: respect, interest and total acceptance of the experiences of the client (patient).
Empathy: put yourself in the client's shoes and try to understand their feelings.
Authenticity and consistency: the psychologist must show consistency between what he says and what he does.

These three conditions that Rogers described as necessary to achieve therapeutic change are now accepted by all, or most, currents of psychological therapy.

It is also worth mentioning other humanist models such as that of Rollo May or the models of existential psychotherapy such as the existential psychoanalysis of Jean-Paul Sartre or Viktor Frankl's logotherapy, author of the book “The man in search of meaning”.

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3. behaviorism

Behaviorism would be another of the main currents of psychological therapy, being developed in its beginnings based on the scientific discoveries of Ivan P. Pavlov and Burrhus F. Skinner, who discovered classical conditioning and operant conditioning, respectively. It was also developed early on by psychologists such as Thorndike, Watson, Rayner, and Mary Cover Jones.

Within the different behavior therapies, a series of common characteristics should be highlighted:

An evaluation of the problem behavior is first carried out to find out the triggering and maintaining factors.
Most behaviors are learned.
Mental problems develop as a product of learning.
They focus on the study of behavior at different levels (cognitive, psychomotor and physiological).
The fundamental objective is to modify and replace those behaviors that are found to be maladaptive.
Techniques based on rigorous previous scientific research are carried out.
The treatment focuses on the current characteristics of the patient, focusing on the present moment.
Various behavior modification techniques are used (contingency management, exposure, verbal control, etc.).

The techniques used in the different behavioral models can be quite useful in those cases of patients who are very damaged at emotional and/or psychological level to receive psychological help from other currents of psychological therapy that are based on verbal communication, as well What in young children.

3.1. radical behaviorism

in this stream behavior is considered to be governed by its consequences. B.F. Skinner He developed his therapeutic model based on Thorndike's "law of effect" to elaborate the theory of operant or instrumental conditioning.

Here the behavior is considered to be included by a series of contingencies at the environmental level. (reinforcers) accompanied by the responses and thus change the probabilities that these may appear in the future.

In therapy it is important that there is a therapeutic environment that is based on his radical environmentalism; is about reinforce those behaviors that are considered adaptive or positive and seeks to eliminate or modify those negative behaviors.

Related article: "The 16 types of reinforcers (and their characteristics)"

3.2. behavior therapy

The therapy evolved with the behavioral therapeutic models of authors such as Wolpe, Lazarus, Eysenck, Bandura, Walter, Kanfer, Sasloe, Phillips, Staats, Mischel, Hull and Mowrer, among others, arriving in the 70s and up to the present with the cognitive-behavioral orientation therapies of Albert Ellis and Aaron Beck, which we will explain more go ahead.

In behavior therapy, the development of functional analysis is important (background, organism, level of response and consequence) within a behavioral evaluation, where a series of techniques are carried out: initial analysis of that problematic situation, clarification of said problematic situation, motivational analysis, evolutionary analysis, self-control analysis, analysis of social situations and also of the physical environment and socio-cultural.

Within this therapeutic model there are also techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation, breathing, biofeedback techniques, autogenic training, self-regulation therapy, exposure techniques, desensitization systematic, stimulus control and other operant techniques (aversive techniques, overcorrection, satiation, response cost, time out etc.

4. cognitive therapy

Another of the main currents of psychological therapy is cognitive therapy, where special attention is paid to cognitive variables (information processing). This implies an evolution from the behavioral approach, based on conditioning, to one that highlights the importance of these Cognitive variables in the regulation of human behavior and, therefore, also in psychopathology and change therapeutic.

Therefore, in this form of psychotherapy you work a lot with belief systems and with the ways in which the patient interprets reality.

The fundamental characteristics of all cognitive therapies are the following:

They consider that behavioral and affective patterns develop from cognitive processes.
Cognitive processes could be activated at a functional level in a similar way to a learning process.
From this current the psychologist would be considered as an evaluator, diagnostician and educator.
The psychologist should be responsible for helping to modify negative cognitions.
In addition, the psychologist must maintain a directive and active attitude.
Cognitions modulate affective and behavioral patterns.
They are especially concerned about the scientific methodology that supports their therapy models and techniques.
They also use behavior modification techniques.

The forerunner of cognitive therapy was George A. Kelly, although the main representatives are Albert Ellis and Aaron Beck. In addition, the most used techniques are some such as cognitive restructuring, training in coping skills or problem solving.

4.1. Rational Emotive Therapy (Ellis)

This therapy is based on the fact that mental or psychological problems are caused by a series of maladaptive patterns in thought, being irrational, dogmatic, and/or absolute. Ellis believes that people have the ability to control their own destiny and, to do so, first should feel and act based on their beliefs and values. From there he developed Rational Emotive Therapy (TRE).

You may be interested: "Albert Ellis: biography of the creator of Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy"

4.2. Cognitive Therapy (Beck)

Beck's cognitive therapy was developed primarily to treat unipolar depression, starting from the fundamental idea that psychological, emotional and/or behavioral disorders occur because of one or several alterations in information processing, due to the activation of latent schemes. Therefore, behind depression, as a cause, there is a cognitive bias or distortion that influences the processing of information, since in the face of a certain external event, cognitive schemes are activated negatives.

The objective of this Beck therapy, therefore, is to modify those negative schemes that are distorted by more adaptive and realistic ones.

Related article: "Aaron Beck: biography of the creator of cognitive behavioral therapy"

5. Gestalt therapy

Another of the main currents of psychological therapy is the Gestalt School, which focuses on the concept of form psychology or Gestalt psychology, created by Fritz Perls and Laura Perls in the middle of the 20th century.

It is based on a psychodynamic theory that has been developed based on the individual experiences of the patient. lived in the present moment, that is, in the here and now, but it also receives many influences from the humanistic approach. For this reason, it is sometimes considered a mixture of types of psychotherapy currents that start from ideas of psychoanalysis and humanistic therapy.

The influences of Gestalt therapy are as follows:

The person is a whole explained through the sum of its parts.
The person is constantly in a process of self-completion.
Importance of personal growth.
Gestalt therapy seeks "awareness" or "insight."
Incorporates theoretical ideas from Zen Buddhism (p. g., accept what happens).
It incorporates ideas of humanism (importance of the present, of the tendency to update and progress, etc.).
The pathology would be some personal barrier that prevents the satisfaction of one's own needs from occurring.

According to Gestalt psychology, if a person's needs are not met, incomplete forms of behavior and a series of psychological conflicts will arise. Therefore, the therapist of this stream of psychological therapy will aim to help the patient using a series of techniques that follow this model and help favor the completion of these forms incomplete.

One way of doing this could be by concentrating the significant elements of a specific situation in order to mobilize their energies in strategies that are advantageous (p. g., through the proximity law of the Gestural).

6. Family and systemic therapies

Among the main currents of psychological therapy, it is worth mentioning systemic therapies, which They were originally developed as family therapies, although today their field of application is broader, there are also other approaches (eg. g., individual).

6.1. International School of the MRI (Mental Research Institute) of Palo Alto

In the 1950s this school, located in California, was developed with the fundamental objective of understand the forms of communication between members of families in which there was a member who suffered from schizophrenia. In the systemic approach of Palo Alto, the family is seen as a system and the member who suffers from the disease is seen as the bearer of the symptom that points out that dysfunction in the system, so the therapy seeks to cure the problem by changing the relationships in the family system and not the individual carrier.

Thanks to this school, where theories were developed based on the systematization of the members of a family and some of its most illustrious members, paul watzawlick, managed to revolutionize the existing theories on communication, resulting in a new way of carrying out psychological treatments with families.

6.2. structural school

This school was developed mainly by Salvador Minuchin, who defined that the processes of a family system are reflected in its structures, being a family structure composed of a hierarchy, limits between family subsystems and borders with the outside, as well as a series of rules that are responsible for governing communication and power within the family. family.

Apart from this, in the family there are alliances between individuals and coalitions, so the rules on hierarchies and limits must be changed to change patterns of interaction that are maintaining the symptom.

Among the most relevant techniques of systemic therapies, he knows how to point out the reformulation, the redefinition, the positive connotation, the use of resistance to change, the paradoxical intervention, the prescription of tasks, the illusion of alternatives, the ordeal, the use of analogies and the round questioning.

The most recognized authors of systemic and family therapies are: Bateson, Watzlawick, Salvador Minuchin, Haley, Madanes, De Shazer, Weakland and Fisch, Selvini Palazzoli (Milan School), among others.