Season Two, Episode Four: Introduction to Therapy – What It Is and How it Works

In this episode we begin a two-part look at the process of psychotherapy. We define the process of talk therapy, and we discuss the roles and responsibilities of both the person seeking therapy and the person providing therapy. We explain the difference between the use of the terms “client” and “patient” and examine the context behind the use of these two terms.

The person seeking therapy has two basic responsibilities in therapy: to disclose relevant information about how their issue/concern is impacting their life, and to participate in the therapy process. We then discuss the role and many responsibilities of the professional who provides therapy. We also explain what an intervention is and how it relates to the responsibilities of the provider.

We then turn our attention to exploring the ways in which psychotherapy helps people get better. As an overview, we discuss the listening intervention, the feedback intervention, the use of homework or experiments, and the intervention of therapeutic modeling, sometimes called “re-parenting."

For those considering whether or not to try therapy, this episode can provide an introduction and orientation that will demystify the therapeutic process and help them set their expectations. For the person who is or has been in therapy, this episode can serve as a practical explanation and review of the boundaries and proper function of the therapeutic relationship.