Mental Health Treatment Plans

Mental health treatment plans differ depending on the school of psychological thought that psychologists belong to. Typically, plans may involve medication, lifestyle changes, therapy, or even more exotic methods, such as hypnotherapy.

The oldest school of psychological thought is that of psychoanalysis, which was created by the legendary psychologist Sigmund Freud, among others. Mental health treatment plans based on psychoanalytic methodology typically will explore a person's past, delving into their childhood and other formative years and events to explain a person's current behavior. By discovering key events that helped to shape a person's current unconscious thought patterns, a psychoanalyst will help patients overcome their own follies to become a healthier person. Some techniques used by psychoanalysts include hypnotism and free association (which includes the now infamous Rorschach test).

Another school of psychological thought that has attempted  to procure mental health treatments plans is cognitive behavioral therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy encourages the mentally ill to face the symptoms of undesired behavior and the behavior itself to determine a new course of action or behavior. Essentially, therapy involves educating patients on their mental health issues and exposing them to their fears. Often, therapy like this is supplemented by medication to help patients cope with disorders until they learn to overcome them. This type of therapy is most effective for people with phobias or anxiety disorders. It has also been noted as being particularly useful for combating depression.

Integrative psychotherapy, expressive therapy, and behavioral therapy are a few examples of other forms of psychotherapy that offer philosophies in regards to mental health treatment plans. If you would like to discuss your own mental health treatment plan, please register and participate in the BetterMentally.com message board.