Theoretical Approaches to Mental Health Practices - Essay Example

What type of psychology appeals to you most, when you were in school?
Miss Lyons: Well obviously, I do like abnormal psychology but I think the developmental approach is also good. It tells a lot about a person’s personality in relation to his age and it relates to the psychoanalytic approach as well.
Me: Did this influence the theoretical approach you use for your work?
Miss Lyons: Yes, of course.
Me: What is your preferred theoretical approach?
Miss Lyons: I prefer Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Psychoanalysis. I know they seem to be polar opposites but they work for me pretty well. Cognitive Behavior Therapy is quite popular because it is short-term and effective. Many people overcome their phobias and the like with them. Psychoanalytic therapy, on the other hand, explores a person’s unconscious, and this may take a long time, but the findings about yourself are actually quite rewarding as well. That’s why I like both.
Me: What made this theory appealing to you?
Miss Lyons: The depth and the practicalities of the two theories really appeal to me. They let you explore the history and predict the outcome of the behavior of a person through the scientific method.
Me: In light of all the recent school violence in the country, how would you abate the problem?
Miss Lyons: You know what, it all starts at home. You can say it’s the nature vs. nurture theory is at work here, but I think nurture is more powerful than nature in this case. I think I would start cognitive behavior therapy on them but as children. Start them young to prevent future mishaps.
Me: How do you stay current in your field?
Miss Lyons: I attend seminars and conferences every now and then, at least twice a year, to improve my knowledge and exchange ideas with my colleagues. It is always a nice experience.
Me: Who are mostly your clients?
Miss Lyons: Usually employees and professionals. High-stress lives,
Me: Do you have to change your approach over the years or according to your clients?
Miss Lyons: Through the years, as I learn more, I adapt. I do not change according to clients because people are people, whoever they are and wherever they come from.
Me: That’s it for the interview. Thank you for your time.
Miss Lyons: You’re welcome.

Part 2: Me and My Theoretical Orientation
Me, I am more inclined to do psychoanalysis at the moment. I know it is not exactly the most popular choice in the field of psychology right now but for me, it is the most interesting.

Psychoanalysis is rooted in the thought that people are motivated by sex and aggression, kind of like animals. We are all animals and that makes a lot of sense to me. We are all primal creatures and are only shaped by the norms and the rules that we have imposed upon ourselves.

There are three components of the self in Psychoanalysis: the Id, Ego, and Superego. The Id is the pleasure-seeking part of the brain: the sex and aggression part; the Ego is the rational mind, the decision maker as it tells us to whether follow the Superego or the Id. The Superego on the other hand is the conscience. Psychoanalysis implies that all of our problems are rooted in the idea that the id and the superego are all in conflict and that the ego is getting confused. That, or the Id takes too much and vice versa.

Therefore for psychoanalysis, the balance of the three components is the key to wellness. How to do that? Well, first of all, we have to determine if the person is Id-motivated or Superego motivated. Then we can start off from there.

Like Miss Lyons, it is advisable to pair psychoanalysis with another practice from another theory. Talking to her made me realize the practicality of cognitive behavior therapy. It does have a very convenient connection with psychoanalysis (and the developmental approach) so that we may understand the person more and why he does the things that he does.

My own experiences are, of course, directly influential to my choice of theories. Psychoanalysis, well, is very interesting for me because it can be biological but also quite not. It is all theory and then some. But when you think of it more, the truer it seems.

That is my personality. I am not what people think I am. I am more what people know, and I strive for balance as well, Like the three components of the self in psychoanalysis. I think all people should have that balance. That’s why it appeals so much to me; not to mention the fact that we are all indeed animals and we strive for pleasure at all times!

Honestly, I only looked at the cognitive behavior therapy approach when I interviewed Miss Lyons. It is indeed practical and very helpful to those who are socially impaired. Read More