Treatment

The major forms of treatment for psychological disorders can be grouped
according to the most popular models of psychopathology. Thus, there exists
behavior therapy (learning approach), cognitive therapy and psychoanalysis
(psychological approach), and somatic treatment, such as the use of
medications (biological approach). Consistent with the biopsychosocial
model, many therapists practice cognitive behavior therapy while their clients
are taking medication for their disorders. These treatments, as well as
the models from which they derive, represent common and popular viewpoints,
but the list is not exhaustive (for instance, family systems is a model
of disorders, and the treatment is family therapy). The link between models
of psychopathology and treatment is not as strong as it appears. Therapists
tend to adopt the treatment belief of “whatever works,” despite the fact that
all therapists would prefer to know why the person is suffering from a disorder
and why a specific treatment is helpful. In addition, even if the therapist
is sure that the problem is a consequence of learning, he or she might have
the client take medication for symptom relief during therapy. In other
words, psychologists who are aligned with a specific model of psychopathology
will still employ an array of treatment techniques, some of which are
more closely associated with other models.