How Person-Centered Interventions Work
The ideas behind person-centered therapy sound so commonplace and sensible that it’s hard to imagine a time when this approach did not exist. Yet its theories and practice only developed in the past 100 years. From them, person-centered interventions appeared to help individuals struggling with acute conditions. Nowadays, these interventions are a stepping stone to other therapeutic services: PTSD therapy, intensive in-home care, anger management, and more.
Residents of Fredericksburg, VA, who want such help can find it at Therapeutic Alliance. As a private mental health agency, we offer personalized and comprehensive care to every patient. Our staff’s extensive training and rich background help them to deliver the highest-quality treatment possible. Moreover, with July as National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, now is the perfect opportunity to seek support. Call us today at (833) 319-0526 to learn more or schedule a consultation!
Below, we describe the practices and purposes of person-centered interventions:
What are Person-Centered Interventions?
Before the advent of person-centered therapy, psychologists used psychodynamic and behavioral approaches to treat mental illness. These schools of thought hinge on formal frameworks and specialized theory, and while they eventually gave rise to treatments used to this day, psychodynamic and behavioral therapy did little for many patients in the past.
In the 1950s, a psychologist named Carl Rogers proposed alternative treatments that applied a simple, warm, and optimistic approach. He believed therapists could encourage patients to reflect on their thoughts and feelings, identify the issues that caused negative ones, and use that knowledge to grow and heal.
Of course, everyone’s circumstances differ. While some may willingly go to a counselor’s office and work through their hang-ups, others will deny they have any health issues altogether. The latter scenario calls for therapeutic intervention, in which loved ones—and sometimes a professional counselor—confront an individual who practices self-destructive behavior. Person-centered interventions, in particular, apply Rogers’ ideas to intervention situations.
Approach and Setting of Person-Centered Interventions
While Hollywood has offered some dramatic intervention scenes over the years, real-life therapeutic interventions often differ from those depictions. Actual interventions sometimes occur in a home setting between family members and friends along with rehabilitation and psychiatric institutions, where a professional can assist.
Moreover, interventions can help individuals suffering from conditions besides addiction. They help in cases involving dementia, emotional problems, PTSD, eating disorders, and more. In some cases, individuals may need interventions because they are physically or mentally unable to initiate a therapeutic process (for instance, after a traumatic car accident).
Nevertheless, therapeutic interventions are not a one-size-fits-all solution. Individuals who intend to harm themselves or others require crisis intervention because they face an imminent catastrophe. A therapeutic intervention would better suit, for instance, someone who displays symptoms of PTSD but refuses to seek treatment for their condition.
Person-Centered Intervention Benefits and Outcomes
All forms of treatment can benefit patients, yet person-centered interventions offer some particular advantages. Research indicates that they may spur positive environmental changes, improve interpersonal relationships, and increase professional performance. Additionally, they can help someone caught in a traumatic mental state to face the causes of their psychological pain.
Nevertheless, a person-centered intervention cannot force someone into therapy against their will. It is a persuasive technique, a wake-up call for those who struggle with symptoms. The family and friends of suffering individuals can use it as a first step for their loved ones’ healing processes.
PTSD Therapy Services Available in Fredericksburg, VA
Person-centered therapy and interventions have much to offer individuals struggling with mental health concerns. Indeed, they may provide the first steps into long-term PTSD professional therapy, but they require licensed practitioners for the best results. Residents of Fredericksburg, VA, can turn to Therapeutic Alliance for such services as well as mental health skill building, child development, depression and anxiety, and more. Call us today at (833) 319-0526 or visit our website to request more information about therapeutic services.
