treatment of Abnormal Behavior ❮ 251Modes of therapy
So far we have discussed therapies that are largely individual—in other words, one-on-one.
Another way that psychological services can be delivered is in groups.Group Therapy
The same types of therapies used in individual counseling can be used with a group of
patients. Typically, group therapy is more helpful than individual counseling in enabling
the client to discover that others have similar problems. Individuals receive information
about their problems from either the therapist or other group members. Financially,
group therapy is also cheaper for clients who might otherwise not be able to afford
individual counseling. Less verbal clients and those more resistant in individual settings
may find it easier to open up about their problems in a group setting. Clients get helpful
feedback from peers that may allow them to gain better insight into their own particular
situations.Couples and Family Therapy
Trained professionals can direct spouses and family members to openly discuss their indi-
vidual perspectives on the same issue. In the neutral setting of the therapist’s office, indi-
viduals can come to better understand others’ feelings and beliefs and how their behavior
affects others. The therapy can serve as a training ground to practice better communication
skills and bring about improved relationships.Self-Help Groups
Self-help groups are yet another way that individuals who share the same problem may
get assistance. One of the best-known examples is Alcoholics Anonymous. Recovering
alcoholics get peer support and have an outlet to share their individual experiences. It
should be noted, however, that trained psychotherapists do not conduct these sessions. The
responsibility for leading the group is up to the group members themselves. Meetings can
be attended anywhere in the United States. New members can receive a sponsor, someone
who has been in recovery for a longer period of time, to call in emergency situations.
A spiritual aspect underlies Alcoholics Anonymous’s Twelve-Step Program as well.community and preventive approaches
With deinstitutionalization came the problem of how to help patients released from mental
hospitals and an ever-growing number of other people in need of aid in local communi-
ties. The vast increase in the homeless population, many of whom have symptoms of
schizophrenia, has posed a problem that has not been solved. Yet these problems have led
to the rise of a relatively new subfield of psychology, community psychology. Community
psychologists aim to promote psychosocial change to prevent psychological disorders as
well as to treat people with psychopathologies in their local communities.
As part of the community mental health movement of the 1960s, local clinics cropped
up. With continued funding problems, these local clinics try to provide both treatment and
preventive services. One of their major goals is to treat people with psychological problems
to prevent them from getting worse and help them recover. They address unemployment,
poverty, overcrowding, and other stressful social problems that can affect mental health.
Other initiatives include prenatal and follow-up well-baby care, dissemination of informa-
tion on sexually transmitted diseases, suicide prevention programs, child abuse prevention,