Psychotherapy 

Psychotherapy is a form of treatment in which symptoms are relieved or problems resolved through prescribed verbal interaction with a psychotherapist. Psychoanalysis and psychodynamic psychotherapy aim to alleviate emotional, cognitive, and behavioral problems by providing greater insight into unconscious conflicts. Psychodynamic treatment is widely used and many of the principles of psychodynamic therapy have been incorporated into other psychotherapeutic approaches.

Common forms of psychotherapy include:

• Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CBT) teaches patients to recognize, evaluate, and modify negative and unrealistic thought patterns that contribute to their symptoms
• Supportive Psychotherapy focuses on symptom relief and overt behavior change
• Brief Psychotherapy addresses symptoms in a limited number of sessions or in terms of specific objectives.

Psychiatric residents are required to achieve competence in psychodynamic psychotherapy, CBT, and supportive psychotherapy.

Essential Guides to Psychotherapy

American Psychiatric Publishing (APPI), a division of the American Psychiatric Association, publishes textbooks and other clinical references on many psychotherapy techniques.

	Restoring Mentalizing in Attachment Relationships: Treating Trauma With Plain Old Therapy describes trauma in attachment relationships, reviews the literature, and makes a compelling, evidence-based argument for the efficacy of psychotherapy.
	Learning Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, An Illustrated Guide, offers descriptions and practical instructions on the most effective cognitive-behavioral strategies.
	Handbook of Mentalizing in Mental Health Practice helps therapists to teach their patients to be aware of their own thoughts and feelings and differentiate their subjective experience from that of others.

View a complete list of books about psychotherapy.