Psychotherapy

At Atrium Health Floyd and Harbin Clinic, you have access to highly trained, compassionate therapists. We're dedicated to helping you build self-esteem and self-reliance to improve your quality of life.

What is psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, is a general term for treating psychological disorders and mental distress. During psychotherapy, a trained therapist helps you tackle specific or general problems. Topics may range from a mental health diagnosis to general life stress.

Your relationship with your psychotherapist is the heart and soul of therapy. Psychotherapy should provide a supportive environment where you can talk openly with someone who is objective, neutral and nonjudgmental. You and your therapist work together to identify and change the thoughts and behaviors that are keeping you from feeling your best.

How does psychotherapy work?

Psychotherapists use a wide range of techniques. Most types of psychotherapy involve talking through problematic thoughts and behaviors. Your psychotherapist uses research-based strategies to help you develop healthier, more effective ways of thinking and behaving.

Successful psychotherapy is the result of several factors:

• Evidence-based treatments that are right for you
• Quality of your relationship with your therapist
• Your personal values, preferences, characteristics and culture
• Your therapist’s clinical expertise

It’s common to feel like your distress will never end when you start psychotherapy. But the treatment can help you understand what steps you can take to:

• Develop healthier behaviors
• Improve your emotional expression
• Increase your performance at work or school
• Think more positively

Conditions psychotherapy treats

Psychotherapy may be effective in treating multiple conditions, including:

• Addiction
• Anxiety disorders
• Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Behavior disorders
• Bipolar disorder
• Eating disorders
• Depression
• Impulse control disorder
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Psychosomatic disorders
• Schizophrenia
• Substance abuse

It can also help with working through concerns related to:

• Body image or weight
• Fear
• Grief and loss
• Relationships
• Self-esteem
• Stress

How effective is psychotherapy?

Studies have shown that psychotherapy helps people make positive changes in their lives:

• About 75% of people who start psychotherapy experience some benefits.
• The average person is better off by the end of treatment than 80% of those who don’t participate in talk therapy.