About Psychotherapy

The average client receiving psychotherapy is better off than 79% of clients who do not seek treatment. By comparing the effects of psychotherapy with the effects of medication, Dr. Robert Rosenthal, Harvard University psychologist, convincingly demonstrated that the typical effects of psychotherapy often exceed the degree of effect found in biomedical breakthroughs. Simply put, psychotherapy is quite effective.

Popular belief holds that antidepressant medications are plainly the most powerful treatment for depression. But, in fact, there is no stronger medicine for depression than psychotherapy. Scientific evidence shows that psychotherapy is generally as effective or more effective than medications in treating depression, especially when consumer satisfaction and long-term follow-up are considered. Research shows that psychotherapy for depression is at least as effective as antidepressant medications during the treatment period and more effective in preventing a return of the symptoms after the treatment is stopped. This is not to devalue the positive impact of antidepressants; rather, it is to underscore the reliable strength of psychotherapy.

In summary, the scientific research supports the value of psychotherapy, even brief therapy, as an effective treatment for common mental health problems. Effective psychotherapy translates into happier and healthier people.

Potential Benefits of Psychotherapy

Reduction of pain, anxiety, depression or other symptoms.

The effects of treatment include improved quality of life or reduction or elimination of mental illness.

The effects of psychotherapy may extend beyond you. Thus, your family and friends may have their quality of life improved if therapy is successful. In a more tangible way, they may also achieve more productivity in their own work and have more time available for their own needs. The opportunity value of their improved productivity and time can be calculated and, where appropriate, considered as a benefit of psychotherapy.

As a result of therapy, you may be a more productive worker, and the benefits of
this productivity may accrue to your employer . Absenteeism may be reduced, accidents may go down and a host of other benefits are potentially the result of psychotherapy.

Benefits to Society .—Some of the most tangible benefits of psychotherapy may accrue to society. The maintenance of employment may yield a savings directly to society. These effects, reflected in such savings as reduced unemployment payments, may be over and above the benefits to you and your employer. Although such outcomes may be relatively easy to value, a problem is that the benefits, if they exist, probably accumulate over a long period of time.

Therapy-related benefits, such as reductions in work absenteeism, physician visits or drug abuse have also occurred.

Why do marriages fail?

Common reasons include:

  • One partner has an affair
  • The couple gradually grows farther and farther apart
  • One or both partners grow tired of the fighting, bickering and conflict
  • One partner feels neglected, disconnected or ignored
  • One partner feels abused, mistreated or violated
  • One persons values have changed and you don’t seem compatible any more

Can you relate to any of these issues above?

How does a couple go from “falling in love” to the relationship “falling apart”?

There are many reasons a relationship becomes dysfunctional.

The typical reasons are:

  1. lack of communication,
  2. poor communication or
  3. negative communication.

Call For Professional Help Today

Steven J. Chen, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist with over 20 years experience working with over 5,000 individuals. He has been licensed since 1994 in the state of Utah and is in good standing with the licensing board and with the Utah Psychological Association (UPA) and the American Psychological Association (APA). He has served on the UPA board for many years and served as President of the UPA. He has the highest possible rating from previous clients on online rating sites (See HealthGrades).

Dr. Chen is listed in the Psychologist Locator, in Psychology Today Online, in GoodTherapy, in Locate a Doc and many other online listing services.

Call (801) 718-1609 or text (801) 718-1609. Learn more about Dr. Steven Chen here.