Psychotherapy Defined and Described: A Primer for Novice Clinical Interviewers

Author Info

Travis J. Pashak

Corresponding Author

Travis J. Pashak
Saginaw Valley State University, Michigan, USA

A B S T R A C T

This brief article consists of an attempt to broadly and inclusively define psychotherapy, as well as to provide a description of several basic skillsets for entry-level clinical interviewers, psychotherapists, counselors, and social workers. The paper overviews four crucial points about therapy, namely that interviewers should engage in active listening, scanning-and-focusing, open-minded curiosity, and the avoidance of advice-giving. The paper concludes with a concise summary and encouragement for budding therapists.

Article Info

Article Type

Research Article

Publication history

Received: Tue 31, Dec 2019
Accepted: Sat 25, Jan 2020
Published: Fri 31, Jan 2020

Copyright

© 2023 Travis J. Pashak. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Hosting by Science Repository.
DOI: 10.31487/j.PDR.2020.01.01