Definitions and overview

‘Psychological management’ is a broad term encompassing a range of theoretical frameworks and techniques, such as psychoanalysis, various forms of psychotherapy, behaviour therapy, supportive psychotherapy and counselling.

Some methods focus on an evolving interpersonal interaction between therapist and patient (i.e. a ‘psychodynamic’ psychotherapy approach), while others are mainly concerned with a patient's thoughts (i.e. a ‘cognitive therapy’ approach) or behaviour (i.e. a ‘behaviour therapy’ approach).

Psychological management can be defined as the alleviation of problems by behavioural interventions designed to influence the patient's higher mental activity. Such behavioural interventions include what the therapist (or other relevant individuals, e.g. in group psychotherapy) says and does (or does not say or do), together with any modifications that the therapist may encourage in the patient's social environment, such as admitting a patient to hospital or a day centre. Higher mental activity can be considered as those mental processes that are experienced in conscious awareness, or have this potential, and includes thoughts, memories and emotions. Higher mental activity also involves so-called ‘unconscious’ mental processes, an example of which would be an instruction given in an ‘hypnotic state’ that is subsequently carried out without the individual being consciously aware of the reasons for his/her actions.