Psychotherapy facts for kids
Psychotherapy is a way that trained helpers, called psychotherapists, work with people. They help those who are facing problems or feeling unhappy in their lives. Psychotherapy also helps people improve their relationships with others and feel better about themselves.
The word "psychotherapy" means "treatment of the mind". It aims to help a person feel stronger, happier, and more in charge of their own life. Psychotherapists mainly do this by talking with the person. This helps the person understand their own thoughts and feelings better. Sometimes, psychotherapists work with a group of people, like a family, to help them solve problems together.
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What is a Psychotherapist?
A psychotherapist is a professional who helps people understand their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. They use talking and other methods to guide people toward better mental well-being. They do not use surgery or give medicines. Those methods are used by special medical doctors called psychiatrists, who might also offer psychotherapy.
Training to Become a Psychotherapist
Most psychotherapists complete a lot of schooling. They usually earn a high-level degree, like a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or a Master's degree. This training teaches them how to understand the human mind and how to help people effectively.
How Psychotherapy Started
Psychotherapy as we know it began in the late 1800s. A famous doctor named Sigmund Freud is often called the first modern psychotherapist.
Sigmund Freud's Ideas
Freud was a medical doctor who studied the brain. He believed that hidden thoughts and feelings, which he called the "unconscious mind," could cause physical problems or strange behaviors. He thought that things that happened to people when they were babies or very young children could affect them later in life.
Freud developed "talking therapy." He would talk with his patients to try and figure out what was causing their problems. He hoped that by understanding these hidden causes, his patients would get better. His ideas were very important and led to many new ways of helping people.
Images for kids
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Group therapy, Ukraine
See also
In Spanish: Psicoterapia para niños
