Before starting therapy, people understandably want to know what therapy is about, and how a therapist can help them. These are legitimate questions. Let’s try to answer them.

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Psychotherapy is an English word of Greek origin, which is derived from Ancient Greek psyche (meaning “breath; spirit; soul”) and therapeia (“healing; medical treatment”). Psychotherapy today is a practical application of psychology. Psychology was officially recognized as science in 1879, when Wilhelm Wundt opened the first experimental psychological clinic. However, psychotherapy is significantly older than psychology. Initially, it was a combination of religious, magical and/or medical perspectives and was informally practiced throughout all ages when people received consultation and reassurance from others. In ancient Greece, serious mental illness was recognized as a mental condition rather than attributed to the demonic possession.  First theoretically-based psychotherapy was probably developed in the Middle East in the 9th century by the Persian physician and philosopher, Rhazes, who was a practicing physician at the psychiatric hospital in Baghdad.

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In the West, serious mental illness was treated as demonic or medical conditions that required punishment or isolation, until the 18th century,  when the possibility of psychosocial intervention with a purpose of rehabilitation of the  “insane” was introduced.  However, Sigmund Freud was the first person to develop a method of psychotherapy at the end of the 19th century. Freud used the method of free associations to access unconscious in order to recognize suppressed memories and impulses that he saw as a reason of patient’s problems. Since then, many theoretical approaches in psychotherapy have emerged, including psychoanalysis, cognitive, behavioral, interpersonal, humanistic/existential and many others. In USA, psychologists primarily focused on psychological assessment. After the World War II, more and more psychologists started focusing on providing psychotherapy, which before that was a prerogative of psychiatrists.

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Nowadays, psychotherapy has wide practical applications. Our overall functioning is a true combination of physical and mental health, with both aspects being strongly connected. While our physical health is perceived to be a focus of attention of medical professionals, our mental state and psychological wellbeing has a direct influence on our physical condition. For instance, for someone who has a serious illness, such as cancer, it is critical to take care of his/her mental health in order to help the body fight the disease. Psychotherapy is a strong instrument that can help people in many ways.