Short-Term Therapy
Short-term therapy is most effective when a well-defined therapeutic goal can be established by patient and therapist. This criterion applies to a wide range of situations.
For example, a patient who has previously been in long-term therapy finds herself unable to decide how to deal with a specific issue in an ongoing relationship. In short-term, focused therapy the therapist might help her to see more clearly which aspects of her own personality contribute to the problem or prevent her from behaving in a constructive fashion, and also discuss with her various practical solutions or communication techniques to consider.
A different approach would be used for a patient with a fear of flying. This person could be taught a self-hypnosis exercise for entering into a trance - state in which fear is reduced, and flight time used effectively. For example, a documentary producer now uses trance while traveling to create scenes for her movies. A single session is typically all that is required to learn the technique - which would subsequently be practiced for 90 seconds eight or ten times a day until mastery is achieved.
The common goal of all forms of short-term therapy is to overcome the flawed assumptions about ourselves and the world that we all hold to various degrees. Challenging those assumptions and putting them to the test behaviorally forms the basis for cognitive and behavioral approaches to change.
Multiple short-term techniques are frequently used together. A patient learning self-hypnosis in preparation for surgery expresses her distress at the thought of being alone in the hospital, but feels that she cannot ask her friends to visit. She assumes that “people don’t want to be bothered" and might feel angry or refuse. The therapist will help her to evaluate and provide evidence for her assumptions through a series of questions, and may also encourage her to test the assumptions by inviting someone she doesn't particularly care about to visit. Patients are frequently surprised to discover the extent to which their assumptions are incorrect. Many times when a person is feeling anxious, thinking becomes exclusively focused on imagining the most negatives outcomes possible, and simply challenging the assumptions brings great relief.
