What Is Supportive Therapy?
Many people who are living with a mental illness or emotional difficulties may face challenges coping with daily stressors. It can be difficult to see the bigger picture and keep moving forward when your mental health is not in a good place, a therapist serves as a person that can help you to manage aspects of your own life and mental health. For this reason, many people benefit from the help of experienced, supportive mental health professionals to practice mental health techniques.
This can be especially true for individuals who do not have a strong external emotional support system in place. Supportive therapy that is rooted in empathy, also called supportive psychotherapy, can be helpful. This type of therapy can be reached in person or online and does not require psychiatric hospitalization or in-patient care.
When is supportive therapy helpful?
Not everyone has family members or friends whom they can turn to consistently when they are going through a difficult time, nor can our loved ones always help in the ways that we most need. This can make it especially hard to recover from bouts of depression or other types of emotional turmoil. Thankfully, supportive therapy is a psychotherapeutic approach that is generally designed to help people heal and develop a positive therapeutic relationship while also supporting them.
This therapy method can be particularly beneficial for those experiencing issues that have stretched their coping capacities, such as those with cancer, major depression or anxiety, personality disorders, those in unhealthy relationships, managing substance abuse, and more. Supportive therapy can offer practical tools, support, and encouragement to achieve one’s goals and increase a patient’s functional abilities. It can involve many different therapy techniques and support methods, but above all, it usually prioritizes creating a safe space where clients can express their emotions and explore their behaviors with a therapist in a fluid, conversational style.
Supportive psychotherapy may be beneficial for people living with various mental health conditions but is generally recommended for personality disorders, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and in treatment aiming to improve self-esteem. The practice of supportive cognitive-behavioral therapy, behavioral therapy, and other modalities can offer clients a sense of being cared for by their therapist.
What does supportive therapy involve?
During supportive therapy sessions, a therapist will typically use specific techniques to listen to what a client has to say and offer some important advice on how to cope with the situation. This type of therapy is usually empathetic and designed to help the patient feel encouraged. The idea is generally to provide emotional support for those who are going through a tough time. In supportive therapy, a patient’s self-esteem is normally considered important, and self-esteem may improve as the individual begins feeling safer and more supported while working through challenges.
Showing compassion for the client’s belief in therapy, their history, and their concerns can also be a supportive measure. Advice is frequently given compassionately. A supportive therapist will often reinforce accomplishments, and limit-setting will generally be gentle and appropriate, while holding space to help the client reduce defense mechanisms and other barriers to psychotherapy treatment.
This type of therapy can give many patients the ability to express their reality and what is going on in their lives during a session with a mental health provider. Supportive therapy can provide an outlet where they can speak about their grievances, gain clarity, and come to terms with challenges through the gentle guidance of the therapist. A supportive therapist may sometimes simply listen to gain more insight into your circumstances and feelings about them, while other times, they may offer advice and insight.
The environment for therapy can be important. Supportive therapy should ideally be conducted in a calm, relaxing setting. Relaxation techniques may be utilized to help clients feel calm in therapy sessions. When the client sees therapy sessions, the therapy space, and the psychotherapy provided as safe and supportive, their thoughts and feelings often benefit.
In therapy, a supportive therapeutic alliance can be an especially important element. The therapeutic alliance is usually defined as the cooperative working interpersonal relationship between the client and therapist. Most types of psychotherapy rely on a positive therapeutic alliance with the therapist understanding the patient’s feelings and the patient feeling heard and understood. In fact, the American Psychiatric Press points out that a true therapeutic alliance can be vital, not just to supportive psychotherapy, but to all psychotherapy. In supportive therapy, the therapeutic alliance is considered one of two of the most important elements, the second being the conversational style. When a client feels a positive therapeutic alliance with the therapist, they may let go of some of their defense mechanisms so that they can work more honestly and openly to make progress. Supportive therapy techniques can be adapted to other types of clinical practice, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy or dialectical behavior therapy (DBT).
Supportive therapies vs. insight therapies
Many therapists consider supportive therapy and insight therapy to be separate approaches. Supportive therapy is usually more about actively listening to what the client has to say and supporting them. Generally speaking, in traditional forms of behavior therapy, a therapist may be more inclined to interpret what a client says or experiences, try to correct certain behaviors, or attempt to guide a client toward healthier thoughts or behaviors. Some therapists may focus on identifying unconscious conflicts and challenges. However, this is not always the focus (or purpose) during supportive therapy sessions.
The idea behind supportive therapy is to give clients an outlet where they can express themselves and their frustrations, sorrows, joys, and hopes. The therapist typically listens and strives to understand clients’ feelings. Some individuals just need to have someone on their side to help them navigate life’s challenges, gain awareness, and move past their issues. Having a dedicated therapist who is willing to listen and be there can be enough to make a significant difference in a client’s life. That is why therapists who are practicing supportive therapy often think carefully before deciding to interject with advice of their own.
Insight therapy or interpersonal psychotherapy, on the other hand, is a treatment model that is usually more about advising the client. Sometimes, psychologists or psychiatrists may utilize insight therapy and supportive therapy in tandem. It is possible that a client may simply need to receive emotional support to help them get through a particular issue, in which case insight therapy may not be needed.
There can be many benefits to insight therapy. Therapists and clinical social workers may know how to guide patients down a more desirable, healthy, or sustainable path. The advice that a therapist can give clients may lead to them better managing their negative symptoms in everyday life. The therapist may take more direct measures to help the client develop adaptive skills, whereas less direct measures may be taken in supportive therapy.
Helping patients manage symptoms
Individuals who are going through a tough time and need help temporarily may not necessarily fit the bill for a supportive therapist but can still benefit from one if desired. Regardless, one ultimate goal of supportive therapy is often to help individuals manage their symptoms. If the client is experiencing severe anxiety, then supportive therapists may interject to teach them methods to bring their symptoms under control. Likewise, those going through depression may benefit from certain coping strategies and mechanisms that a supportive therapist can introduce.
Some therapists may suggest small or significant life changes to help the client move forward. Examples of big life changes can be alterations to the patient's diet and a recommendation to exercise more frequently. Even activities such as sports can be a great way to improve some clients’ moods, and it can give them something to look forward to. A therapist may also guide the individual toward doing things that could open up the possibility for them to bring new people into their lives, as connecting with others can have profound impacts on our well-being. Activities and behaviors that promote self-esteem are also frequently encouraged.
As a client feels safer, more confident, and supported in their capacity for change, they might benefit from concrete services like behavior rehearsal, graded exposure intervention, role-playing, learning problem-solving skills, building self-sufficiency, and developing adaptive capacities. These strategies can bring about positive changes in specific behaviors. People may learn to see themselves in a different light and approach their behaviors from a different angle. For instance, they may move from a pessimistic view of seeing “only problems” to an optimistic view of seeing positives and opportunities and feeling resilient and strong.
One of the reasons why people may seek out supportive therapy can be due to not having enough supportive or consistent people in their lives. For this reason, a patient may be encouraged to make new friends. Supportive therapy groups where a client feels comfortable may also be beneficial. A client may also be encouraged to try out new hobbies and do new things to have fun. Promoting positivity and happiness can be a very important part of supportive therapy. All of these can lead to improvements in the social life of the individuals, and this can aid in alleviating some of their problems.
Do I need support therapy?
Determining whether or not you need supportive therapy or another type of cognitive therapy can be fairly simple. If you are experiencing mental health issues that are negatively impacting your life, then you would likely benefit from therapy. Those who do not have others to rely on for emotional support or who cannot receive the kind of support that they need from loved ones may benefit from more support than usual from a therapist. In such instances, a supportive therapist may be the right choice for you. Many traditional therapy methods use a few supportive therapy techniques to help patients, as supportive therapy is often considered foundational to other therapies.
It is not unusual for a therapist to combine traditional therapy methods with supportive treatment techniques when a patient needs them. Typically, therapists will conduct an assessment of ego functions, such as reality testing, judgement, and others, that can give them deeper insights into the individual’s personality, coping styles, difficulties, and more. They can then use this information in combination with their knowledge and instincts to make informed decisions for the client’s betterment. If you and your therapist think you might benefit from a different type of therapy, they can refer you to another therapist who may better suit your needs.
Consider contacting an online therapist
You can also consider contacting an online therapist. Online therapy can be a great option for many people to consider when looking for effective treatment and professional support. It can be more practical than most traditional therapy methods. Scheduling tends to be more flexible, sessions can be conducted anywhere you have an internet connection, and you can still enjoy high-quality therapy sessions. In addition, you may request to be connected with a therapist who practices supportive therapy if you feel you’d benefit from this therapeutic approach.
It can be possible to get help for many different types of problems when you seek out online therapy. Whether you are experiencing major depression, an anxiety disorder, grief, or trouble with your interpersonal relationships, you may benefit from speaking to an online therapist. Studies through a psychiatric press have shown that online cognitive behavioral therapy can be more effective for treating anxiety and depression than a doctor’s primary care.
Takeaway
What are supportive therapy techniques?
Supportive therapy techniques are specific strategies counselors use to facilitate the therapeutic process effectively. How they’re used typically varies between clients, depending on their unique needs. Standard techniques a supportive psychotherapist might use include:
Building a therapeutic alliance
Research proves that a solid therapeutic alliance is the most critical part of supportive therapy for better outcomes and treatment adherence. An emotional bond and a high level of collaboration between the client and therapist are necessary for establishing trust and cooperation. Active listening, empathy, collaborative goals, and insight-oriented positive reinforcement are critical to creating alliance and therapeutic success.
Active listening
Active listening is a key building block for establishing a strong therapeutic alliance and favorable treatment outcomes. During sessions, the therapist pays close attention to verbal and non-verbal communication from the client, allowing them to speak openly and honestly without interruption. An actively listening therapist will ask open-ended questions to gather more information and perspective, such as “How did that situation make you feel in the moment?” or “What was your takeaway from the interaction?” Not only do these types of questions give the therapist greater insight, but they also allow the patient to vent and reflect on their thoughts and feelings.
Another component of active listening includes the therapist repeating or summarizing their understanding of what the client says. This indicates they seek to understand what the client is saying and clarify details they might not. Additionally, non-verbal cues such as nodding, leaning forward, and maintaining comfortable eye contact with the client convey engagement and interest.
Applying empathy
Like a strong therapeutic relationship, there is strong evidence to suggest that a psychotherapist’s level of empathy and engagement is a strong predictor of therapeutic success. Empathy means striving to understand the client’s reality and experience. This includes how their past has influenced their present, the motivations behind their behaviors, and the origins of their thoughts and emotions. Empathy also includes responding to the client’s experience non-judgmentally with solidarity and positive regard.
Psychoeducation
The therapist should educate the patient and their loved ones about the patient’s mental illness and the therapeutic process. Part of psychoeducation includes outlining how the patient’s lived experiences reflect their coping skills, strengths and weaknesses, and the inherent challenges they face daily. Not only does psychoeducation help patients and their loved ones establish realistic expectations of therapeutic outcomes, but it also encourages empathy and support from family and friends as the client navigates their journey.
Teaching cognitive reframing skills
When learning cognitive reframing, the client gradually learns to think about their beliefs and perceptions differently. Cognitive reframing aims to modify unhelpful or negative thoughts and replace them with more realistic, positive ones. Cognitive reframing can alleviate symptoms associated with anxiety and depression, like hopelessness, chronic fear, and rumination. It can also motivate clients to create positive change, reduce feelings of despair and alienation, and feel more empowered to make positive change.
Teaching behavioral and emotional regulation skills
The benefits of cognitive reframing include learning to manage behavioral and emotional dysregulation that interferes with the individual’s daily life and interpersonal relationships. When an individual cannot think rationally or objectively in a situation, they may be more likely to experience overwhelming emotions that control how they react. For example, during a disagreement, the individual may perceive aggression from the other party when, in reality, there is none. As a result, the fight, flight or freeze response can take over, causing them to lash out or withdraw instead of resolving the conflict. Teaching the client to recognize and neutralize inappropriate, unhelpful reactions in such situations is a critical technique in supportive therapy.
Behavior modeling
Behavior modeling aims to help cultivate stronger adaptive skills and strategies for managing challenges outside sessions. Role-playing is a good example, in which the therapist and client will act out a socially challenging scenario and then experiment with more productive ways to handle such scenarios. Behavior modeling also includes the therapist modeling the qualities the patient strives to normalize, such as patience, stability in challenging situations, and kindness. The counselor’s model of choice typically depends on the type of support the client needs.
Managing transference
Transference, an occurrence in which the therapeutic bond alters how the client perceives their therapist, is common in many types of psychotherapy. The client might associate the strong feelings they develop for their therapist with another nurturing figure in their childhood, such as a parent. Part of successful outcomes in supportive therapy relies on putting such strong feelings in perspective for the client while maintaining an empathetic bond.
Encouragement and positive reinforcement
Another cornerstone of supportive therapy is building the client’s self-esteem through continuous encouragement, reassurance, and validation. Therapists help clients reach their goals with praise, positive reinforcement, and gentle accountability.
What is the focus of supportive therapy?
Supportive therapy focuses on the therapeutic relationship between client and counselor to facilitate progress and improvement. The therapist focuses on providing empathy, encouragement, and tools for the client to manage challenges outside of therapy. Supportive treatment aims to help clients cope healthily with difficult circumstances and achieve overall well-being.
What are the benefits of supportive therapy?
Supportive therapy benefits clients in several ways. It helps reduce symptoms of mental illness, improve communication and problem-solving skills, and increase self-esteem. Supportive treatment teaches clients to regulate their emotions and behaviors to make healthier choices and cultivate better mental health.
How long does supportive therapy last?
Supportive therapy isn’t a time-bound process, so there is no set time frame in which treatment occurs. It’s typically used as a long-term therapy because building a therapeutic alliance and integrating other forms of treatment (if necessary) may take time. Ultimately, the treatment length and session frequency depend on the client's needs.
What are the aims of supportive therapy?
For the client, supportive therapy goals may include alleviating symptoms, reframing unrealistic and unhelpful beliefs, regulating behaviors and emotions, improving self-esteem, and acquiring coping skills that prepare the client to manage challenges and stress in daily life.
What are examples of supportive therapy?
In a typical session, supportive therapists collaborate with their clients to set goals and create tasks to achieve them. These tasks are usually behavioral in nature, for example:
- Behavior rehearsal: A technique in which the client rehearses helpful behavioral patterns introduced in therapy until they feel comfortable using them in situations outside of treatment. It’s typically used to help clients improve interpersonal skills and social interactions.
- Role-playing: A technique most often utilized in skills training and psychotherapy in which the client and therapist reenact scenarios and responses to improve behavioral and emotional dysregulation, address unhealthy defense mechanisms, and supply the client with alternatives for handling complex interactions.
- Relaxation techniques: The client learns to use techniques like mindfulness, grounding, breathing exercises, and other stress-management strategies.
- Graded exposure: Also sometimes called systematic desensitization, this technique includes a collaboration between client and therapist to create a hierarchy in which distressing objects, situations, or activities are ranked from mild to difficult. The client then confronts these stressors in order, working their way up until they learn to cope with the most distressing situations. Typically, graded exposure integrates relaxation exercises to facilitate the process more easily.
- Visualization and imagery: Sessions might involve guided visualizations in which the therapist guides the client in forming mental images of challenging situations and imagining desired outcomes.
What is the best supportive care treatment?
The best supportive care treatment centers around the therapeutic alliance between the client and counselor. The client and counselor should work together to establish goals and tasks, the client’s capacity and willingness to do the therapeutic work, and the therapist’s ability to remain empathetic and supportive during the process. It’s usually less structured and non-directive than other types of therapy, although supportive psychotherapy is typically combined with different forms of treatment like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
As such, mental health professionals using supportive psychotherapy should be trained in other types of approaches and assessment techniques. Assessments typically measure judgment, ego functions, belief systems, and attachment styles. The evaluations aim to get a more thorough picture of the individual’s personality, their approach to interpersonal relationships, their coping styles, and other pertinent information associated with the client’s challenges. From there, the counselor can structure a treatment plan tailored to the client’s needs.
What is supportive and interpersonal therapy?
Supportive and interpersonal therapy (IPT) are both methods of treatment in which the therapist and client work together to relieve the client’s symptoms of mental distress by reframing negative thoughts, cultivating behavioral and emotional regulation skills, and developing strategies for coping with daily challenges.
The primary difference between the two is that IPT focuses on how the client’s interpersonal relationships influence their symptoms and challenges. The therapeutic alliance and empathy are critical common factors in both modalities, but IPT is time-limited and typically more structured than supportive psychotherapy.
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