TYPES OF TREATMENT

What is psychotherapy?  There are many different  answers to this question, depending upon whom you  ask.  In general, psychotherapy can be defined as talk  therapy.  It is a process by which the patient and  therapist explore together the symptoms felt by the  patient with the goal of relieving his or her  discomfort.  Psychotherapy is more than talking over  problems with your friends, it is more than finding  answers in self-help books, or from television or  radio psychologists.  It is a medical procedure best  performed by physicians aimed at the treatment of  real problems.    

There are many different types of psychotherapy practiced by many  different types of practitioners.  Training and experience can vary  widely between types of practitioners and even individual practitioners  of the same level, so it is important to have a true understanding of the  type of practitioner you are seeing (M.D. or D.O., Ph.D., M.S.W., etc.) and  the level of their experience in the treatment of your type of condition.    

Although all therapy has the same goal – the relief of symptoms,  different schools of thought have developed over the years.  Certain  types of conditions respond better to certain types of therapies.  A  patient may do better with one type of therapist than another.  A patient  with limited time, access to care, and a very mild condition may respond  better to short-term problem-oriented treatment.  Patients whose  symptoms are causing more anxiety, depression, work, marital, or  interpersonal problems may benefit from more insight-oriented therapy.   Cognitive or behavioral therapy may also work well for some patients  who need more understanding of their behavior and techniques with  which to change it.  While most therapy done by Dr. Belkin is based in  psychoanalytic and psychodynamic treatment, he uses a combination of  therapies depending upon the specific needs of a patient, the desires of  the patient, and what he feels will help the patient most in the most  reasonable length of time.  

Depression and anxiety are the two most  common reasons for presentation to my office.   Daily stresses, family issues, marital issues,  finances or a multitude of other reasons can  cause significant symptoms of depression or  anxiety.   

Even a mild level of depression or anxiety can be quite disturbing  to a person.  The lack of interest in one's activities, one's hobby, or  one's job can be early symptoms of depression.  Anger, irritability,  arguments at work or home also can signify that a person is  suffering from depression or anxiety.  When one does not want to  get out of bed in the morning, whether it is because of a lack of  energy or because of a fear of what the day will bring is a  symptom that needs treatment.  Constant or intermittent  nervousness or a feeling of not being comfortable in one's own  skin is another symptom of anxiety.  

Treatment for these disorders is available.  As with many  psychiatric problems, the primary course of treatment is  psychotherapy.  Generally, my practice concentrates on insight- oriented psychotherapy for these disorders, but other forms of  dynamically-informed treatment are necessary in certain  instances.  Some patients need reassurance that their symptoms are  normal and will go away once the stressors are removed and  when they accept this, their depression and anxiety abates.  

In some cases, medication treatment is needed.  There are several  medications available for the treatment of depression and anxiety  and these can be effective when used in conjunction with  psychotherapy.  Although the doctors do not accept patients  requiring complex or solely medication treatment, it is important  in cases requiring adjunctive medication, that the psychiatrist  prescribing the medication be the professional providing the  therapy for the patient.  This type of treatment seems to be the  most effective in the treatment of patients and leads to the  quickest and most complete relief of symptoms.

There are many ways that marital  dysfunction affects the family.  Many issues  affect children of the marriage.  Oftentimes,  even in marriages that are cordial, but  dysfunctional, the children are able to read the  distance between their parents and react to  that distance.  Divorce, remarriage, and adult  children returning to the home are all  potential significant stressors in the marriage.    Even happy circumstances such as a marriage, the  purchase of a home, birth of a child, or  retirement are stimuli that bring out marital  difficulties.    

Many relationship problems are fixable.  It requires partners who  want to repair the damaged parts of their relationship and have  the same or similar goals.  Marital therapy begins with individual  therapy of the partners.  Exploring one’s own issues is the key to  repairing the problems in the marriage.  Couples therapy with both  spouses being treated at the same session together can also be  helpful in the marriage’s repair.  

Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder is very common in both  adults and children.  Left untreated, it can result in life-long  dysfunction: poor school performance, social problems,  inability to succeed at work, and multiple other consequences.   Oftentimes, ADHD is relatively straightforward to diagnose and  to treat.     

There are two basic variations of ADHD.  The  hyperactive, impulsive version is the one with which  most people are familiar.  The child or adult appears  to be "bouncing off of the walls", cannot sit still,  cannot keep himself or herself quiet easily. In the  inattentive type of ADHD, the patient cannot focus, is  forgetful, cannot concentrate, and is generally  doing poorly at work, school, and at home.    

In general, ADHD is treated with medications.  The most common  types of medication are stimulants.  Stimulants can have many side  effects, so prescription and monitoring by a physician experienced  in their use is important.  The medications may cause  weight loss or  insomnia, and so they must be prescribed appropriately.  Therapy,  too, may be helpful in assisting the patient learn coping skills to  help with the difficulties that he or she has been experiencing.

Life, business, and executive coaching are  practices whose end goals are to assist others  to achieve personal goals. Life coaches use  multiple methods to help people this process.  Dr. Belkin does not practice life, business, or  executive coaching per se.  Life, business, and  executive coaching are generally defined as  helping one achieve one’s personal goals by  focusing on the future rather than the past and  specifically exclude psychotherapy.  There are  people for whom this is appropriate.    

When done by a psychiatrist, life coaching can be a true part of  psychotherapy.  Goal setting, goal achievement, and understanding  are all part of any type of psychotherapy, but understanding the  past and dealing with one’s underlying issues is the best way to  achieve one’s future goals.  If one is experiencing psychic  discomfort, depression, anxiety, or other symptoms because of  their perceived work, home, or personal achievements,  psychotherapy can be the best way to reach one’s future goals  and eliminate dysfunctional moods and feelings.  More than  offering positive feedback or mentoring suggestions for one’s life  or business, psychotherapy offers the patient the ability to  understand the cause of one’s emotional discomfort, resolve it,  and then make better decisions about one’s life.  Whether  one is a  newly-hired intern or the CEO of a major corporation, life and  work issues occur and interfere with the happiness everyone  seeks.  Patients with these issues can be helped.  

Birmingham Counseling Center, P.C.

Howard R. Belkin, M.D., D.D.S., J.D.

Barbara Herzig Belkin, M.D.

1137 Holland Street, Birmingham MI 48009

(248) 644-3605

Psychotherapy and Medication Treatment for Adults,  Adolescents, and Children 

Individual Counseling, Marital Counseling, Family Counseling

VIRTUAL/ TELEHEALTH APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE