Supportive Therapy: Benefits for Mental Health & Personality Disorders
What Is Supportive Therapy For Mental Health And Personality Disorders?
What is supportive therapy?
Supportive therapy, also known as supportive psychotherapy, is a therapeutic approach designed to help individuals manage emotional distress, build coping skills, and improve overall mental health. It focuses on providing empathy, encouragement, and practical guidance to help people navigate life’s challenges, especially when dealing with personality disorders or other mental health conditions. This therapy aims to strengthen a person’s existing resources and foster resilience through telehealth sessions or in-person support.
This can be especially valuable for individuals who lack a strong external emotional support system. Supportive therapy that is rooted in empathy, also called supportive psychotherapy, can be particularly beneficial. This type of therapy is accessible through ReachLink’s telehealth platform and does not require psychiatric hospitalization or in-patient care.
When is supportive therapy or supportive psychotherapy helpful?
Not everyone has family members or friends they can consistently turn to during difficult times, nor can our loved ones always help in the ways we most need. This can make it especially challenging to recover from bouts of depression or other types of emotional turmoil. Thankfully, supportive therapy is a psychotherapeutic approach generally designed to help people heal and develop a positive therapeutic relationship while also supporting them through challenging circumstances.
Supportive therapy and its benefits
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 recovery, and more. Supportive therapy offers practical tools, support, and encouragement to achieve one’s goals and increase functional abilities. It can involve many different therapy techniques, but above all, it prioritizes creating a safe virtual space where clients can express their emotions and explore their behaviors with a licensed clinical social worker in a fluid, conversational style.
Supportive psychotherapy may benefit people living with various mental health conditions but is generally recommended for personality disorders, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and 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, even in a telehealth environment.
What does supportive therapy involve?
Supportive therapy aims to help people navigate their problems with comfort, compassion, and empathy. Issues like strong emotional distress can make it difficult for individuals to manage their everyday lives. A supportive therapist can offer support and comfort, as well as practical knowledge and tools through secure video sessions.
Therapeutic techniques
During supportive therapy sessions, ReachLink’s licensed clinical social workers typically use specific techniques to listen to what a client has to say and offer important advice on how to cope with the situation. This type of therapy is usually empathetic and designed to help the client feel encouraged. The idea is generally to provide emotional support for those going through a tough time. In supportive therapy, a client’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 gives many clients the ability to express their reality and what is going on in their lives during a session with a mental health provider. Supportive therapy provides 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 is important, even in virtual settings. ReachLink ensures that telehealth supportive therapy is conducted in a secure, confidential manner that helps clients feel comfortable. Relaxation techniques may be utilized to help clients feel calm during video therapy sessions. When the client sees therapy sessions and the therapy space as safe and supportive, their thoughts and feelings often benefit.
In therapy, a supportive therapeutic alliance is 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 client’s feelings and the client 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).
Therapeutic approach for personality disorders and mental health: 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.
What is the role of supportive therapy in providing emotional support?
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 licensed clinical social worker 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.
What is insight therapy’s role in guiding personal growth and coping skills?
Insight therapy or interpersonal psychotherapy, on the other hand, is a treatment model that is usually more about advising the client. Sometimes, mental health professionals 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.
For many clients, combining supportive therapy with insight therapy allows for a balanced approach that addresses both emotional support and personal growth. While supportive therapy focuses on providing empathy and coping strategies, insight therapy helps clients gain a deeper understanding of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, which can promote lasting change. Tailoring the therapeutic approach to each individual’s needs ensures that clients receive the most effective support on their journey to improved mental health.
Ultimately, supportive therapy plays a crucial role in mental health treatment by creating a safe, accepting space where clients can feel heard, validated, and empowered. Whether delivered through telehealth or in-person sessions, it offers invaluable tools for managing the complexities of personality disorders and other mental health challenges. By fostering resilience and strengthening coping skills, supportive therapy encourages individuals to navigate life’s difficulties with greater confidence and hope.
If you or a loved one are seeking compassionate mental health support, consider exploring supportive therapy options through trusted platforms like ReachLink. With the guidance of licensed professionals, healing and personal growth are within reach.
