What is Therapeutic Intervention? Why it is Important, Types & How it Works

What is Therapeutic Intervention?

Therapeutic intervention is an effort made by therapists and counselors to help someone who is struggling with their mental health In terms of psychology, interventions are used to improve the mental well-being of a person. Therapeutic interventions are used for a variety of mental health concerns like depression, anxiety, neurodevelopmental disorders, personality disorders, etc. Other examples include interventions for stress management, interpersonal conflicts, and managing unhelpful behavioral patterns like substance use and self-injury.

Examples of Therapeutic Interventions:

Therapists use a variety of strategies and techniques to understand and treat the issues the patient faces. Some examples of therapeutic interventions for mental health disorders include techniques like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), exposure therapy, mindfulness practices, etc. These therapy interventions equip a person with the resources to manage life stressors effectively.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy:

CBT helps the client to identify negative thought patterns and behaviors that cause mental health-related stress and reframe them with helpful beliefs to offer a fresh perspective.

For example, Shreya, a 22-year-old girl suffered from sexual abuse when she was young. Since then, she has been having anxiety and traumatic flashbacks of the incident. Her doctor suggested she consult a psychologist to help her with her anxiety and PTSD. With the help of the psychologist, Shreya is able to understand that the incident was not her fault and feels empowered to face her trauma reminders. She is also learning exercises that can help her understand her emotions and distressing thoughts.

Exposure Therapy:

Exposure therapy is used to help people confront their fears. People might be fearful of something and try to avoid it which can have negative consequences in the long term.In such cases, exposure therapy is used to break the pattern of avoiding the fear.

For example, for a person who has social anxiety and is unable to speak confidently in front of people, a therapist may help them to understand the causes of their fears, provide techniques to manage their anxiety, and gradually face their fears.

Mindfulness Practices:

Mindfulness is the ability to be fully present and aware in the moment. It involves focusing on the senses and reacting without any judgment. Mindfulness practices can be incorporated with other therapies to help the person manage their stress and anxiety.

For example, breathing practices and meditation can be used alongside other therapies to calm down anxiety levels. Group meditation, observer meditation, five senses exercises, etc are some of the other mindfulness practices.

When Therapeutic Interventions are Used:

Therapeutic interventions are a crucial aspect of the healthcare system that is used to improve mental well-being and symptoms associated with mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, addiction, and trauma. When suffering from such conditions, it is difficult for people to reach out for help. Therapists can help people become more comfortable and accepting of their situation and take the initial steps toward recovery.

While the impact of a stressful situation may vary from person to person, it affects the quality of life and overall functioning. The goals of therapeutic intervention may include managing stress, communicating effectively, trying to quit smoking, job challenges, and medical and mental illnesses. Therapeutic interventions can help people through these things and help them regain control over their lives.

Why Use Therapeutic Interventions and What to Expect:

When people seek therapeutic interventions, they do it to gain clarity, change, and overcome their difficulties. Since therapeutic interventions target the patient’s motivation and behavioural patterns, it is a great opportunity for the patients to improve themselves.

Client-centered interventions can empower patients by helping them learn skills to cope and develop a capacity to find solutions to their problems. Therapeutic interventions can also help the patients increase self-awareness about their behavioral patterns, and maladaptive habits, and provide them with strategies to cope.

In the initial therapy sessions, a therapist might determine factors that are associated with the client’s concerns and determine the severity of the case. It follows setting goals for the treatment in collaboration with the client. Once an initial plan is laid out, the therapist will work closely with the patient to implement the therapeutic techniques that will be useful for the patient.

For example, in Cognitive Therapy, this might include learning to identify negative thought patterns and challenging the underlying assumptions to form more helpful beliefs.

Who Benefits from Therapeutic Intervention?

As mentioned earlier, therapeutic interventions are strategies designed to support people in their mental journey. Therapeutic interventions are not limited to psychotherapy and are often used in other settings like support groups. Such interventions might be more accessible for people who are unable to seek psychotherapy services. A diverse range of people can benefit from the therapeutic benefits, including people with:

Major depressive disorder
Anxiety disorders
Eating disorders
People with suicidal tendencies
People who experienced trauma because of natural calamities, wars, or the loss of a loved one.
Relationship problems with partners, family, or friends
People indulging in substance abuse
Behavioral problems
Borderline Personality disorder
Children with special needs

If you are somebody you know is struggling with mental health, you can use these helpline numbers/ sites to find help:

Suicide prevention - AASRA (+91 9820466726)
Mental health counselling - Parivarthan

Where Does Therapeutic Intervention Take Place?

Therapeutic interventions often take place in various social and professional settings. These might include private counseling institutions, homes, schools, hospitals, welfare organizations, individual offices, online, etc. Using online platforms for therapeutic interventions got a big boost post-COVID-19 pandemic and has been used actively since then.

The duration and intensity of the intervention may vary depending on the environmental settings of the institution. The approaches used for intervention purposes might also vary. It is generally tailored for every individual to meet their unique needs.

Considerations for Choosing a Location (optional):

The primary aim of an intervention is to create a safe space for the person's needs. Therapists usually have a space that is warm, cozy, and private. People feel more relaxed and comfortable to share their feelings. This in turn helps the therapist create a good rapport with the patient.

However, the location can be changed based on the patient's comfort and needs. Nowadays, with advancements in technology, therapy has become 100x more accessible. If the patient is comfortable using online platforms for their therapy sessions, intervention counseling can be done from any part of the world.

How Therapeutic Intervention Works:

The primary goal of therapeutic intervention is improving the thought process of the person who has approached for help. An initiation to enhance the way they feel, think, and behave is the first step. Remember that in some cases, the person might only sometimes be willing to receive treatment. There can be instances where the patient is adamant and not receptive to the treatment.

In either of the cases, the professionals will carry out an initial assessment to determine the kind of intervention to use. Therapeutic intervention is typically led by a qualified mental health professional or a team of interventionalists who will help to initiate the treatment. Since the “One size fits all” approach does not work in therapy, the therapists will tailor the plan to address the needs of the person.

The professionals will assess the severity of the situation and devise a treatment plan for the person. Once the treatment plan is ready, the therapist will implement these techniques to improve the well-being of the person. It is to be noted that the implementation might vary with the type of intervention being used.

For example, if a therapist is using (Dialectical Behavioural Therapy) DBT, they might focus on regulating emotions and learning to become mindful. Whereas in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) a person is made to identify and change their maladaptive thoughts and behaviors.

How Many Types of Therapeutic Interventions Are There?

Different types of interventions have been implemented for a long time for issues concerning the mental health of a person. Here is a non-exhaustive list of therapeutic interventions being in clinical settings:

Cognitive Behavioural therapies (CBT):

CBT is based on the assumption that our thoughts affect our emotions which in turn affect our behavior. CBT actively tries to challenge the existing thought patterns and equips the patient with techniques to effectively counter the negative stimulus. Multiple interventions are used with CBT to make the treatment as simple as possible. Interventions like:

Guided discovery
Exposure and response prevention
Journaling
Cognitive reframing
Stress reduction techniques
Behavioural experiments

Depending on the goals of the patient, the therapist might recommend individual, group, or family therapy.

Systemic interventions:

Family therapy:

This intervention posits that an individual is embedded in and influenced by the environment that they live in - most importantly - family. It is hypothesized that family can bring supportive and positive changes in individuals suffering from difficulties.

2. Multisystemic Therapy:

This therapy differs from family therapy as it includes a combination of multiple systems including peers, family, neighborhood, school, etc. It focuses on reducing the distress of an individual by improving the patient’s interactions with each of them.

Group therapy:

This type of therapy is fruitful for people who have experienced similar problems in life. It is quite effective in settings that are conducted for treating depression, traumatic experiences, or addiction. The basis of this therapy is connecting with people and sharing experiences to develop a greater understanding of oneself.

Brain stimulation:

This intervention is slowly gaining popularity amongst people. Brain stimulation is being used to treat a variety of mental health disorders without the risk of having any adverse side effects. Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques use either a magnetic field or electric current to stimulate affected parts of the brain. It has been widely used to treat depression, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, or neurodevelopmental disorders like Autism as well. Some of the NIBS techniques are:

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)
Transcranial Alternate Current Stimulation (tACS)

Mave Health focuses on treating mental health conditions by using non-invasive brain stimulation. The ARC-tDCS, a wearable device is known to treat mental health-related issues without the risk of any side-effects. With our personalized program and dedicated psychologists, 88% of the users have found improvement in their mental health.

Medical interventions:

Certain disorders might require the aid of medications to control the symptoms. In such cases, a psychiatrist or a physician might facilitate the administration. Medications can be used in combination with other therapies to ensure effective recovery.

Music and art therapy:

These kinds of interventions facilitate the expression of emotions via art or music. Every person has some artistic abilities. It is known that music uplifts mood and improves the quality of life. This therapy is particularly helpful for people with depression, anxiety, PTSD, suicidal ideation, and family issues. (7) (8)

What to Look for in an Interventionist?

A mental health professional or an interventionist will be accompanying you from start to end. The job of an interventionist is like that of a teacher or a facilitator for your mental health journey. It is important to find a therapist who can easily understand your needs and modulate the treatment whenever necessary.

Interventionists understand what works and what doesn’t based on their professional experience. Apart from their portfolio, it is important to know if they are the best fit for you. If you are considering having a therapeutic intervention, consider the following things:

Qualifications of the Interventionist
The success record of the interventionist
How many interventions have they facilitated?
What treatment plan will the interventionist use?
What is their communication style?
In which kind of therapy does their expertise lie?

Interventionists must also be prepared to deal with comorbidities that might occur because of mental health disorders. If necessary, they must be able to connect or refer you to a physician or a medical professional who is equipped to deal with health problems.

Conclusion:

Therapeutic interventions are used to help people who struggle with their mental health. Therapy offers a broad range of strategies that can help a person recover from issues like major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, PTSD, behavioral issues, etc. With interventions like Cognitive-behavioral Therapy, group and family therapy, and medical interventions, an efficient recovery becomes possible.

Therapeutic interventions help a person become address their issues in a systemic and supportive manner. Being comfortable with openly sharing your issues is half the job done. Hence, choosing the correct therapist helps the patient to strive towards their therapy goals.

Understanding Therapeutic Interventions in Mental Health