Stephen Ragusea, PsyD, ABPP

Licensed Psychologist

1901 Fogarty Ave.
Suite 5
Key West, FL 33040

305-294-2500
(voicemail)
What is psychotherapy? Ahhhh.... this is actually a very difficult question to answer! Many psychologists will give different answers to this question, which speaks to the complexity of what they do. All would agree, however, that therapy involves the application of the science of human behavior to solving problems. What problems can therapy help you with? The list is almost infinite.

There are many different kinds of psychotherapy. The most common is talk therapy, which typically involves a client and mental health professional talking about a problem and how to solve it. Sometimes it is helpful to have other family members involved in the therapy.

Other kinds of therapy include art therapy, group therapy, play therapy, movement therapy, and hypnosis. These are all valid forms of therapy, but different people may be more comfortable with one kind of therapy over another, and should feel free to try different kinds if one is not helpful.

In addition, there are many different philosophies about therapy. Some therapists believe that it is most helpful to focus on how the events of the past have led to your current problems. Some therapists believe that problems in our emotions are caused by problems with our thoughts, and by changing our thoughts we change our emotions. Some therapists focus more on the present and future than the past. Some believe that people are naturally growth-oriented, like trees, and therapy is a process of trying to remove the obstacles that prevent personal growth.

Research shows that none of the most common theories or approaches to therapy are vastly superior to the rest. Some approaches seem to be better suited to certain problems, and certain kinds of people seem to prefer certain styles of therapy. For these reasons, if you are working with a therapist and find yourself feeling frustrated by your lack of progress, I suggest working with a therapist who has a different approach. You may be surprised by the difference!