Psychotherapy is the dialogue between patient and therapist in the diagnosis and
treatment of behavioral, crisis, and mental disorders. Psychoanalysis as
formulated by Sigmund Freud is the first modern form of psychotherapy and this
approach has given rise to several score of psychodynamic therapies.
In more recent times behavioral, cognitive, existential, humanistic, and
short-term therapies have been put into practice, each with a particular focus
and each giving rise to variations in structure and content of treatment as well
as therapeutic outcomes. These therapy approaches relate the patient/therapist
dialogue to different aspects of the therapeutic process. For instance, behavior
therapies focus on the patient's conduct and cognitive