The New Age of Psychotherapy

The age of integrated care is here, psychotherapy will soon be walking hand in hand with our health care system.  What will this new system be like, how will therapist fit into this new process and what will the values be as both health doctors and psychotherapist begin to work with one another.  The American Medical Association and other companies will begin to identify the patient’s needs and steer them in the right direction for treatment and this is in essence an integration of medical and psychological services.

Most of us today have seen that we take care of our medical needs and that those are different from that of mental health.  Yet soon we will see that behavioral care will be treated as a part of medical patient care as well.  One reason for this change would be because health doctors are being pressured to reduce the cost accrued by the patients who are always seeking medical treatment as well as consultations, yet complaints by the patient may be due to undiagnosed psychological issues, which may go on for years until a diagnosis is found for the patient.  

The Future of Psychotherapy

Information of the patient can be understood by the therapist from records of the medical doctor making diagnosis not only easier, but can also save money because of the therapist, medical doctor relationship.  Another advantage of pairing the medical and psychological fields together is that it is easier to provide care for people with disorders, such as chronic pain or insomnia and people who may suffer from an addiction or alcoholism with physical disorders.  You can be assessed medically, psychologically; your social standing can be reviewed as well as your spiritual beliefs.  You would eventually see a behavioral care specialist and be guided in understanding the psychological problems as well as what causes and physical illnesses you may have.

In short, you would become more aware of both your mental health needs as well as your medical needs, while being involved in integrated care without the exaggerated medical cost or services.  What will be the nature of integrated care in the future of course will be the discipline and the path between therapeutic methods, and what science finds amongst other mental health professions. 

Written by Donald S.