What is psychotherapy?

• A. The treatment of mental disorder by medical means
• B. The treatment of mental disorder by psychological means
• C. The treatment of physical illness by medication
• D. The prevention of mental illness

Answer: (B)

Psychotherapy is the treatment of mental disorders through psychological means—using talk, learning new skills, and the therapeutic relationship to help someone understand and change their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Therapies can include cognitive-behavioral approaches, psychodynamic work, humanistic methods, and more, and they can be delivered one-on-one, in groups, or with family members.

This approach relies on psychological techniques rather than medical interventions like medications or invasive procedures, and it isn’t about preventing illness but treating it after it has developed. So the description that defines psychotherapy as the treatment of mental disorder by psychological means best captures what it involves.