--- title: "What is Psychotherapy? | Denver Psychiatry Blog" description: "I notice in many movies that involve mental health treatment there is a similar depiction of psychotherapy. 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For children and adolescents, this includes integrated meetings with parents. By the end of 1-2 visits, you'll have a clear clinical formulation and personalized treatment plan." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Does Denver Psychiatry treat both children and adults?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes, Dr. Steve Sarche is board certified in both general psychiatry and child & adolescent psychiatry. Denver Psychiatry provides comprehensive care for patients ages 10 and older, with age-appropriate treatment approaches." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What mental health conditions does Denver Psychiatry treat?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Denver Psychiatry treats a wide range of mental health conditions including anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, ADHD, PTSD, situational stress, behavioral problems, and relational difficulties. Dr. Sarche takes a comprehensive, holistic approach to diagnosis and treatment." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Does Denver Psychiatry offer non-medication treatments?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Absolutely. While medication can be an important part of treatment, Dr. Sarche also emphasizes non-medication modalities including sleep hygiene strategies, lifestyle modifications, stress reduction techniques, and therapeutic approaches. Treatment is tailored to each individual's needs and preferences." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What is the difference between a D.O. and an M.D. psychiatrist?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Osteopathic physicians (D.O.s) receive the same training as M.D.s but with additional focus on the interconnection between the body's systems. This holistic perspective informs Dr. Sarche's approach to mental health, considering how physical and emotional well-being influence each other." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How do I schedule an appointment with Denver Psychiatry?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "You can schedule an appointment by calling Denver Psychiatry at (303) 393-8808. The staff will help you find a convenient time and answer any questions about your first visit." } } ] }, { "@type": "Blog", "@id": "https://denverpsychiatry.com/#blog", "name": "Denver Psychiatry Mental Health Blog", "description": "Expert insights and articles on mental health topics from Dr. Steve Sarche, board-certified psychiatrist in Denver, Colorado.", "url": "https://denverpsychiatry.com/blog", "author": { "@id": "https://denverpsychiatry.com/#physician" }, "publisher": { "@id": "https://denverpsychiatry.com/#organization" } } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article", "headline": "What is Psychotherapy?", "description": "I notice in many movies that involve mental health treatment there is a similar depiction of psychotherapy. There is the patient lying flat on the psychoanalysis couch talking about his or her problem...", "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dr. Steve Sarche", "jobTitle": "Board Certified Psychiatrist" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Denver Psychiatry", "url": "https://denverpsychiatry.com" }, "datePublished": "2007-01-01T22:41:55+00:00", "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://denverpsychiatry.com/article/what-is-psychotherapy" } } ] --- [ Denver Psychiatry Dr. Steve Sarche, D.O. ](#home) [](tel:303-393-8808) [ Denver Psychiatry Dr. Steve Sarche, D.O. ](#home) [Home](#home) Services ### Conditions We Treat [ ADHD Treatment Child & adult ADHD specialist care ](/adhd)[ Anxiety Treatment Generalized anxiety, panic, social anxiety ](/anxiety-treatment)[ Depression Treatment Major depression, bipolar, mood disorders ](/depression-treatment)[ PTSD & Trauma Treatment Trauma recovery focused on full healing ](/ptsd-trauma-treatment) ### Specialty Care [ Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship-trained, ages 10 and up ](/child-adolescent-psychiatry)[ Performance Optimization Precision psychiatry for high performers ](/performance-optimization)[ Medication Management Expert prescription and monitoring ](#services) #### Talk to Dr. Sarche Call to schedule your initial evaluation [Call Now](tel:303-393-8808) About ### About Us [ Dr. Steve Sarche, D.O. 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Dr. Steve Sarche Board Certified Psychiatrist • Monday, January 1, 2007 • 4 min read Share: [](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fdrsteve.lovable.app%2Farticle%2Fwhat-is-psychotherapy)[](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdrsteve.lovable.app%2Farticle%2Fwhat-is-psychotherapy&text=What%20is%20Psychotherapy%3F)[](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fdrsteve.lovable.app%2Farticle%2Fwhat-is-psychotherapy&title=What%20is%20Psychotherapy%3F)[]() I notice in many movies that involve mental health treatment there is a similar depiction of psychotherapy. There is the patient lying flat on the psychoanalysis couch talking about his or her problems while staring at the ceiling. The therapist, meanwhile, is sitting in a chair behind the patient with note­pad in hand. Sometimes the therapist is depicted as sleeping or daydreaming, or inserting an “Um­hm, tell me more” or “how does that make you feel?” In one comedy movie, the therapist actually left the room to eat a sandwich and came back just in time to announce the end of the appointment while wiping his mouth with a napkin. Believe it or not, psychotherapy does not always look like that. “Psychotherapy” is actually general term. It is used as a broad description of any kind of relationship between a patient (some people prefer the term “client”) and a therapist who may be a psychiatrist (which is a physician), psychologist (PhD or Psy D), social worker, or counselor. People without any training at all can provide psychotherapy. I would even go as far as to say that people get psychotherapy from friends, family, significant other’s and even obnoxious co­workers that are too nosy and may give “psychotherapy” when it is not wanted. There are numerous different kinds of therapies and some that even have empirical evidence for them working. Most people think of psychoanalysis when they think of psychotherapy. That is a specific kind of therapy developed by Sigmund Freud. It is based on “stream of consciousness” and building off of strong repressed emotions and therefore is intense and requires sessions at a frequency much greater than once per week. His theory on psychoanalysis is based on “drives” and the attempt to control them: we are all born with an innate desire to seek pleasure and to be lazy; the primitive desires of hunger rage and sex, termed by Freud as the “id”.    The opposite of this, is the “super­ ego”, which contains the morality of a person and keeps a person in line with social norms. Finally, Freud labeled the “ego” which is our conscious mind that mediates between the id and the super­ego. Freud believed that problems with anxiety and depression (he termed this neurosis or hysteria) stemmed from repressed desires from the id that people had that were in conflict and not balanced with the super­ego. His initial theories for this centered on an imbalance due to sexual abuses or problems in infancy and early childhood, but he later modified these to include uncomfortable unconscious wishes or desires that were not sexual in nature, traumatic memories, and painful emotions. He developed the psychoanalysis couch for this because he believed that the position of lying down best facilitated people’s ability to tap into their unconscious. Freud’s theories are interesting and still relevant to all of psychotherapy, but psychotherapy does not always have to be psychoanalysis and talk of sex and unwanted desires. The beauty of psychotherapy is that it takes many shapes and forms and can be molded and shaped to what suits you the best. The key to finding the right fit for psychotherapy is to have open communication with the therapist, which is generally established through trust. Therapists love to work with people who are willing to open up and level with them, but they are also willing to work with people who have trouble even doing that. Sometimes that becomes the focus of the therapy. The gist of this is to remember that psychotherapy takes on many shapes and sizes and most people can find the right fit. It is for people with severe mental illness and for people who are perfectly healthy. It can be scary to divulge deep­seated fears, apprehensions, feelings and problems. It is uncomfortable to think of looking at change and to admit problems; but people are built to communicate and rely on one another for help and support. Give it a try sometime. It can be an incredibly liberating experience to talk about yourself in that way. Share: [](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fdrsteve.lovable.app%2Farticle%2Fwhat-is-psychotherapy)[](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdrsteve.lovable.app%2Farticle%2Fwhat-is-psychotherapy&text=What%20is%20Psychotherapy%3F)[](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fdrsteve.lovable.app%2Farticle%2Fwhat-is-psychotherapy&title=What%20is%20Psychotherapy%3F)[]() ### Need Help With Your Mental Health? Dr. Steve Sarche provides compassionate psychiatric care for children, adolescents, and adults in the Denver area. [Call to Speak With Dr. Sarche](tel:303-393-8808) ### Get new articles from Dr. Sarche We'll only email you when Dr. Sarche publishes a new article. Unsubscribe anytime. Subscribe ## Related Articles [ Medication & Treatment ### Understanding Childhood Anxiety: Signs Parents Should Know Anxiety in children often manifests differently than in adults. 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