The psychotherapy of giving medications: therapeutic techniques for interpersonal interventions

We believe that the duration and mileu of medication visits can be appropriately and effectively used for ongoing psychotherapy in patients who must come for the prescription and follow-up of psychiatric medications. Many physicians make unplanned therapeutic suggestions as a matter of course; in contrast, when interventions are planned, codified, and examined with respect to patient's needs and physician's personal internal responses, their effectiveness and consistency can be enhanced. Specific interventions such as role modeling mental health, identifying transference reactions, and addressing family systems process are easily and effectively made, without being onerous or threatening to patients with severe mental illness. Overall, our clinical experience suggests that planned psychotherapy can be advantageously combined with pharmacologic treatment to enhance patients' overall response.