Dr Spencer L. Griffith, LLC

Contact:

1322 NE Orenco Station Pkwy, Suite 310, Hillsboro, OR 97124

503.781.9085

info@drspencergriffith.com

Specializing in:

Individual Therapy
Couples Therapy
Online Relationships
Online Addictions
Assessment

Spencer L. Griffith, Psy.D.

Dr. Spencer Griffith is a Licensed Psychologist who conducts individual and couples therapy to treat major mental illness and to promote mental health. Focus includes a unique speciality in working with issues involving online relationships and addictions. Additionally, clinical assessments are offered for an array of evaluation needs. My private practice is located at Orenco Station in Hillsboro, Oregon. For more information about my Portland area practice, kindly explore this informative website.

Message of the Month: Effectiveness of Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is effective, helps reduce the overall need for health services and produces long-term health improvements, according to a review of research studies conducted by the American Psychological Association.

Yet, the use of psychotherapy to treat people with mental and behavioral health issues decreased over the last decade while the use of medications to address such problems has increased, according to government and insurance industry data.

As a result of the effectiveness review project, the American Psychological Association (APA) Council of Representatives recently adopted a resolution on psychotherapy effectiveness. The resolution cites more than 50 peer-reviewed studies on psychotherapy and its effectiveness in treating a spectrum of health issues and with a variety of populations, including children, members of minority groups and the elderly.

The resolution also states Key findings including:

Research demonstrates that psychotherapy is effective for a variety of mental and behavioral health issues and across a spectrum of population groups. The average effects of psychotherapy are larger than the effects produced by many medical treatments.
Large multi-site and meta-analytic studies have demonstrated that psychotherapy reduces disability, morbidity and mortality; improve work functioning; and decrease psychiatric hospitalization.
Psychotherapy teaches patients life skills that last beyond the course of treatment. The results of psychotherapy tend to last longer than psychopharmacological treatments and rarely produce harmful side effects
While medication is appropriate in some instances, research shows that a combination of medication and psychotherapy is often most effective in treating depression and anxiety. It should also be noted that the effects produced by psychotherapy, including those for different age groups and across a spectrum of mental and physical health disorders, are often comparable to or better than the effects produced by drug treatments for the same disorders without the potential for harmful side effects that drugs often carry.

Information cited from (http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2012/08/resolution-psychotherapy.aspx)