THE EFFECT OF MEDICATION ON THE PROCESS OF PSYCHOTHERAPY

Psychotherapists need to deal with the issue of medication and its eff ect on therapy. Children should not be deprived of medication because of the therapist's fear or ''purist'' motives, nor should they be depr ived of psychotherapy because of an idea that medication can solve all problems. The combination of medication with intensive psychotherapy (cognitive-behavioral-interpretative) has been found to be more effect ive in the long term than either alone. Therapists need to integrate m edication into psychotherapy and to develop the technical expertise to do so. Therapists, parents, families, and children are all affected w hen medication is used with a child or adolescent in psychotherapy.