Tips on psychotherapy.

Ten items to consider in providing psychotherapy can be useful to the family physician. These items include: respect both for oneself and for one's patients, determination of clear goals, the use of simple interventions first, development of specific methods, the development of therapist and patient congruence, the significance of repetition and practice, homework, the use of audiovisual and other aids, the importance of the concept of mastery, and the occurrence of negative effects. Understanding these points contributes to making therapy pleasurable for the physician and more useful for the patients.