In fact, not only is it more cost-effective, but psychotherapy leads to fewer relapses of anxiety and mild to moderate depression than medication use alone—so much so that Norwegian Health Authorities have issued new guidelines concerning treatment of mild to moderate depression and anxiety, stating that psychological …

In major randomized clinical trials, psychotherapy interventions (primarily behavior therapy, CBT, and IPT) have been shown to be effective as primary treatments (treatments of choice) for the major psychiatric problems of obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, and major depression as well as several other …

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.

We conclude that combined treatment appears to be more effective than treatment with antidepressant medication alone in major depression, panic disorder, and OCD. These effects remain strong and significant up to two years after treatment.

Polygraph tests- so-called “lie detectors”–are typically based on detecting autonomic reactions and are considered unreliable (see “The polygraph in doubt”). That’s why psychologists have been cataloging clues to deception–such as facial expressions, body language and linguistics–to help hook the dishonest.

Here are a few techniques to determine if someone is telling the truth or not.

1. Start by asking neutral questions.
2. Find the hot spot.
3. Watch body language.
4. Observe micro-facial expressions.
5. Listen to tone, cadence, and sentence structures.
6. Watch for when they stop talking about themselves.

A therapist can help habitual liars understand their condition and the way it affects other people. They may also reveal underlying diagnoses such as bipolar or ADHD. In these cases, a therapist will likely treat all a person’s issues in tandem. When a person lies to their therapist, treatment can be difficult.

Narcissists live and die by their own version of the truth. A narcissist believes it is. Extreme cognitive distortions and rigid unconscious defense mechanisms change a person’s perception of an experience.

Pathological lying is a symptom of various personality disorders, including antisocial, narcissistic, and histrionic personality disorders. Other conditions, such as borderline personality disorder, may also lead to frequent lies, but the lies themselves are not considered pathological.