Psychosocial Therapy for Schizophrenia

NYU Langone specialists, including psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, social workers, and others, offer psychosocial therapy to address the behavioral, psychological, and social problems associated with schizophrenia. Psychosocial treatment can help a person to manage the everyday challenges of living with this condition, such as difficulty communicating and maintaining a job. This type of therapy works best for people who have been taking antipsychotic medications that have helped to lessen symptoms.

A therapist can help people with schizophrenia and their families to better understand and adjust to living with the condition. Our treatment team provides both individual and family therapy to teach coping skills that can be applied in social situations, the home, family relationships, and the workplace. A therapist can help people with schizophrenia, and those around them, to better understand and adjust to the need for long-term treatment.

During psychosocial therapy sessions, our experts provide education about the condition, discuss common symptoms or difficulties, and reinforce the importance of continuing to take the prescribed medication. People who receive regular psychosocial treatment are more likely to continue taking their medication and are less likely to have relapses, or periods when schizophrenia symptoms return. 

Therapy sessions are conducted on an outpatient basis. The length of treatment varies from person to person. Some people with severe symptoms, such as psychotic episodes that cause a sudden change in personality and behavior and interfere with a person’s health or safety, visit with a therapist on a long-term basis. People with less severe symptoms may only need periodic follow-up appointments.