Explore Different Types of Therapy to Support Mental Well-Being

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Therapy is a powerful tool for improving mental health, offering various approaches to help individuals manage their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. Whether you’re facing anxiety or depression or require extra support to navigate significant life events, there are different types of therapy designed to meet your specific needs and preferences. Let’s learn about some common types of therapy and how they can help you on your mental health journey.

What Is Therapy? 

Therapy, also called psychotherapy or talk therapy, is a form of treatment offered by a mental health professional. According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), therapy can help people with a wide range of mental health problems and psychiatric disorders by identifying and changing unhealthy, troubling, or negative thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. 

The five major types of therapy are:

• Psychodynamic therapies

• Cognitive therapies

• Behavior therapies

• Humanistic therapies

• Holistic (integrative) therapies

What Is The Most Common Type of Therapy?

The most common type of therapy is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which is effective for a wide range of mental health issues. Cognitive behavioral therapy is problem-oriented and focuses on working through current problems instead of past experiences. 

Other forms of therapy may include art therapy, animal-assisted therapy, breathing exercises, or mindfulness-based therapies (MBCT), depending on your needs. The advantage of therapy is that it is not one size fits all. Your therapist can work closely with you to tailor an approach that fits your needs and preferences. 

Many therapists offer integrative or holistic therapy, which is a blend of therapy approaches. For example, mentalization-based therapy (MBT) is an integrative form of therapy that includes elements of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and psychodynamic psychotherapy. 

How Does Talk Therapy Work?  

The goal of talk therapy is to teach a person coping strategies to better manage unhealthy thought patterns, problematic behaviors, and emotional distress. 

There are different therapy types, and a trained therapist can offer services in one-on-one sessions, as a couple, family therapy with other family members, or group therapy with other patients. It can be offered in face-to-face therapy sessions or in the form of online therapy. 

Types of Therapy

1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

How Does It Work?

As discussed, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) teaches you to recognize, understand, and change inaccurate, harmful, or negative beliefs and behavior patterns. During sessions, you’ll learn coping and problem-solving skills and apply them to real-world situations. 

Cognitive behavior therapy is a short-term therapy with weekly sessions. Benefits are usually seen in 5-20 sessions or 12-16 weeks.

Who Does It Help?

CBT is particularly helpful for people with mental health conditions such as:

• Depression

• Anxiety disorders 

• Panic disorder

• Irrational beliefs or phobias 

• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) 

• Eating disorders 

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) 

• Bipolar disorder 

• Substance use disorders 

• Schizophrenia 

• Sexual disorders 

2. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

How Does It Work?

Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) involves techniques of CBT with meditation and mindfulness-based practices to help people accept the reality of their lives and learn to change their behaviors through skills like interpersonal communication, distress tolerance, and emotional regulation. 

Learn how you can start journaling for mental health. 

Who Does It Help?

DBT is especially useful for people who experience intense emotions, for example, those with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Other mental health issues that can benefit from DBT include:

• PTSD 

• Eating disorders 

• Substance use disorders 

• Depression 

• Anxiety disorders 

• Self-harm and suicidal tendencies

Dialectical behavioral therapy can last 6-12 months and even several years.

Read more: What Are The 10 Types Of Depression?

3. Psychodynamic Therapy

How Does It Work?

Psychodynamic therapy helps you understand unconscious processes and their effects on your current behavior. The goals of psychodynamic therapy are increased self-awareness and understanding of how your past influences your present behavior. 

Psychodynamic therapy is a type of long-term therapy that usually requires at least 2 years of therapy sessions. 

Who Does It Help?

Psychodynamic psychotherapy is a very effective treatment for people with substance abuse disorders. It can be offered in conjunction with traditional drug and alcohol treatment programs.

Learn more: Is Alcoholism a Mental Illness or Chronic Disease?

4. Behavioral Therapy

How Does It Work?

Behavioral therapy focuses on learning to shape normal and abnormal behaviors. Forms of behavioral therapy include desensitizing therapy or exposure therapy, where repeated exposure to a trigger can help reduce anxiety, as well as eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), where you reprocess traumatic memories by moving your eyes in a certain way.

Behavioral therapy may be offered over 4-6 therapy sessions, although some patients may need up to 12 sessions for severe phobias.

Who Does It Help?

Behavior therapy can help people with a phobia, substance use disorder, PTSD, and other mental health problems. 

Check out our blog to learn about agoraphobia and its causes.

5. Humanistic Therapy

How Does It Work?

This type of therapy emphasizes self-discovery, free will, and human potential. The goal is to develop your capacity to make rational choices and reach self-actualization. 

Humanistic therapy can be short- or long-term, depending on your needs.

Who Does It Help?

Humanistic psychotherapy is a client-centered approach that can be useful for people with:

• Depression 

• Anxiety disorders 

• Personality disorders 

• Addiction 

• Relationship issues 

Other Forms of Therapy

In addition to well-known therapies like CBT and DBT, several other therapy approaches include:

• Interpersonal therapy to understand your emotions and how they affect your behavior and relationships with others. 

• Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) teaches you to accept your emotions in order to move forward and make behavioral changes for personal growth.

• Solution-focused therapy helps you change harmful behaviors, manage difficult situations, or achieve life goals by focusing on the present moment and future needs instead of past experiences.

• Adlerian therapy is a short-term, goal-oriented therapy that focuses on overcoming feelings of inferiority by helping you understand how all humans are interconnected.

Start Talk Therapy Today With BetterHelp 

If you’re looking to get started on improving your mental health, look no further than BetterHelp. 

BetterHelp is the world’s largest therapy service, and it’s 100% online. With BetterHelp, you get the same professionalism and quality you expect from in-office therapy but from the comfort of your own home, car, office, or wherever you choose. As long as you have access to a live chat, phone, or video call, BetterHelp can work for you. 

Get 20% off your first month of therapy when you sign up using this link.

How it Works

BetterHelp is convenient, flexible, and affordable. Here’s how to get started:

1. Click this link and fill out a simple questionnaire to help you match with a therapist who fits your objectives, preferences, and the type of issues you are dealing with.

2. Create an account. 

3. You can get matched with a licensed therapist in as little as 48 hours.

4. Schedule your first session.

5. Communicate with your therapist via messaging, phone, video, or live chat. 

Live sessions are scheduled weekly, and you can message your therapist anytime. They will respond when they are available. If your therapist isn’t the right fit for any reason, you can switch to a new one anytime at no extra charge. BetterHelp gives you access to a huge network of over 30,000 licensed therapists and prioritizes helping you find your perfect match more quickly than traditional therapy.

Choosing The Right Therapy Option  

The type of therapy that will benefit you most depends on what concerns you most. For example, it could be long-lasting feelings of sadness, grief from the loss of a parent, a longstanding phobia that affects your quality of life, or a diagnosis of a mental health condition such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, or borderline personality disorder.

Online platforms such as BetterHelp are a convenient, affordable, and effective way to access reliable talk therapy services from qualified professionals. 

Get started with BetterHelp today and save 20% off your first month of therapy!