There is a plethora of therapies available; are you confused about what to choose?
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Finding the perfect therapy that fits you may require little research.
According to American Psychological Association, there are five main therapy approaches. Within these five types of therapies, multiple specialized approaches are present.
Types of Therapies:
Mainly therapy counseling is divided into the following types.
Psychodynamic Therapy:
The traditional therapy approach emphasizes how previous life events and relationships affect how you are feeling, making choices, and building relationships now.
Psychodynamic therapy works on the principle that unconscious conflicts are the leading cause of psychological issues, and bringing them into consciousness will resolve the issue. This therapy aims to understand repressed emotions, negative feelings, and other internal psychological conflicts.
This therapy is best for people suffering from the following:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Eating disorders
- Substance use disorder
- Somatic systems
Behavioural Therapy:
Behavioral therapy is focused on mental health treatment. Behavioral therapy is based on the theory that certain behaviors developed in the past might affect your present life negatively.
Behavioral therapy works on rectification of the behavior that causes distress. It has three further subtypes.
Aversion Therapy: In this therapy, you associate an unwanted behavior with an uncomfortable thing. This helps change behavior.
Systematic desensitization is based on gradual relaxation exercises on things you fear.
Flooding is based on sudden exposure to your big fear and phobias.
This therapy is best for:
- Anxiety
- Phobias
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Substance use disorder
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT):
CBT refers to behavior and attitude change by focusing on false thoughts and associated beliefs about them. A therapist uncovers the unhealthful thought pattern of an individual and discusses how self-destructive it can be for oneself.
CBT is effective for:
- Depression
- Bipolar disorder
- Eating disorder
- Schizophrenia
- Trauma-related disorders
Humanistic Therapy:
Humanistic therapy is based on the fact that you are the best person who knows what is best for you based on your experience and what you need. The therapist will work on uncovering the true yourself, accepting you the way you are, and will help you grow.
In this approach, you will take the session's lead instead of the therapist. The therapist will step in when needed and ask questions to understand your situation better and guide you accordingly.
This therapy is best for:
- Self-esteem issues
- Relationship issues
- Depression
- Effect of Trauma
- Feelings of worthless
- Substance use disorder
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT):
DBT is like CBT; it focuses on building relationships and regulating emotions. DCT helps patients recognize problematic thoughts and develop skills to cope with them, like mindfulness.
DBT is best for people suffering from the following:
- Eating disorder
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Bipolar
- Substance use disorder
- Borderline personality disorder.
How to decide what type of therapy is best for you?
Before starting any therapy session, ask the following question from yourself.
- What kind of change do I want in myself?
- What is the reason for relapse that doesn't allow me to change?
- How much structure do I want in my therapy session?
If you need clarification about which therapy session is good for you, discuss it with a therapist to make the best decision at the Byou app.
Book your therapist at the BYOU app.
References:
- Porcelan J, Scribner K, Gentile JP. Brief Psychodynamic Psychotherapy: A Review and Illustrative Case Vignette. Innov Clin Neurosci. 2022;19(1-3):52. Accessed November 20, 2022. /pmc/articles/PMC8970238/
- Chand SP, Kuckel DP, Huecker MR. Cognitive Behavior Therapy. Creat New Fam Ther Approaches to Foster Adopt Kinsh Care. Published online September 9, 2022:84-94. doi:10.4324/9780429473395-11
- Treatment C for SA. Chapter 6 --Brief Humanistic and Existential Therapies. Published online 1999. Accessed November 20, 2022. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK64939/
- Chapman AL. Dialectical Behavior Therapy: Current Indications and Unique Elements. Psychiatry (Edgmont). 2006;3(9):62. Accessed November 20, 2022. /pmc/articles/PMC2963469/
- May JM, Richardi TM, Barth KS. Dialectical behavior therapy as treatment for borderline personality disorder. Ment Heal Clin. 2016;6(2):62. doi:10.9740/MHC.2016.03.62