Have you ever wondered why there are so many different types of therapy? And what type might be best for you? – there are many different approaches that work for different people and goals.
By the end of this blog, you’ll understand major therapy types and have a better idea of what might work best for you.
Prefer to listen? Just click on the video below!
Talk Therapy Approaches
First, let’s cover traditional talk therapy approaches. Keep in mind, I’m only giving you a basic overview – each of these approaches has much more depth and complexity than we can cover in this short blog. I’m also only giving a few common issues they address, but there are many more.
CBT, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, is one of the most widely used forms of therapy. It focuses on changing thought patterns and behaviors, and can be helpful for anxiety, depression, substance use problems, and relationship issues. CBT works by identifying negative thinking patterns and replacing them with more positive, realistic ones.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, is a structured, skills-based approach for managing intense emotions and addressing relationship issues. It’s particularly helpful for personality disorders, self-harm, suicidal ideation, and eating disorders. Clients often keep emotion diaries to track feelings and impulses, helping them gain awareness and control over their behavior.
Psychodynamic therapy explores unconscious patterns and past experiences, focusing on gaining insight. It’s used to treat depression, social anxiety, eating disorders, and relationship difficulties. Clients are encouraged to speak freely about whatever comes to mind, with a focus on understanding and overcoming negative feelings and repressed emotions.
Person-centered therapy follows the client’s lead in a non-directive approach. The therapist shows compassion, listens without judgment, and supports the client without interfering with their process. This approach benefits people seeking more self-confidence, stronger identity, and better relationships.
Remember, these are just some of the most common talk therapy approaches. There are many more and they can often be integrated with others.
Beyond Talk Therapy
Now let’s go beyond talk therapy to include approaches that involve the whole body and creativity.
EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a specialized therapy that helps your brain process traumatic or stressful memories to reduce distress. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation and focuses on body sensations to help the brain process difficult experiences. It’s similar to REM sleep when our brain processes information, except you’re awake and in control. It helps your brain naturally process and integrate difficult experiences into long-term memory, reducing the emotional charge of painful memories. It’s highly effective for PTSD and trauma.
Expressive Arts Therapy uses creativity and all the senses as a pathway to healing. It incorporates visual art, music, dance, drama, and writing to help you explore and express emotions. Various art forms can be used simultaneously or you might transition from one to another. It’s a holistic way of accessing emotions and experiences you don’t have words to describe, especially helpful for those who struggle to verbalize feelings.
Somatic and body-based therapies focus on the mind-body connection for holistic healing. They address trauma, stress, anxiety, depression, grief, and physical conditions like chronic pain. Techniques include deep breathing, relaxation exercises, and movement to create awareness and relieve symptoms. Somatic therapy helps clients develop internal resources to regulate emotions and move out of fight, flight, or freeze responses into a calmer state where you can think clearly and reconnect with your body.
IFS, or Internal Family Systems, views the mind as having different parts and helps heal wounded parts while accessing our core Self. Similar to how family members interact differently and have different roles, our internal system works the same way. For example, part of you might want to eat healthy and exercise, while another part wants to relax and eat pizza. IFS helps us understand our whole system without judgment or criticism. It’s helpful for depression, anxiety, phobias, trauma, and general well-being, among many other issues.
Again, I want to emphasize that each of these approaches addresses far more concerns than I can mention in this brief overview. There are also many other body-based and creative therapies beyond what we’ve discussed today.
My Specialities: An Integrated Approach
Some therapists, like myself, use an integrated approach, drawing tools from various evidence-based therapies to best help each individual client. Sometimes clients need multiple methods to feel whole again and reconnect with themselves.
For example, I might integrate EMDR for trauma processing with IFS for protective parts that are afraid or resistant to processing traumatic experiences. Or I might use CBT for unhelpful thinking patterns combined with Expressive Arts therapy for emotional expression and self-compassion.
My approach begins with seeing clients through a compassionate, trauma-informed, holistic, and client-centered framework. It’s important to recognize that when one part of our system is off, it affects other parts. I treat the whole person by addressing mind, body, and spirit.
For instance, maybe you’re dealing with past traumatic experiences that show up in daily life as exhaustion, poor appetite, tense shoulders, unfulfilling relationships, and feeling extra sensitive. We have to look at all the factors contributing to how you’re feeling. This is why integrating multiple approaches and keeping a holistic perspective is so helpful.
How to Choose the Right Type for You
So how do you choose the right type of therapy? Start by thinking about your goals. What do you want to accomplish, or what’s bothering you most that you’d like relief from?
Want to change behaviors and thought patterns? CBT might be helpful. Processing deep traumatic experiences? Consider EMDR or trauma-focused approaches. Struggling with self-criticism and self-esteem? IFS could be beneficial. Having difficulty understanding and expressing emotions? Expressive arts might resonate.
Also consider your preferences and how you best learn and grow. If you like structure and cognitive approaches, CBT and DBT might fit well. If you prefer creative, holistic, whole-body approaches, consider expressive arts, somatic work, or IFS.
Think about what will help you feel comfortable while also challenging you to grow. You can always try one approach or combination, and if it’s not working, talk with your therapist about making changes. Remember, we’ve only discussed basic overviews of these approaches – each one has much more depth and can address many more issues than I’ve mentioned today. There are also many other therapeutic approaches we haven’t covered.
Finding the Right Therapist
I’d encourage you to research further and reach out to therapists who use approaches that interest you. Ask questions to get a better understanding of what to expect. Make sure your therapist has proper training and experience in their offered approaches. It’s completely okay to try a different therapist if the one you have isn’t the right fit.
There are many paths to healing, both in and out of therapy. I encourage you to explore what resonates most with you. If you’re a woman in Texas interested in trauma-focused, holistic, and creative approaches to counseling, feel free to reach out for a free 15-minute consultation.