10 Types Of Therapy To Explore This Year

This post was developed via a partnership with BetterHelp. 

Whether you’ve been going through something challenging recently or have simply committed to boosting your mental health this year, participating in therapy could be a useful addition to your life.

However, with so many therapeutic approaches available, it can be difficult to narrow down the right one for you.

In this article, we’ll go over 10 different kinds of therapy and cover what concerns they’re typically used to treat. By gaining insight into these approaches, you can expand your awareness of the options available to you and search for providers who offer certain types of therapy.

10 Types Of Therapy To Explore This Year

The following are 10 different types of therapy you may consider learning more about.

1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, is a frontline approach used to treat various mental health disorders. It can be used in individual therapy as well as couples or family counseling. CBT works by helping people identify their irrational, unhelpful thought patterns.

Once these thoughts have been identified, the individual learns how to replace them with more rational, positive ways of thinking. CBT can help treat disorders such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD, as well as concerns like low self-esteem, chronic pain, and anger issues.

2. Psychodynamic Therapy

Psychodynamic therapy is a form of talk therapy that focuses on an individual’s unconscious motivations, thoughts, and feelings and how those may be affecting their present. It stems from the work of psychologist Sigmund Freud, who founded psychoanalysis.

This kind of therapy seeks to get to the root of a person’s concerns—such as depression, anxiety, or shame—and uncover ways to overcome their past.

3. Humanistic Therapy

Humanistic therapy keeps the individual front and center during sessions, exploring how their unique perception of the world is impacting their thoughts, feelings, and ultimately their mental health.

Rather than focusing on the issue at hand, such as depression, this type of therapy seeks to understand the whole person and how their unique skills and strengths can help them heal.

4. Couples Therapy

Couples therapy is uniquely designed to help people facing relationship concerns, whether they’re dating, married, or in a long-term relationship. While many different strategies can be used in couples therapy, the focus remains on both people instead of just one person when using this approach.

Couples can discuss issues like lack of intimacy, communication problems, or conflicting parenting methods and work with the therapist to come up with potential solutions.

5. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy

Dialectical behavior therapy, or DBT, is an approach typically used to help people who are experiencing extreme, uncontrollable emotions like sadness, anger, or shame. DBT guides people in adopting healthier coping strategies and teaches them how to express themselves more productively.

While this technique is often utilized to treat people living with borderline personality disorder, it can serve many other purposes as well, such as helping individuals living with substance use disorders, addiction, and eating disorders.

6. Holistic Therapy

Those seeking an alternative or complementary form of therapy may turn to holistic methods to find relief. Holistic therapy is a therapeutic approach that maintains a consistent focus on the body, mind, and spirit.

Common holistic techniques that are used to treat mental health disorders include reiki, aromatherapy, massage, meditation, breathwork, yoga, and acupuncture.

7. Exposure Therapy

People who are living with phobias, trauma, and other related conditions may benefit from participating in exposure therapy. This approach works by slowly exposing people to the things, people, or situations they’re fearful of. It may also involve talking through past events and experiences in more and more detail.

The more an individual is exposed to or talks about something, the more desensitized they become to it. The result is less panic and anxiety in the face of triggers.

8. Interpersonal Therapy

Interpersonal therapy, or IPT, focuses on the social connections a person has to help them heal from different mental health concerns. This approach guides people in forming stronger, healthier attachments to others and resolving conflict.

These relationships can serve as powerful tools for overcoming conditions like depression, anxiety, and much more.

9. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is a type of talk therapy that combines CBT, meditation, and mindfulness. Mindfulness meditation is a practice that involves staying fully present in the moment and observing one’s thoughts without judging them. It can be useful in promoting relaxation, stress relief, and mental clarity.

MBCT is often utilized to treat depression, anxiety, trauma, and much more.

10. Family Therapy

Family therapy is a type of group therapy that focuses on improving relationships among family members. Some families go to therapy because one of its members is struggling with a mental health disorder, such as addiction, that is impacting the rest of the unit.

Other times, families may attend therapy to learn how to communicate with one another more effectively or to resolve conflict among children and their parents. This type of therapy can be beneficial whether a family is going through something challenging or simply wants to improve their day-to-day interactions.

When it comes to different therapeutic approaches, this list is not exhaustive. To explore other types of therapy that may be available to you, you can visit the following link: www.betterhelp.com/advice/therapy/what-are-the-different-types-of-therapy-available/.

Finding The Right Type Of Therapy For You

It’s normal to feel unsure about the type of therapy you should pursue, especially if you’re new to the process. However, it’s important to note that you don’t have to have everything figured out right away.

Connecting with a mental health professional may be the first step to finding the right kind of therapy for you. A therapist or other qualified person can go over your symptoms and goals, assessing your needs along the way and determining the most effective treatment approach.

Remember that therapy is all about you, so don’t be afraid to ask questions and let your provider know what kind of support you’re looking for. The guidance and healing you need may just be right around the corner.