Exploring Eight Therapeutic Approaches: A Guide to Finding the Right Fit
Navigating the world of therapy can be daunting, especially when you or a loved one is in distress. There’s no universal solution, but your specific needs and objectives may align better with a particular therapeutic approach.
Considering this, we’ve compiled information on the most prevalent and effective therapeutic methods currently available. We’ve also consulted experts to provide insights into what these techniques entail in actual therapy sessions, whether conducted face-to-face or online.
Here’s a concise guide to eight evidence-based therapies, the mental health conditions they can address, and how to find a competent and certified provider to assist you:
- Psychodynamic Therapy
2. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) provides a more structured and short-term therapeutic approach. With CBT, you uncover the links between recurring thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
3. Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) was initially developed to treat borderline personality disorder. It has since proven effective for various other mental health challenges, such as managing overwhelming moods related to trauma or the urge to self-harm.
4. Cognitive Processing Therapy
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is an evidence-based form of CBT widely recognized as an effective treatment option for PTSD and related mental health conditions. When living with PTSD, it’s common to adopt rigid beliefs about yourself, others, and reality due to your experiences. While these beliefs may be understandable, they can contribute to habits that exacerbate your distress, such as withdrawing from loved ones and avoiding social gatherings.
5. Prolonged Exposure Therapy
Prolonged Exposure (PE) is another evidence-based therapy for PTSD, anxiety disorders, phobias, and OCD. PE involves systematically confronting and exposing yourself to things you’ve been avoiding. Over time, you can reclaim the aspects of your life that trauma or anxiety took from you.
7. Interpersonal Therapy
8. Group Therapy
The aim is to unearth unconscious motivations by exploring your personal history, as per the American Psychological Association.
As you begin to comprehend the link between deep-seated desires and behavioral patterns, you can leverage this understanding to foster personal growth. Psychodynamic therapy can address various issues, including depression, anxiety, borderline personality disorder, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic pain, and eating disorders.
It’s one of the oldest forms of therapy, and its efficacy has been demonstrated in a meta-analysis published in The American Journal of Psychiatry.
Expect a potentially long-term therapeutic relationship that could last from months to years, depending on your needs.
To get started, use the psychologist locator from the American Psychological Association and search using the keyword “psychodynamic”.
CBT doesn’t involve suppressing or ignoring negative thoughts or realities. Instead, it helps you understand how your thoughts and your reactions to them affect you. It also enables you to realize that you can adopt alternative perspectives, empowering you to break away from unhelpful patterns.
CBT is one of the most extensively researched therapies and may lead to changes in brain connections related to mood regulation, although more research is needed. It can effectively address many health concerns, including depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, insomnia, substance use disorder, seasonal affective disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, caregiving-related stress, and chronic pain.
While CBT focuses on identifying and exploring your thoughts and feelings from the outset, DBT starts with accepting them and finding coping skills to manage highly distressing situations. The term “dialectical” refers to working with opposing forces. The goal is to accept yourself as you are while also recognizing your capacity for change.
In DBT, the relationship you build with your therapist is particularly important.
DBT can help with borderline personality disorder, self-harm, suicidal behavior, PTSD, substance use disorder, binge eating disorder, bulimia, depression, and anxiety.
CPT can help you examine trauma-based beliefs, understand how they may distort your perspective in unhelpful ways, and work towards adjusting your viewpoint for a more fulfilling life.
Expect weekly sessions for 12 weeks, with homework assignments between sessions. To get started, use the CPT Provider Roster to find a provider licensed to practice in your area.
If you find it challenging to leave your house after witnessing a shooting or driving again after a serious car accident, PE can help you approach your fears instead of avoiding them, contextualize them, and gradually expand your comfort zone.
Expect weekly sessions for 8 to 15 weeks with homework assignments between sessions. To get started, use the Penn Psychiatry PE provider directory to find a licensed PE therapist in your area.
What distinguishes EMDR from other trauma-focused therapies is that while revisiting this traumatic memory, you also focus on a type of rhythmic stimulation that alternates from left to right, such as a sound or an image.
Expect weekly sessions for about 6 to 12 weeks. To get started, use the EMDR International Association locator to find a certified EMDR provider in your area.
Initially developed as a treatment for depression, IPT is a short-term therapy that acknowledges the interplay between social issues, such as adjusting to changing roles or conflicts with loved ones, and mental health.
Expect weekly sessions for 12 to 16 weeks. To get started, use the IPT Institute certified therapist search to find an interpersonal therapy provider.
Group therapy is different from peer support groups in that a certified group therapist moderates each session. They help guide discussions, build community, and address potential issues related to group dynamics, like misunderstandings or clashing personalities.
Expect weekly, biweekly, or monthly sessions, whether a one-time meeting or regular, ongoing meetings. To get started, find a group with Mental Health America or an online group therapy platform.