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If you’re thinking about trying therapy, you may have some questions about exactly what will happen during each of your sessions. Will you have to spend the whole time talking about your problems? Will your therapist give you direct advice or just ask you questions? How will you know if you’re improving, or ready to be done? 

Therapy is Not One Size Fits All

Although most types of therapy involve talking about your feelings and behaviors, it’s important to know that there are many kinds of therapy styles, and some are more suited for treating specific kinds of conditions. If you’re experiencing anxiety or depression – the most common mental health conditions – your therapist may suggest a particular style of therapy based on your symptoms or goals.

Therapists usually specialize in one or two therapy styles, or they may use elements of a few different approaches to treat your unique needs. Understanding some of the various kinds of therapy can help you work with your therapist on choosing the right one for you.

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
  • Psychodynamic Therapy
  • Cognitive Processing Therapy
  • Exposure Therapy
  • Interpersonal therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most common types of psychotherapy and focuses on evaluating and changing negative thinking and behaviors. It’s based on the idea that distressing feelings or beliefs you have about yourself can lead to mental health issues.  

During CBT sessions, a therapist will work with you to identify unhealthy thinking or behavior patterns and help you develop new ways of approaching situations and challenges. This process can allow you to recognize negative thoughts as they happen and empower you to behave differently in response.

CBT requires taking a careful look at your thoughts and behaviors. Your therapist may suggest you journal during the process or take notes about your everyday feelings in between sessions. CBT has many different schools of practice under the CBT umbrella, such as Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and others.

If you commit to CBT, it can be extremely effective in treating many mental health conditions, including:

  • Anxiety disorders
  • Depression
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Eating disorders
  • Trauma-related disorders

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

A sub-type of CBT, and originally developed to treat borderline personality disorder, dialectical behavior therapy focuses more on acknowledging intense emotions or uncomfortable feelings, being mindful of them, and finding a balance between acceptance and change. 

If your therapist uses DBT as part of your treatment, it can help you understand and manage your emotions better instead of trying to change them, which could improve relationships, and allow you to cope with difficult situations.

DBT helps you develop skills in four areas:

  • Mindfulness: staying in the present
  • Distress tolerance: accepting life as it is 
  • Emotion regulation: working to gain control over emotions
  • Interpersonal effectiveness: Communicating clearly and supporting healthier relationships

DBT can be incorporated into treatment for depression and anxiety disorders, but it can also help people with conditions that stem from unhealthy efforts to control intense, negative emotions such as:

  • Borderline personality disorder
  • Self-harm/suicidal behaviors
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • Substance use 
  • Eating disorders

Psychodynamic Therapy

Based on the theories and principles of psychoanalysis, originally developed by Sigmund Freud, psychodynamic therapy uses your past experiences to understand how and why you interact with the world the way you do.

Psychodynamic therapy requires you to be self-reflective and talk extensively with your therapist about your past experiences and unconscious thoughts. It involves becoming aware of emotions during the process and resolving repressed feelings that may have impacted your current situation. 

During psychodynamic therapy, your therapist will act as a guide to encourage exploring and unlocking unconscious thought through a variety of techniques:

  • Free association: the expression of thought without worrying about logic
  • Dream analysis: understanding hidden meaning found in dreams
  • Projective tests: using inkblot tests or word association to identify unconscious thoughts and feelings

Psychodynamic therapy is a good fit for you if you are very self-reflective and willing to talk freely about your thoughts and experiences. It can be a long-term process and feel more open-ended than other types of therapy. It can help you improve your introspection and analytical abilities to help with conditions like:

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Relationship issues
  • Family dynamics 

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)

Used primarily to reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), cognitive processing therapy is a type of cognitive therapy that has found to be effective in treating victims of violence, abuse, or other kinds of trauma.

During CPT, a therapist will focus on the thoughts and feelings a client has surrounding a traumatic event. Many people who have endured trauma may have self-blaming or unhealthy thoughts. CPT can help them develop a new understanding of the event to process it and reduce lasting negative effects.

CPT involves self-reflection and sometimes writing about the trauma to help identify and address unhealthy thinking. It can be conducted individually or as part of a group, usually lasting over 12 sessions.

If you’ve suffered severe trauma, CPT can help you regain your feelings of control, safety, and trust that are often lost as a result. CPT focuses on repairing damage done to your perspective on the world and other people.

Exposure Therapy

Another type of cognitive therapy, exposure therapy is used to treat phobias by gradually exposing you to fears in a safe environment guided by your therapist. Rather than avoiding things, situations, or activities in a way that may be detrimental to your everyday life, exposure therapy allows you to eventually overcome your fears or anxieties. 

Avoiding things that make you feel anxious or afraid may manage negative feelings in the short term, but over time, they can make fears worse. For instance, if you have social anxiety, you may avoid parties, group events, or other situations that involve being social. But long-term, this can impact your relationships, career, and everyday interactions. Exposure therapy creates a controlled, trusted environment in which to slowly become exposed to objects, activities, or situations in a way that allows you to reframe your fears.

There are several methods of conducting exposure therapy;

Imaginal: involves vividly imagining the activity or situation and describing your thoughts and feelings

In vivo: meaning “real life,” this method involves facing your fear directly with your therapist’s support and guidance

Interoceptive: involves triggering physical symptoms that tend to develop during intense fear to better manage them

Virtual reality: uses VR technology to simulate fearful situations 

Exposure therapy is extremely helpful in treating:

  • Phobias
  • Acute stress disorder
  • Complex PTSD
  • OCD
  • Panic disorders
  • Social anxiety disorder

Interpersonal Therapy

Like its name suggests, interpersonal therapy focuses on improving relationships that may have an impact your mental health condition. It’s a more focused, time-limited process that addresses issues like social isolation, unfulfilling relationships, unresolved grief, or life transitions like divorce or retirement.

Originally developed for major depressive disorder, it’s different from other types of cognitive therapy because it focuses on current relationships and situations. During the 12-16 week process, you’ll work with your therapist to better understand your emotions as they relate to your relationships. Your therapist will help you use these learnings to communicate better with others and learn how to lean on loved ones for support when needed.

Interpersonal therapy is still used to treat depression, but can also be helpful for additional conditions like:

  • Bulimia nervosa
  • Binge eating disorder
  • PTSD
  • Anxiety disorders

Get Started with Therapy

This article details a few of the more research-proven and commonly practiced psychological treatments, but there are many others. The best way to understand what type of therapy approach will work best for you is to schedule a session with a provider. MindGlow Health works with licensed providers who are experienced in various types of therapy while being passionate about what they do.

Learn more or schedule your initial session and take the first step on the road to better mental health.