How many therapies are there

There are many types of therapy available. Psychotherapy , or talk therapy, involves a person speaking with a trained therapist who can help them understand certain feelings and behaviors. Therapy can help people deal with these issues by teaching coping skills or by working to eliminate them.

A CBT therapist will work with an individual to uncover unhealthful thought patterns. The therapist will discuss with the person how these patterns might or do cause self-destructive behaviors and beliefs.

Together, the therapist and their client can work on developing constructive ways of thinking. These changes can offer a healthier, more positive outlook and help a person change their behaviors and beliefs. However, DBT focuses more on regulating emotions, being mindful, and accepting uncomfortable thoughts and feelings. A therapist uses DBT to help a person find a balance between change and acceptance. Using DBT, a therapist can teach a person new skills, such as new ways to cope with a situation and mindfulness practices.

Psychotherapists first developed DBT to treat people with borderline personality disorder BPD who were experiencing thoughts of suicide. Therapists now use DBT to treat several different conditions, with significant and long-lasting effects. These conditions include:. EMDR aims to replace adverse reactions to painful memories with less charged or positive responses. The benefits of EMDR remain controversial, and a review of studies was unable to identify what part of the treatment is beneficial.

Exposure therapy is a form of CBT. An article in Behavior Research and Therapy notes that therapists have successfully used exposure therapy to treat people with fear and anxiety disorders. Therapists may use exposure therapy to help treat:. A person undergoing exposure therapy will work with their therapist to figure out what triggers their anxiety.

The person will learn methods to avoid ritualistic behaviors or anxiety after exposure to these triggers. The therapist will then expose the person to their triggers in a controlled environment to put these methods into practice. Interpersonal therapy aims to help a person work on their relationships with others. According to NAMI , therapists often use interpersonal therapy to treat depression.

The therapist can then help the person learn ways to understand and interact positively with others. MBT involves a technique called mentalizing. This therapy helps people with BPD to notice and understand their thoughts and feelings and those of others.

Its primary aim is to give a person with BPD a sense of self and help them connect to other people. Psychodynamic therapy aims to help a person combat negative patterns of behavior that derive from past experiences. Once a person understands how experiences have created unhelpful behaviors and feelings, they can learn to overcome them. One article indicates that psychodynamic therapy is successful in treating depressive disorders, BPD, and anxiety.

However, therapists employ this technique to treat a wide range of mental health issues and personality disorders. Psychoanalysis is a more intense type of psychodynamic therapy. According to the American Psychiatric Association, therapy sessions generally take place three or more times a week. Animal-assisted therapy involves a person spending time with a trained therapy pet. People who have been in therapy for at least a year and want to better understand the forces behind their behavior might want to try psychoanalysis.

It's best for phobias, obsessions, compulsions, or continual negative thoughts, as well as troubled relationships with people rather than day-to-day problems or very specific goals. Whereas most other forms of therapy involve meeting once a week or every two weeks, psychoanalysis often requires three to five weekly visits.

Seek the help of: A psychoanalyst—who could be a psychiatrist MD , a psychologist, a licensed clinical social worker, or a licensed professional counselor with training in psychoanalytic theory and technique. Your therapist will work with you to examine how past events and relationships have contributed to your current difficulties and help you understand how subconscious factors affect the way you interact with others.

Seek the help of: A psychologist, a licensed clinical social worker, or a licensed professional counselor with experience in psychodynamic therapy. DBT combines individual therapy with a weekly group session focused on mindfulness, emotion regulation, and other skills. For example, if a family rift is triggering you to binge drink, your therapist may use CBT and recommend group therapy as well.

You may work with more than one professional. Art therapy is an integrative type of therapy that involves managing and mitigating symptoms of a variety of medical and mental health disorders in both adults and children "through active art-making, creative process, applied psychological theory, and human experience within a psychotherapeutic relationship," according to the American Art Therapy Association AATA.

Some examples of art therapy activities include using creative tequniques like coloring, painting, and sculpting, "to help people express themselves artistically and examine the psychological and emotional undertones in their art," as described in Psychology Today.

Art therapy provides a wide spectrum of purported benefits in both adults and children. The AATA recommends art therapy "to improve cognitive and sensorimotor functions, foster self-esteem and self-awareness, cultivate emotional resilience, promote insight, enhance social skills, [and] reduce and resolve conflicts and distress.

While the term art therapy gets tossed around in the context of activities and products like adult coloring books or certain therapy apps, the clinical application of visual arts as therapeutic treatment is a very specific form of therapy facilitated by trained, licensed professionals. Here's how it works, what it costs, and whether it's…. When it comes to addiction, CBT can help you take steps to reframe your situation to avoid the triggers of your addiction.

Online therapy is making mental health services accessible and more affordable for many people. Here are our 10 recommended picks for online therapy. Reality therapy views behavior as a choice. Learn more here. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. A Guide to Different Types of Therapy. Medically reviewed by Timothy J. Legg, Ph. Psychodynamic therapy. Behavioral therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy.

Humanistic therapy. How to make a choice. Read this next. I Was Scared to Change Therapists. It Helped My Patients. The 7 Best Free and Affordable Online Therapy Services in Online therapy has proven to help those experiencing isolation, depression, and anxiety. Medically reviewed by Karin Gepp, PsyD.