There are many different type so therapy, loosely separated into categories. From group therapy to art therapy, the landscape can feel confusing, particularly if you don’t know what each type entails. In this blog, we will focus on the different types of talking therapy available.
Talking therapy can help with bereavement, redundancy, PTSD, and mental, emotional and physical health conditions. It’s a positive way to deal with negative feelings and behaviours, and become aware of patterns and triggers. This is the first step to making positive change, and taking greater control of your life.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT is usually the therapy that springs to mind when we think about talking therapies. It explores how your thought process and belief system impacts your emotions and behaviours. For example, it can help break a negative thought pattern that makes it difficult to leave the house. You will usually have fewer than 12 sessions over a short period of time, and will have ‘homework’ to complete between sessions.
Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT)
This is a type of CBT that was originally designed to help people with borderline personality disorder. It is now used across a spectrum, including eating disorders and addiction, and involves focusing on two opposites: acceptance and change. It helps people to regulate their emotions (feel them less intensely), accepting themselves to bring about positive change.
Psychodynamic therapy
This therapy focuses more on your past and unconscious than other talking therapies, giving you the freedom to freely talk about whatever is on your mind. This allows feelings to come to the surface, which can then be explored further. Your therapist will be able to offer different viewpoints on your experiences, which will help you build self-awareness.
Humanistic therapy
As its name suggests, humanistic therapy focuses on the ‘whole’ human, rather than a set of events or feelings. It’s a person-centred approach that focuses on a human’s capability for growth that may be blocked by experiences. Person-centred therapy, Gestalt therapy and transactional analysis are examples of this type of therapy, and it’s helpful for anyone who has issues that are blocking them from achieving or moving forwards.
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