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What is a modality in therapy? Learn about some of the most common counseling treatment modalities and how they work in this introductory guide.
Therapy modalities, also called counseling modalities, comprise different categories of therapy. They are similar to physical therapy, which involves different techniques, such as heat, cold, ultrasound, or taping, to treat an injury. Psychological therapy modalities include different approaches to improving a patient’s overall well-being.
This mental health treatment modalities list includes some of the most common modalities and how they work.
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Common Therapy Modalities
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CBT: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) focuses on changing thinking patterns. For example, a therapist and client work together to identify thoughts that have a negative impact on the patient’s mental health and replace them with healthier alternatives.
This counseling modality works best with self-esteem, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety and depression, and other conditions that create or are based on patterns of negative thoughts.
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EMDR: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
EMDR is a therapy modality mostly used for post-traumatic stress disorder. During a session, the patient recalls a traumatic event under the therapist’s guidance, while moving their eyes in a specific pattern. This can help the patient to reduce the stress associated with the event.
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Art Therapy/Expressive Arts Therapy
Art therapy and other forms of expressive arts therapies use art techniques to help patients understand and process their thoughts and feelings. Patients do not need artistic training or artistic talent to benefit from this modality.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of therapy modality will work for me?
You’ll gain the best results by working with a therapist you trust who uses a therapy modality you see as the best match for your needs.
What are good trauma therapy modalities?
Evidence-based therapy modalities for trauma include EMDR, art therapy, CBT, and behavior therapy. Animal-assisted therapy, mindfulness, and prolonged exposure can also be used.
The right counseling modality for any individual depends on their specific needs.
What is a therapy modality for OCD?
Exposure and response prevention therapy (either in a real-life situation or an imagined situation) and CBT are both evidence-based counseling modalities for OCD.
What are the main types of counseling modalities?
Most therapy modalities include the following:
- Psychoanalytic
- Psychodynamic (focused on the unconscious)
- Behavioral (focused on learning new behavior)
- Cognitive (focused on thought)
- Humanistic (focused on achieving potential)
- Integrative (combining elements of these modalities)
Featured Image: Vadym Petrochenko / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images
Treatment Modalities
Therapy (also referred to as “psychotherapy” or “counseling”) is a process through which a client meets with a therapist in a safe, confidential, and supportive environment. Therapists should have at least a master’s degree in psychology or related field and be licensed by a state agency (e.g., Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services).
The purpose of therapy is for clients to: explore beliefs, feelings, and behaviors; address challenging or distressing memories and experiences; obtain better self-awareness and understanding; and develop a plan to achieve desired changes. Individuals seek therapy for many reasons, such as to deal with depression or anxiety, for personal growth and greater self-knowledge, or to cope with major life challenges and traumatic events.
Therapy can help people to confront barriers which interfere with
emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual well-being.
A client and therapist may work together for as few as 12 sessions or as long as several years, depending on the client’s unique needs and personal goals for therapy.
Treatment Modalities. The types of therapy offered are:
- Individual Therapy. The client meets alone with the therapist. Sessions are typically scheduled once per week for 60 minutes. When the client is experiencing increased difficulty, sessions may be temporarily scheduled twice per week for a short period of time. As the client makes progress in achieving his or her goals and nears discharge, sessions may become less frequent (e.g., once every two to four weeks). Depending on the client’s preferences and needs, sessions can be also scheduled for 30 or 90 minutes.
- Family Therapy. In this session, the therapist meets with one or more family members, friends, or significant others with or without the client present. All clients who receive services at Behavioral Health Resources are encouraged to participate in at least one family therapy session. During the initial meeting, the therapist will become acquainted with individuals involved in the client’s life and obtain feedback about the client’s strengths and areas for improvement. With the client’s permission, the treatment plan objectives and progress will also be discussed.
- Group Therapy. In this type of treatment modality, several clients meet for 60 to 90 minutes with a therapist. The group can be structured as open discussion (any topic and also related to treatment plan objectives) or the group can be designed for a specific focus (e.g., addiction recovery, sexual trauma, etc.) Working with others together in a group can decrease a client’s sense of isolation, validate his/her experiences, and help to develop better interpersonal and coping skills. Group members can encourage each other by sharing their own experiences and provide hope for positive change and growth.
- Group therapy is offered when there are at least 4 clients who are interested and available to meet on a consistent basis.
Sexual Trauma Therapy Group. This group is for women who have 
experienced incest, rape, or other sexual trauma in their lives. The purpose of the group is to provide therapy and support for participants. The group is led by an experienced facilitator and co-facilitator. Everyone is invited to participate at the level that feels most comfortable to her. Only individuals who are current clients are eligible to participate. Contact Brenda Rohren at (402) 486-1101 if you are interested in receiving services.
- Day and Time: TBD – the group is not currently being offered
- Facilitator: Brenda Rohren, M.A., MFS, LIMHP, LADC, MAC, BC-TMH
- Cost: $50
Licensed in Nebraska as a Substance Abuse Treatment Center *
March 20, 2015 to October 1, 2018 *
* Nebraska LB 1034 eliminated facility licenses for all outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment Centers
There are many different approaches to therapy. Some focus on the collaboration between therapist and client. Some focus on the type of analysis is done. Still others focus on the tools used during therapy.
Mental Health Match’s matching tool finds the right type of therapy for you. But if you’re curious what all these terms mean, check out the glossary below.
Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) is a technique built on the understanding that humans are wired to heal themselves. AEDP sets a secure and positive stage for you and your therapist to unpack the trauma that is impacting your life. Rooted in positivity and self-acceptance, AEDP aims to leave you empowered from the experience(s) that once held you back. AEDP is ideal for someone that wants to move forward from a traumatic experience and does not want to do it alone.
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) uses memory and image replacement, along with relaxed eye movements, as tools for overcoming traumatic experiences. This results in reclassification of that trauma in the brain, and is intended to protect you from triggers that may otherwise result in emotional or physical reactions. ART addresses a wide-array of diagnoses and has been effective in treating people who have suffered through abuse (i.e. physical, emotional, sexual, substance), as well as those who are diagnosed with depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and phobias.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) encourages mindfulness to overcome the negative attitudes, thoughts, and feelings that result from difficulties that come with life. ACT builds on a model of accepting our reactions, staying present, and making choices that then enable us to take action. Someone who struggles with social anxiety, continued stress, and depression could benefit from ACT.
Adlerian Therapy is a great approach for someone that is looking to achieve a specific goal. Through engagement, insight, and reorientation, your therapist can help you understand what your roadblocks are in achieving your goals, and to recognize the steps you need to take to get closer to your ultimate goal. Your therapist supports and holds you accountable via continued visits, with an agreed-upon end date at which point you and your therapist can track your overall progress and reassess, if necessary. Adlerian Therapy may be a preferred approach for those who struggle with weight loss, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), smoking cessation, addiction, or other self-destructive habits.
Animal-Assisted Therapies (AAT) is leveraged when your therapist believes that a support animal could complement your treatment plan in a positive way. AAT is often used to support those struggling with autism, behavioral issues, depression, and addiction, but benefits have been noted across a wide range of diagnoses.
Art Therapy creates the space for you to express your feelings and thoughts through art mediums that can include painting, coloring, and drawing. For someone who struggles to express their emotions and experiences through words alone, Art Therapy enables them to express themselves through visual representations.
Attachment-Based Therapy taps into the experiences that influence your early attachment experiences, or the bonds that developed between you and your early caregivers, in order to resolve the resulting feelings, thoughts, communications, and behaviors that you may have adopted as avoidant coping mechanisms. For someone whose current experiences are being negatively impacted by early trauma, Attachment-Based Therapy may be an effective therapeutic approach. This approach is often used in parent-child and family therapy sessions.
Behavioral Therapy encompasses a wide range of therapies that are leveraged in targeting self-destructive behaviors. Behavior therapy is built on the belief that behaviors are learned and can be unlearned. For someone wanting to let go of unhealthy behaviors that are proving to be harmful, Behavioral Therapy is worth considering.
Bibliotherapy leverages literature when your therapist finds it complementary to your healing process. This can be the reading of select texts and storytelling, in conjunction with traditional talk therapy. Bibliotherapy is a great approach for those who are interested in literature that encourages their self-awareness and development, or in reading narratives that may feel relatable.
Biofeedback therapy helps you develop control over otherwise involuntary physiological functions, such as body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure. Biofeedback therapeutic sessions increase self awareness by measuring bodily responses to various interventions. Through biofeedback, you can learn to monitor and relax your body’s physical sensations. Someone that struggles with anxiety would be a strong candidate for biofeedback therapy.
Body Mind Centering (BMC) focuses on the relationship between our movements and our mind. This approach looks at how awareness of each of the body systems affects our breathing and movements. BMC helps you explore the connections between your senses, movements, and perceptions – and the meaning you make of them. BMC is a great route for whose movement and quality of life have been negatively impacted by early conditioning.
Body-Mind Psychotherapy encourages mindfulness of body sensation. Awareness of how the body responds to certain experiences informs you on your developmental sphere. This is a great approach for those who seek to be more in tune with the neuroscience behind the body movements and reflexes, with the goal of being more empowered, intentional, and self-aware In their experiences.
Brainspotting addresses pain and trauma by tracking eye movements across the fields of vision. It helps you identify and release how your body stores pain and trauma. This is a great option for someone that wants to heal their trauma-induced emotions, fears, and pain on a deeper level.
Breathwork encourages mindfulness and increased self-awareness via breathing exercises. Those with depression, anxiety, or extreme levels of stress may appreciate the pause, relaxation, and opportunity for reflection that breathwork brings.
Brief Psychotherapy is an approach that prioritizes the most efficient treatment. If you seek to achieve a goal within a specific number of sessions or by a certain date, you may opt for Brief Psychotherapy.
Choice Theory is the belief that each individual can only control themselves and that they have limited power over the choices of others. This therapy moves the focus away from directing others, and instead encourages accountability for oneself. A therapeutic approach with these pillars may be effective for parents, partners, and those experiencing workplace conflicts.
Client-Centered Therapy occurs when your therapist takes a step back, and allows you to take a more active and directive role in your healing process. In this approach, your therapist is primarily present to encourage self-acceptance and healing. This is a great method for those who recognize their potential and want to take the lead, but still value the support that a therapist can provide.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a short-term approach that allows you to address your goals by considering the thoughts, feelings, and experiences that support desired behaviors. This is a great option for you if you have a short-term goal you want to achieve, and desire the support and accountability that a therapist can provide.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – Insomnia specifically targets the behaviors, feelings, and thoughts that impact your ability to develop a consistent and healthy sleep pattern. This is a route worth considering for someone that struggles with insomnia.
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is a form of CBT that targets PTSD with the belief that our thoughts impact our attitudes and feelings about our past trauma. The implicit goal is that, over 12 sessions, you are able to turn the experiences that hurt you into ones that empower you. CPT is a great modality for someone that wants to change the ways that their trauma presents itself in their day-to-day lives.
Collaborative Therapy is an approach that allows you to apply your own understanding of your experiences. In this mode, your therapist is less likely to direct the conversation, with you drawing conclusions of cognitive and behavioral shifts that you need to make. This is a great approach for someone who values candid explorations of their experiences and problems as a route to reflecting on options and solutions.
Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) encourages people to respond to their experiences with compassion. CFT is a great choice for you if you struggle with shame and self-criticism. CFT can help you nurture compassion for yourself and others.
Constructivist Therapy emphasizes that your sense of reality is built from your life experiences. Your therapist is there to encourage your strengths, and acts as a facilitator of change. While regard is given to any diagnoses, your therapist may not place as much emphasis on the mental illness as they would in traditional talk therapy.
Dance and Movement Therapy uses dance to identify the intersection of the emotional, social, cognitive, and physical components that contribute to your well-being. A variety of movements are incorporated in your treatment plan to help you access your underlying feelings and express your experiences in a nonverbal way. Dance therapy is a great option for reducing stress, managing anxiety, and stabilizing mood disorders.
Depth Therapy is rooted in the belief that we must go beyond our superficial understanding of mental health concerns, and explore the underlying motivations to truly get on the path of healing.This approach may look into your dreams, hidden thoughts, and early attachments to better understand your challenges and responses. This approach is a great option for you if you struggle with trauma, or otherwise unexplainable emotional states.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) promotes healing by providing skills to manage difficult emotions. Your therapist incorporates mindfulness, self-awareness, emotion regulation, and interpersonal communication into your treatment plan. DBT is a great modality if you are struggling with stress or anxiety, or if you find yourself overwhelmed by strong emotional reactions. DBT can consist of group therapy sessions in addition to the individual sessions with the therapist.
Drama Therapy helps you to tap into your feelings, attitudes, and behaviors through theatre and drama-based activities. Drama therapy can include storytelling, improv, and theater games. This is a good option for someone who is having difficulty articulating their stories, goals, feelings, and thoughts through talk therapy alone.
Dream Therapy involves recording your dreams and discussing them with your therapist. A dream therapist can help you decipher these dreams and help you explore what they may indicate about your waking life. Dream Therapy is a good option if you’re having dreams that are impacting your day-to-day, and you’re curious to explore the meanings behind them.
Eclectic Therapy is an open approach that adapts to your needs. It brings together a number of different therapies, depending on your goals. Eclectic Therapy is a great option if you’re having trouble deciding which form of therapy may best assist you, as Eclectic Therapists are seasoned in various modalities.
Ecotherapy helps you address your mental health, challenges, feelings, and behaviors by connecting with nature. Ecotherapy may involve activities such as gardening, walking through a park, and planting trees. This is a great option for someone who finds it easier to relax and reflect in the outdoors.
Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) is founded on the belief that the exploration and understanding of our feelings are key to our healing and identity. Your Emotion-Focused therapist may observe patterns and help you recognize how your attachments impact your ability to have positive and healthy relationships with yourself and others. As emotional attachments vary with each individual, EFT is a great option for couples and, more specifically, in intercultural relationships.
Emotional Freedom Technique is a physical strategy that involves the use of fingertips to tap on and stimulate various energy points to promote healing from physical and emotional pain and/or disease. This tapping technique has been successful in treating anxiety and depression.
Energy Psychology (EP) encompasses a variety of therapies that view human function from a mind-body lens. EP doesn’t discount the effects of the state of the mind on the body, and vice versa. These therapies can effectively treat trauma, anxiety, self-sabotage, and many other psychophysiological issues.
Equine Assisted Psychotherapy involves the use of horses and other equine to complement a treatment plan that is usually geared towards healing from trauma and an array of mental health disorders. EAP does not involve the riding of horses, and rather caring for horses through feeding, grooming, and guiding through various obstacles.
Ericksonian Hypnotherapy deviates from direct suggestion by leveraging metaphors and storytelling. If you are averse to traditional hypnotherapy, Ericksonian Hypnotherapy gives you the feeling of being in control and may be a better option.
Existential Therapy enables you to view your challenge in a holistic way. This is an ideal route for someone who wants to integrate philosophy into their healing process.
Experiential Therapy consists of guided re-experiencing of specific situations that you have experienced or continue to experience in your relationships. Re-experiencing these situations gives you an opportunity to explore the subconscious layer of issues that may not be as apparent when you first experience the situation. Equine, music, drama, and art are all forms of experiential therapy. These forms of therapy are ideal for someone who believes that re-experiencing their challenges in an alternative form will help them uncover keys to their healing.
Exposure Therapy is a form of behavior therapy that relies on exposing you to triggers in order to overcome phobias, anxiety, and distress. With the guidance of a licensed therapist, you are exposed to the trigger in a safe environment. Exposure therapy has been successful in treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Expressive Art Therapy is a form of experiential therapy that involves storytelling, music, movement, dance, poetry, and other forms of visual arts to re-experience situations and heal from prominent challenges, with the underlying intention of growth and development. Expressive Art Therapy is a great option for someone who may struggle with healing through words alone.
Expressive Trauma Integration is a form of therapy that addresses both PTSD and Trauma through the following pillars: Psychoeducation, Six Stage Trauma Integration Roadmap, Experiential Modalities & Methods, and the Individual Sustainability Plan. This is a more sophisticated and structured approach to healing through severe cases of trauma and PTSD.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) is a structured form of healing that requires you to revisit painful and traumatic experiences in order to reduce the triggers and feelings of negativity towards the experience. You will be asked to focus on the trauma while your therapist helps to control the bilateral stimulation via controlled eye movements.
Family Constellations Therapy relies on addressing family dynamics to uncover the triggers that negatively impact your relationships. In a group therapy environment, different people are positioned as stand-ins for family members and you have the opportunity to understand how each individual relationship impacts your relationship with yourself and with others.
Family Systems is a form of therapy that helps you find reconciliation within your familial relationships. Founded on the concept that each member of a family contributes to the health of the family system, Family Systems Therapy is a great option for families that are experiencing a level of dysfunction that feels unmanageable. The guidance of a therapist could accelerate the healing of each individual, and thus the relationships that you hold with each other.
Feminist Therapy is founded on the challenges and stresses that women face specifically beause they are women. This could be a great option for someone who’s experiencing discrimination in the workplace, or struggling with post-partum depression, infertility, and gender roles.
Gestalt Therapy is another holistic form of therapy that encourages you to explore your relationship with different parts of the world outside of your experiences, in order to understand how those relationships impact your experiences. Gestalt Therapy is a great option for someone who is comfortable healing from conflict through role playing.
Gottman Method is a form of therapy that is founded on the Sound Relationship House Theory. This theory helps to break down miscommunication and other barriers to the connection, intimacy, and understanding that couples need to foster a healthy relationship. Gottman Method is ideal for couples who are currently feeling challenged in the areas of connection and intimacy.
Grief Therapy addresses the emotions and thoughts that follow the loss of a loved one or pet. Grief Therapy is successful at managing pain and processing memories that you shared with the deceased in a way that is healing and positive for you.
Hakomi Method looks at the patterns that you have established that influence the way you experience and view the world. If you want to change your core beliefs through mindfulness and increased self-awareness, the Hakomi Method is a great option.
Heart Centered Therapy (HCT) is founded on the belief that the heart holds wisdom that is key to healing from pain and confusion. If you are interested in spiritual healing, HCT may be an effective approach.
Holistic Therapy goes beyond the diagnoses and sickness that you may have. You are viewed as a person, first and foremost. Holistic Therapy is a great route for someone who wants to approach their healing with their entire being taken into consideration, not just the symptoms and diagnoses that shape the way they experience life.
Human Givens Therapy is at the intersection of holistic and scientific approaches. This form of therapy is a great option for someone that wants to improve their coping skills with stress, depression, and anxiety, and has been found effective with those from varying cultures and backgrounds.
Humanistic Therapy prioritizes you honoring your true self to live a more wholesome life. This is a great approach for someone that wants to feel supported and empowered in the unique perspective they have in viewing the world and their experiences.
Hypnotherapy is a controlled and guided method that increases your awareness and puts you in a ‘trance.’ This state allows you to focus on unpacking and resolving your primary concern with your therapist. Hypnotherapy has been used to address smoking cessation, weight loss, and overcoming anxiety, phobias, and habits that negatively impact someone’s quality of life.
Imago Relationship Therapy (IRT) is a form of couples counseling that views challenges as opportunities for connection, understanding, healing, and growth. This approach was founded on the belief that experiences in your childhood relationship affect that relationships you have in adulthood. This is a great option for those that are comfortable exploring the underlying roots of their triggers, habits, and communication.
Integral Psychotherapy (IP) is the transpersonal psychological belief that our cultural, psychological, socioeconomic, biological, spiritual, and behavioral lenses all hold some level of truth. When considered as a collective, these lenses can set the stage for mindfulness and healing. IP is a great option for someone who finds that they sometimes hold conflicting beliefs which, in turn, make it difficult for them to navigate and process their experiences. In this case, IP can help you apply a sense of structure to your understanding of your experiences.
Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy taps into the painful emotions that you are unaware of. This is a great option for you if you are avoidant, blocks traumas, and have disconnected entirely from the residual emotions from previous traumatic experiences.
Interpersonal Therapy focuses on you and your relationships as a way to navigate and treat depression. Founded on the belief that our relationships are at the root of our mental health condition, Interpersonal Therapy is a great approach for anyone that is experiencing depression.
Jungian Therapy is founded on the belief that healing begins where our unconscious and conscious minds intersect. You and your therapist work together to surface unconscious aspects of your psyche, to connect you to your conscious experiences, in order to elevate awareness. Jungian Therapy is ideal for someone that wants to uncover meaning behind their experiences, thoughts, and feelings.
Lifespan Integration relies on memory recall to help you understand your trauma and promotes healing by channeling your inner child. Lifespan Integration is a great option for someone who wants to become more self-accepting and feel better about their life as a whole.
Logotherapy is founded on the belief that humans are motivated by understanding the meaning of life and their experiences. This is a great approach for someone who wants to find their purpose in their experiences and life, in general.
Mindfulness is the practice of being present and aware of your thoughts, feelings, and experience from moment to moment. This is an ideal practice for someone wanting to increase their self-awareness.
Motivational Enhancement Therapy is used as an intervention method with those that are engaging in drug use. This is a great option for someone addicted to drugs that may need guidance and support in accepting recovery.
Motivational Interviewing helps you make decisions for yourself with conviction, based on motivation and positivity. This is a great form of therapy if your quality of life is negatively impacted by your indecisiveness and uncertainty.
Multicultural Therapy is founded on the understanding that family and cultural factors impact our individual perspectives of ourselves, the world, and our experiences. This is a great form of therapy for refugees, immigrants, and anyone who finds challenges in assimilating to a new culture.
Music Therapy is a form of experiential therapy that uses music as a way to uncover your pain, emotions, and thoughts, and to guide you through your healing. Music Therapy is a great option for someone who finds that they better express themselves through music.
Narrative Therapy has you step outside of your own shoes and involvement within a situation to gain understanding, insight, and a proactive perspective on it. The goal of Narrative Therapy is to empower you to make changes and control your narrative moving forward, in a way that feels true to who you are. This is a great option for anyone who needs insight to gain clarity on their current situations, and improve their future.
Nature Therapy enables you to address your mental health, challenges, feelings, and behaviors by connecting with nature. Also known as Ecotherapy, Nature Therapy may involve activities such as gardening, walking through a park, and planting trees. This is a great option for someone who is likely to find relaxation in the outdoors.
Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) explores different strategies, communication approaches, and perspectives to achieve a preferred outcome. NLP is ideal if you have a specific goal in mind, and want to add the elements of tact and guidance in embarking on this goal.
Neurofeedback is a reward-based system used to train your brain activity, in order to improve brain function. The use of EEG sensors to monitor brain activity allows this form of therapy to have measurable results that indicate progress or stagnation. Neurofeedback can be used to help if you have ADD, ADHD, stress anxiety, depression, and many other mental health conditions that impact your quality of life.
Object Relations Therapy looks at your relationships with primary contacts in your life, such as your parents, caregivers, or siblings. This form of therapy dives into your childhood experiences to help you understand how you have carried the residue from those experiences into your relationships, conflict-solving, and experiences in adulthood.
Person-Centered Therapy involves speaking through your experiences, with minimal but intentional feedback from your therapist. Your therapist is not present to interpret your experiences; they may, instead, opt to repeat back what you say to help you understand your thoughts and feelings in a new way. This is a great form of therapy for someone who heals best by openly discussing their experiences and challenges.
Play Therapy is a form of experiential therapy, most commonly used with children aged 3-12, to help them express their thoughts and emotions by playing with the therapist. This is a great way for therapists to connect with children who have experienced stress or trauma, say from divorce or abuse, for example.
Polyvagal Theory focuses on your social experiences and views your behavioral challenges and mental health disorders as responses from the autonomic nervous response to these experiences.
Positive Psychotherapy (PPT) intertwines humanistic and psychodynamic approaches to healing from pain. The idea is to rewire our brains to think about our painful experiences in a more positive way. This is a great approach for someone who struggles to find the silver linings in their experiences, and who would like to shift their attitude about their life.
Pragmatic Experiential Therapy is couples therapy that focuses on rewiring our emotional habits, by pointing out what both parties contribute to achieve the painful state that the relationship is in. With this knowledge and newfound level of self-awareness, both parties are then able to identify ways they can improve their actions, communication, and attitudes to foster a healthier relationship with one another.
Process Oriented Psychology is a forward-facing approach to therapy that is derived from Jungian psychology, physics, and information theory. Awareness, consistency, and a positive disposition are vital to the success of this method. This is a great option for someone wanting to better themselves in various aspects of life, and is also willing to put in the difficult emotional and mental work to achieve a more wholesome quality of life.
Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE) uses imaginal and in vivo exposures, which are derived from both behavioral and cognitive therapies, to help you address and heal from post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Imaginal exposure will require you to narrate the trauma with intention, and to confront the triggers that remind you of this trauma. The in vivo component guides you to face the places, things, and people that are involved in the trauma. A therapist practicing PE may opt for incorporating breathwork into either component of the treatment plan.
Psychoanalysis views mental disorders from both the conscious and unconscious lenses, with the goal of surfacing suppressed fears, pain, and emotions. For example, a therapist practicing psychoanalysis may help you understand your own interpretation of your dreams, and this may shed light on how you truly feel about an experience you have had.
Psychodrama involves you acting out experiences that you have had to gain a stronger understanding of your feelings and thoughts on what happened, as a way to find the place from which you need to heal. This increased insight may be helpful to you if you are struggling with emotional distress, panic, anxiety, and PTSD.
Psychotherapy aims to treat mental disorders through talk therapy, as opposed to relying on medical means. Psychotherapy is a great approach for you if you can address your disorder and heal from it by talking about it or navigating your challenges, fears, thoughts, and emotions in other ways.
Radiant Heart Therapy is a holistic form of psychotherapy that addresses grief and trauma from a Buddhist lens of needing to open up the heart chakra and meeting the pain with love. This approach to therapy is a great option for someone that wants to take a more spiritual approach to their healing.
Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy (RO DBT) is leveraged in difficult-to-treat situations. RO DBT promotes healing by classifying strengths and areas for change through both emotional expression and forming social bonds. Your therapist incorporates validation as well encouragement of mindfulness, self-awareness, and proactive behaviors, into their treatment plan.The individual treatment sessions are accompanied by skills training classes. This is a great option for someone with chronic depression, eating disorders, and/or OCD.
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) combines philosophy and science to address the emotional and behavioral challenges that you have. REBT is founded on the idea that our beliefs about our experiences shape our future experiences, and thus focuses on changing the beliefs that we have about our experiences.
Rational Emotive Therapy (RET) combines philosophy and science to address the emotional challenges that you may have. RET is founded on the idea that our beliefs about our experiences shape our future experiences, and thus focuses on changing the beliefs that we have about our experiences.
Reality Therapy is a straightforward approach that prompts you to be mindful and present in the here and now as a means to stronger decision-making and problem-solving. Reality Therapy is ideal for someone who feels that their current challenges are shaped and affected by their current experiences, as opposed to their childhoods, past traumas etc.
Regression Therapy focuses on that past experiences that shape your current experiences and that create barriers in your overall quality of life. This is a great option for someone who wants to proactively process their past experiences that may otherwise present themselves as obstacles in their current experiences.
Relational Therapy emphasizes the importance, necessity, and impact of fulfilling relationships in our ability to lead wholesome and fulfilling lives. Relational therapy is a great option for someone who finds that they have patterns in struggling with their personal relationships and would like to identify their behaviors and attitudes that must change in order for them to move forward and foster healthier relationships.
Rogerian Therapy involves you and your therapist beginning your relationship by identifying your goals for your sessions. You speak through your experiences, with intentional feedback from your therapist that offers opposing perspectives in an objective way. Your therapist will not interpret your experiences; they may, instead, opt to repeat back what you say to help you understand your thoughts and feelings in a new way. This is a great form of therapy for someone who heals best by openly discussing their experiences and challenges, and is open to understanding their pain from a new lens.
Schema Therapy adapts traits from various therapies to best tailor the treatment plan to your needs. Those with mental health disorders ranging from depression to borderline personality disorder may find the flexibility of Schema Therapy beneficial.
Sensory Integration Therapy incorporates various sensory activities to help children with sensory processing deficits. Sessions may include play and physical activity. Sensory Integration Therapy is often used with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, or ASDs.
Solutions-Focused Therapy focuses on arming you with problem solving skills by focusing on the impact of your present decisions on your future. Solutions-Focused Therapy empowers you to become more goal oriented, rather than becoming paralyzed by problems. This therapy is recommended for anyone who struggles with managing and responding to their problems.
Somatic Experiencing is designed to alleviate the symptoms of PTSD and other mental and physical manifestations of trauma. Your therapist works with you to understand how your trauma impacts you on a physical level. Shifts in posture, changes in breathing, and fidgeting could all be observations in a Somatic Experiencing session. Someone who seeks to change the physical responses that occur as a result of their trauma may appreciate the effects of Somatic Experiencing.
Strength-Based Therapy focuses on your internal strengths and resources as tools for overcoming failures, pain, and trauma. Your relationship with your therapist is collaborative, open, and non-hierarchical. Your community is viewed as a support system of resources, as opposed to being viewed as an obstacle.
Structural Therapy emphasizes the importance of structure, boundaries, power dynamics, and alignment in your healing and functioning. Structural Therapy is often recognized as Structural Family Therapy for it’s evidenced success in family counseling applications.
A Supportive Psychotherapy relationship between you and your therapist is rooted in a positive alliance that empowers you and reinforces your self-esteem and self-awareness. Supportive Psychotherapy is a more gentle approach to unpacking painful experiences and challenges that you may be experiencing.
The Daring Way is a recent program developed by Brené Brown that’s used to help you overcome shame, build courage, and embrace the power of vulnerability. This is a great approach for someone who needs to dig deep to find the barriers that impede on their choices, identity, and current quality of life.
Trauma Relief Unlimited (TRU) is a form of art therapy that does not require verbal exchanges.You are encouraged to express your feelings and find a sense of calm through art mediums that can include painting, coloring, and drawing. Those with a history of abuse, neglect, or any other trauma may benefit from TRU.
Trauma Therapy is designed to help you with your history of traumatizing experiences. Trauma Therapy incorporates a variety of other therapies that your therapist may deem helpful to your specific circumstances.
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is a type of therapy best suited for children and adolescents with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, and/or anxiety. This approach is a cognitive behavioral, and aims to diminish your negative thinking surrounding the events.
Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) is a model specifically designed to assist caregivers of children in learning to establish trust, and provide support throughout their treatment. This would be a great option for someone who is working with children in a hospital, foster care setting, or school.
Voice Dialogue is designed to increase self-awareness by surfacing the inner dialogues that we have. This would be an ideal route for someone who has trouble with decision-making, identity formation, and feels that they are at a constant internal tug-of-war.
Yoga Therapy can be used as a treatment or preventative method in maintaining both your mental and physical health. Many view Yoga Therapy as an opportunity for meditation, and it has often been found to be effective in treating depression and anxiety when coupled with talk therapy.
