Different approaches to psychotherapy help psychologists better understand their clients and help them develop solutions to their problems.
The main types of psychotherapy include:
- Psychoanalysis and psychodynamic therapy
- Behavior therapy
- Cognitive therapy
- Humanistic therapy
- Integrative or holistic therapy
1. Psychoanalysis and psychodynamic therapy
Psychoanalysis and psychodynamic therapy is a long-term approach that mainly focuses on emotions that cause problematic behaviors. In psychoanalysis, therapists and patients work closely together in order to explore the patient’s feelings and thoughts.
This type of therapy often involves talking about relationships, childhood events, and dreams and analyzing their effect on present behaviors. It helps the patient self-reflect and examine the reasons for their behavior and may be used to treat:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- Personality disorders
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Social anxiety disorder
- Psychological distress
- Substance use disorders
2. Behavioral therapy
Behavioral therapy is an approach that is used to treat maladaptive behaviors to achieve desirable behaviors and eliminate unwanted ones by using highly focused actions.
Behavioral therapy is used to treat the following:
- Anxiety
- Phobias
- Substance disorder
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Oppositional and defiant behaviors
Different types of behavioral therapy include:
- Applied behavioral analysis
- Cognitive behavior therapy
- Dialectical behavioral therapy
3. Cognitive therapy
Cognitive therapy emphasizes how people think and aims to help change negative thoughts and resolve relationship issues. Typically, cognitive therapy requires 5-20 one-on-one or group sessions.
The benefits of cognitive behavioral therapy include helping the patient:
- Learn techniques for coping with mental stress
- Find ways to overcome emotions or trauma
- Communicate more effectively
- Resolve relationship issues
- Manage chronic medical conditions, such as chronic pain
Cognitive behavior therapy is used to treat the following:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
- Phobias
- Personality disorders
- Eating disorders, such as bulimia, anorexia and binge eating disorder
- Substance use disorders
- Bipolar disorders and schizophrenia along with medications
SLIDESHOW
17 Everyday Ways to Ease Depression See Slideshow4. Humanistic therapy
Humanistic therapy focuses on helping patients make rational choices and reach their full potential.
In this approach, the therapist considers the adverse events that have occurred in the patient’s life and helps them to look at them positively. It does not focus on past events but on active participation in present activities.
Humanistic therapy can help treat:
- Addiction
- Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Feelings of worthlessness
- Schizophrenia
Different approaches to psychotherapy. https://www.apa.org/topics/psychotherapy/approaches
Psychotherapy. https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/mental-health-psychotherapy
Psychodynamic Therapy. https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/types/psychodynamic
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