Types of Therapy & What they can Treat
For almost any problem you have, therapy with a trained psychologist can help you find a solution. However, there are many different kinds of therapy, and each kind offers a different way of working to improve well-being. Some of the most-often used therapeutic models include cognitive behavioural therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy.
Cognitive behavioural therapy
The core philosophy of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is that it’s our perception of events that controls how we feel and act in any given situation, rather than the events themselves. For instance, if someone is depressed they may feel that nothing ever goes right for them, and they’re likely to view good things that happen to them in a negative light.
CBT is all about identifying harmful or inaccurate thoughts and beliefs, and working towards replacing them with more realistic or positive ones. The people who most benefit from CBT have behavioural or emotional problems that affect their quality of life, such as depression, a phobia, or obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Acceptance and commitment therapy
In acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) the focus isn’t on changing thoughts and beliefs; it’s more about learning how to develop skills that help us cope with the thoughts and beliefs we have. For instance, rather than thinking of life problems as a sign that we’re broken or flawed, instead we think of them as experiences that are painful, but that we can accept and move on from.
This kind of therapy also focuses on defining personal values, and learning how to live in a way that is consistent with those values, to create a life that includes more of the things we’re most passionate about. People with depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and chronic pain disorders often benefit from ACT.
Compassion-focused therapy
This kind of therapy helps people work towards emotional healing by emphasising compassion. Compassion-focused therapy (CFT) includes elements of other techniques, such as CBT, to help people develop a greater degree of compassion towards themselves and others. It’s often helpful for people with anxiety or depression, people who self-harm, have disordered eating, or are highly self-critical.
Dialectical behavioural therapy
Most people see some improvement in the way they feel after several sessions of therapy, but this isn’t true for everyone. Dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT) is designed for people who have problems that don’t respond to other kinds of treatment. It’s also used to help people with multiple issues; for instance someone with a substance addiction who is also suicidal or self-harming might benefit from DBT.
Which Approach is the Right One?
When you start therapy, your psychologist or therapist will spend some time talking with you about the challenges you’re facing. Based on that information they’ll decide what kind of therapeutic approach might work best for you.