Types of Therapy
Our therapists are experts in a variety of therapy types.
•Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Acceptance and commitment therapy, or ACT, is a short-term form of mindfulness-based therapy that believes that by accepting negative thoughts instead of denying them, people can make the necessary changes to move forward in their lives. ACT believes that mindful behavior, attention to personal values, and commitment to action are valid alternatives to changing people's thinking. During treatment, clients come in intending to erase the pain from the past. The therapist examines which coping strategies haven't worked and offers new ways of looking at the situation. By accepting their emotions about specific events, clients can move forward, understanding that their pain was necessary. Acceptance and commitment therapy works for people in all stages of life. It's useful in treating depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and psychosis.
•Adlerian Therapy
Adlerian therapy is a goal-oriented therapeutic approach that focuses on an individual’s strive for success and connectedness with others as hallmarks of mental health. During a four-stage process of engagement, assessment, insight, and reorientation, the client begins by discussing their personal and family history, early recollections, and social values. The therapist pays close attention to behavior patterns and belief systems developed through the client’s childhood that contribute to their prevailing feelings of inadequacy and inferiority. The therapist then suggests theories explaining how past experiences influence the client’s current problems and provides tools to develop new strategies to use in their daily life. This treatment is especially useful in treating childhood developmental or behavioral issues and helps with personality disorders linked to feelings of inferiority, like social anxiety. However, since Adlerian therapy is incredibly adaptable, therapists use it to work with many different types of mental disorders for individuals, couples, and families of all ages in conjunction with other therapeutic techniques. Adlerian therapy takes time, so it’s not ideal for clients seeking a brief form of treatment.
•Affirmative Therapy
Affirmative therapy is for people who identify as members of the LGBTQ community. Affirmative therapists focus on the client’s relationship to and feelings about their sexual orientation and/or identity. Their role is to help the client understand and accept what they are thinking, feeling, and desiring as a natural part of who they are. Those who benefit the most from affirmative therapy are individuals whose overarching difficulties are related to sexual orientation and/or gender identity. The goal of affirmative therapy is to help LGBTQ individuals feel more comfortable with who they are. Affirmative therapy works in person or through teletherapy with a single person or in a group environment. People of all ages may benefit from affirmative therapy, and it works well with other types of treatment.
•Anger Management
Anger management counseling helps individuals learn how to recognize early signs of anger and calm down to deal with the situation productively. Anger management gives individuals specific behavioral skills so they can cope with their anger. People of all ages who regularly feel like they have to hold in their anger, have persistent negative thinking, always feel irritated, have a habit of making violent threats, and/or display out of control behavior, can benefit from anger management. Anger management works in individual and group settings. The number of sessions varies depending on the program, counselor, and the individual’s needs. It can be brief or last for a few weeks or months. People with other mental health conditions may have to treat those issues first for anger management to work effectively.
•Art Therapy
Art therapy uses various creative techniques, including drawing, painting, collage, coloring, or sculpting, to help people express their psychological and emotional states through artistic expression. One of the fundamental beliefs of art therapy is that creating art can reawaken memories and tell stories that reveal messages and views from the creator’s subconscious mind. People don’t need to have any particular artistic ability since the process is not about the artwork’s value but rather about finding the associations between the creative choices made and the individual’s inner life. Art therapy helps improve self-esteem, manage addiction, relieve stress, improve anxiety and depression symptoms, and cope with physical illness or disability. Art therapy integrates psychotherapy and visual arts, and it works well with other forms of treatment. People of all ages can benefit from art therapy. Art therapists work with individuals, couples, and groups to improve functioning and sense of personal wellbeing.
•Attachment-Based Therapy
Attachment-based therapy looks at how an infant’s relationship experience with primary caregivers affects how that child develops relationships as an adult. The goal of attachment-based therapy is to help individuals recover from fractured family dynamics. When working with adolescents, the therapist may visit the client alone and their family as a group to work on strengthening the parent-child bond. When working with adults, the therapist helps the individual overcome early attachment issues by establishing a secure bond between the client and the therapist. Attachment-based therapy works in individual and group settings with individuals, couples, and families of all ages. Adoptees, foster children, kids of depressed mothers, victims of trauma, children of divorce, or children who were sexually abused or mistreated by the hands of a caregiver, can benefit from attachment-based therapy. Individuals who struggle with depression and anxiety might also benefit from attachment-based therapy. The process is short-term and works well with other forms of treatment.
•Behavioral Modification
Behavior modification is a therapeutic approach used to eliminate or reduce maladaptive behaviors in children and adults and increase beneficial habits. Behavior modification replaces undesirable behaviors with desirable ones by using operant conditioning principles (i.e., positive and negative reinforcement and punishment). Behavior modification begins with identifying maladaptive behaviors and understanding what actions lead to them to create specific target behaviors to focus on encouraging. The therapist offers the client various methods of reinforcement and punishment to change the problem behaviors. Those looking to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, or separation anxiety disorder, may find behavioral modification useful. However, anyone looking to alter specific behavioral patterns can look to behavior modification for guidance.
•Coaching
Coaching is a short-term process that focuses on setting manageable, future-oriented goals and helping people achieve them. Coaching utilizes individuals’ strengths and abilities to enhance performance, deal with challenges, become more successful, and improve the overall quality of one’s personal and professional life. People who are surrounded by stress, feel stuck and frustrated with life, have low self-confidence, are unhappy or unsatisfied with their job, or need help in planning and organizing their lives will find coaching beneficial. Coaching is different from counseling because it’s not intended to treat mental illness. Coaches can help people in individual and group settings, and it’s a valid option for people of all ages. Due to its flexibility, coaching can happen in person, over the phone, and via text.
•Cognitive Processing Therapy
Cognitive processing therapy is a subset of cognitive behavioral therapy that aims to alter the way individuals interpret trauma. This therapy gives the client skills to challenge negative thoughts, gain a healthier perspective about the trauma the individual underwent in the past, cope with trauma in the future, and move forward with their life. Since cognitive processing therapy focuses on dealing with trauma, individuals with post-traumatic stress find this form of treatment to be particularly useful in treating their disorder. People employed in fields prone to trauma (e.g., police officers, first responders, EMTs) may find cognitive processing therapy beneficial. People who have not received a diagnosis of PTSD or have literacy issues should not undergo cognitive processing therapy. Cognitive processing therapy typically requires twelve weekly sessions and can occur in an individual setting or a group.
•Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)
Compassion-focused therapy cultivates self-compassion within the individuals and combats issues of shame and self-criticism. This treatment understands how negative self-perception may result from early childhood experiences of neglect and abuse. CFT is useful for people struggling with depression, anxiety, trauma, and psychosis by addressing patterns of shame that contribute to these mental health issues. Compassion-focused therapy replaces one’s feelings of insecurity with compassion and understanding, allowing clients to begin to soothe themselves and accept soothing from others, generating a sense of contentment and safety. CFT works in individual and group settings and is an effective adjunct treatment with trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy.
•Dialectic Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical behavior therapy is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy that teaches individuals mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness skills. DBT is useful for people who struggle with regulating their emotions or exhibit self-destructive behaviors. Originally developed to treat borderline personality disorder, therapists use DBT to treat depression, bulimia, binge-eating, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance abuse. People of all ages can benefit from dialectical behavioral therapy, and therapists administer DBT in group settings, individual therapy, and teletherapy. Most DBT groups meet weekly for about six months.
•Eclectic Therapy
Eclectic therapy is an integrative approach to psychotherapy that aims to discover and implement the most effective treatment for each individual. Instead of following a predefined methodical structure, eclectic therapy pulls from various therapy techniques to treat each person as unique individuals. Thanks to its versatility, eclectic therapy is the most common therapeutic approach. It’s a valuable treatment option for people of all ages in individual and group settings. Eclectic therapy’s flexibility makes it a valid treatment option for a wide range of challenges. Therapists use it to treat major depression, dysthymic disorder, postpartum depression, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, personality disorders, marriage, family, other relationship struggles, and school-related problems in kids and teens. The goal of eclectic therapy is to find the best course of action to fit each individual.
•Emotional Focus Therapy (EFT)
Emotionally focused therapy is a short-term treatment option that believes that lacking emotional awareness or avoiding unpleasant emotions causes harm. Individuals, couples, and families can use EFT to create a more secure bond and develop trust in their relationships. Couples and families in distress may benefit from emotionally focused therapy. Clients coping with anger, loss of trust, or betrayal in their relationship are good candidates from EFT. The initial stages of treatment focus on helping the client become more aware of their emotions, and the therapist gives them techniques to identify them properly. The therapist helps determine which emotions are helpful and which emotions the client should consider changing. The client receives tools to transform unproductive feelings. The treatment takes anywhere from eight to twenty sessions.
•Existential Therapy
Existential therapy explores an individual’s struggles from a philosophical perspective. By focusing on free will, self-determination, and search for meaning, existential therapy emphasizes the person’s capacity to make rational choices and develop their maximum potential. Existential therapy uses retrospection to understand the implications of past decisions to help the person make more willful decisions instead of letting outside forces determine their behavior. Existential therapy is useful for people struggling with substance abuse, addiction disorders, depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. It works with other forms of treatments, but it’s a long-term process.
•Experiential Therapy
Experiential therapy integrates several different types of treatment and therapeutic interventions. A few examples include animal-assisted therapy, play therapy, art therapy, adventure therapy, and psychodrama. With experiential therapy, clients use expressive tools or activities to recreate situations from the past and identify their emotions that influence their successes, disappointments, and impacts on their self-esteem. Instead of talking through their experiences like one would do in traditional talk therapy treatments, experiential therapy clients focus on specific activities that help them release their negative emotions and shame without consciously putting in the effort. Experiential therapy is a useful technique for people of all ages, especially those who've experienced trauma or struggle with behavioral disorders, compulsive behavior, and drug addiction. Individuals with difficulties managing pain from a previous experience will also find experiential therapy a desirable option. Experiential therapy is a supplementary therapeutic technique, meaning it's not a standalone treatment option for mental disorders. It's crucial individuals undergoing experiential therapy also utilize talk therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy or dialectic behavior therapy to receive a comprehensive therapeutic experience.
•Exposure Therapy
Exposure therapy is a treatment method designed to help people confront their fears by exposing them to their fears in a safe environment. When exposed to their fears over time, people find their adverse reactions to those objects, situations, or activities decrease, have weaker associations between their fears and bad outcomes they experienced when confronted with them in the past, and are more capable of confronting their fears in the future. This can help minimize stress and maladaptive coping mechanisms, like aggression, withdrawal, or substance abuse. Exposure therapy is a viable treatment option for people of all ages and is particularly useful to treat phobias, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. Exposure therapy can take anywhere from 5 to 20 sessions to complete.
•Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR)
Eye movement desensitization reprocessing therapy, or EMDR, is a therapeutic technique designed to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories for people of all ages. Instead of focusing on the emotions, thoughts, and responses a person experiences during the recollection of a traumatic event, EMDR concentrates directly on changing the way the memory is stored in the brain and reduces and eliminates problematic symptoms during memory recall. In the early stages of EMDR therapy, the client discusses their problems and symptoms with their therapist, who helps them decide which beliefs are relevant and which ones they would like to replace. The therapist moves forward with the desensitization process, which requires the client to attend to emotionally disturbing material in brief sequential doses while simultaneously focusing on an external stimulus, such as therapist-directed lateral eye movements, hand-tapping, and audio stimulation. Additionally, the client identifies a positive belief and the intensity of the negative emotions they're experiencing. Further sessions focus on strengthening the positive feelings and views until the client no longer experiences the undesirable response when recalling the traumatic event. Therapists use EMDR therapy to treat predominantly disorders like PTSD, anxiety, and phobias, but some therapists have found success when using EMDR therapy to treat depression, eating disorders, schizophrenia, and stress caused by chronic disease. EMDR therapy is a treatment that works as a standalone option or in adjunct with another type of treatment, like talk therapy. Although EMDR therapy produces quicker results than other psychotherapeutic therapies, the therapist and client should take the process slowly. Clients can expect to undergo six to twelve sessions for single incident trauma. Still, individuals who have far more complex or developmental trauma can expect the process to take a lot longer.
•Family Systems Therapy
Family systems therapy is a short-term form of psychotherapy developed to help resolve conflicts that stem from the family unit. In family systems therapy, each member works together to understand the family dynamic and how their role affects the family unit. During the treatment process, the therapist may work with family members individually or together as a group. Families dealing with the effects of depression, addiction, anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, food-related disorders, or schizophrenia can benefit from family systems therapy. However, any family experiencing any struggle that stems from the group may seek out family systems therapy for guidance. Family systems therapists can treat individuals of all ages, couples, and family groups. Those who are undergoing family systems therapy can also benefit from experiencing another form of treatment. The process generally takes about 12 sessions, but the exact number depends entirely on the complexity of the clients' situation.
•Feminist Therapy
Feminist therapy is a short-term integrative approach to psychotherapy that focuses on gender and the challenges that come with that. Through feminist therapy, clients explore their identity as individuals to find their strengths to gain a greater sense of personal agency in society and break through the stereotypes that bind them to certain behaviors. Therapists use tools like assertiveness training and role-playing to help clients build their self-esteem so that they can break free from the conformity of cultural expectations. Practiced in private or group settings, individuals, families, couples, and people of all ages and genders who want to discover how gender plays a role in their emotional lives and relationships may be interested in feminist therapy. Feminist therapy is also useful for people struggling with sexual abuse, incest, eating disorders, and body image issues.
•Gestalt Therapy
Gestalt therapy helps clients focus on how they feel in the present moment, rather than past experiences. Gestalt therapists help their clients learn to become more aware of how their behaviors and negative thought patterns stifle true self-awareness, making them unhappy. Gestalt therapy aims to make clients take more personal responsibility for themselves and learn to satisfy their own needs while still respecting others' needs. Instead of discussing why something previously happened, the client reenacts the event, talking about how it feels in the moment. Gestalt therapy works for people of all ages in group or individual settings. It's a beneficial practice for people who struggle with anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, and self-esteem. Gestalt therapy is also useful for more physical maladies like back spasms, migraines, and ulcerative colitis. People who wish to work on their self-awareness and may not understand their role in their unhappiness and discomfort can find refuge in Gestalt therapy. It works in combination with bodywork, art, dance, drama, and other therapies. Clients can expect to receive treatment that lasts for a few months to one to two years of weekly sessions, depending on the nature of their situation.
•Gottman Therapy
A structured therapy that focuses on developing understanding and skills so that partners can maintain fondness and admiration, turn toward each other to get their needs met (especially when they are hurting), manage conflict, and enact their dreams—and what to do when they mess up.
•Humanistic Therapy
Humanistic therapy is an integrative approach to psychotherapy that incorporates a variety of therapeutic techniques. This therapy focuses on a person's individual nature instead of lumping people with similar traits under the same category. Humanistic therapists emphasize their client's positive characteristics and behaviors and their ability to grow, heal, and find personal fulfillment. Humanistic therapy incorporates a gestalt approach with talk therapy, which means each session's focus is on how the client feels in the present rather than ruminating on the past. People who struggle with depression, anxiety, panic disorders, personality disorders, schizophrenia, addiction, and relationship issues can benefit from humanist therapy. People struggling with low self-esteem, purposelessness, meaninglessness, or aren't comfortable with who they are can also find solace in humanistic therapy. Since humanistic therapy focuses so much on the individual, it works best in private therapy sessions. It takes around six sessions, but the therapist and client can check-in and decide whether they should continue with further treatment.
•Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy takes clients through guided hypnosis with the help of a clinical hypnotherapist. When clients are in a trance-like state, they can turn their attention completely inward to use their own resources to make changes or regain control over certain areas of their life. Performed in a calm, therapeutic environment, the therapist guides the client into a relaxed and focused state, where they may ask them to think about situations in a positive way. Once the client is in this state, they have total control over themselves and can choose to listen to the hypnotherapist's suggestions or not. Therapists use hypnotherapy as an adjunct treatment with another form of therapy. It can help people with anxiety, phobias, substance abuse, sexual dysfunction, undesirable spontaneous behaviors, and bad habits. Hypnotherapy can also improve sleep, help with learning disorders, improve communication, alleviate relationship difficulties, and help manage pain. The length of the treatment depends on the complexities of the client's situation, but it's known for working very quickly compared to other forms of therapy.
•Imago Relationship Therapy
Imago relationship therapy is a form of couples counseling that uses spiritual and behavioral techniques combined with Western psychological methodologies to help couples learn how to work out their misunderstandings, reduce conflict, and rediscover ways to bond and communicate with each other. Imago therapy helps couples acknowledge how early childhood relationship experiences affect their current adult relationships. Instead of looking at conflict as a cause for concern, imago therapy sees conflict as an opportunity for healing and growth. Couples in any stage of their relationship can benefit from imago therapy regardless of whether they are actively in distress. Couples experiencing communication challenges, have recurring disagreements, feel disconnected, lack intimacy, or struggle with infidelity and trust issues may find imago therapy beneficial to their relationship. Even though therapists utilize imago therapy for couples, individuals who want to learn more about their relationship patterns and aren't necessarily in an active relationship can also seek imago therapy treatment. The whole process takes about twelve sessions for effective therapeutic results, but couples can opt to participate in an imago group workshop that is more of a weekend intensive program.
•Integrative Therapy
Integrative therapy combines elements from different treatments to treat each individual in a way that works best for them. Integrative therapists believe there is no single approach to treating each client, so they must tailor each person's therapy uniquely. This approach is becoming one of the most common types of treatment due to its flexibility. Those who want to overcome negative behavior patterns stemming from anxiety, fears, or phobias, may find integrative therapy particularly useful. People struggling with addiction, depression, trauma, grief, or low self-esteem will also find integrative therapy helpful. Children with autism or learning disabilities can see improvement in their daily lives with integrative therapy. This treatment requires clients to invest a lot of time since it is not a quick solution; however, the length of therapy depends on the client, the goals they set with the therapist, and the types of issues they're addressing. Due to integrative therapy's incredible flexibility, treatment can occur in person, over the phone, or virtually.
•Jungian Therapy
Jungian therapy brings together the conscious and unconscious parts of the mind and brings balance within a person. Jungian therapists believe the parts of yourself that you're not mindful of is just as important to wellbeing as the parts you consciously control. Jungian therapy requires the client to dig deep within themselves to look at the person they really are instead of the person they present to the world. The client starts by talking with a therapist about their feelings and concerns. The therapist employs tools like dream analysis, creative activities, and word association tests to help the client gain a deeper understanding of themselves. Individuals of all ages who struggle with depression, anxiety, grief, phobias, relationship or trauma issues, low self-esteem, or other emotional problems may find Jungian therapy advantageous. A person doesn't need to be actively struggling with any particular mental disorders to use Jungian therapy. Those who want a deeper understanding of themselves can also look to Jungian therapy for guidance. This specific therapy is a long-term process. It takes an average of 90 sessions, but clients can participate in treatment for as long as they benefit from the therapy.
•Marriage & Family Therapy
Marriage and family therapy looks at all members' behaviors in a family unit to see how they affect the group to resolve whatever conflict the family is experiencing. Marriage and family therapy assumes that even if one person struggles with a particular issue, all family members are involved in the therapeutic process as it tends to result in a more effective solution. The process begins with the therapist meeting the entire family or the couple together to gather information and get a feel for the group dynamic. The therapist will then decide if they should meet with individual family members separately. Over time, the clients will identify their roles that contribute to family conflicts, and the therapist gives the clients tools to help resolve those issues. Family therapy is a valid option, regardless of the age of each family member. People experiencing marital conflict, parent and child conflict, struggles with alcohol and drug abuse, sexual dysfunction, grief, distress, eating disorders, children's behavioral problems, or eldercare issues are good candidates for marriage and family therapy. It's a relatively short-term process that lasts an average of 12 sessions; however, the final number depends on each family.
•Meditation
Meditation is a mental exercise that trains a person's attention and awareness. People use meditation to curb their reactivity to their negative thoughts and feelings. Instead of turning those thoughts off, meditation encourages the person to observe them without judgment to understand them eventually. Meditation requires the individual to turn their focus to a single point of reference like their breathing, bodily sensations, or a word or phrase, also known as a mantra. Beginners usually start with short sessions as their body and mind gets used to being still. Over time, practitioners increase the length of time per session. These days meditation is easily assessable, so although there are many opportunities for group meditation, many individuals can do it from the safety of their own home thanks to the technology that can guide them through the process. Meditation works for people of all ages who experience various issues. Still, it's a great practice to do even if a person doesn't feel like they're struggling with any concrete issues. While some mediations focus on specific mental health issues like anxiety and depression, other meditations help practitioners gain an overall sense of perspective and increased balance to themselves. Anyone can use meditation in conjunction with other forms of therapy, and there's no set number of sessions one has to undergo to feel the effects of meditation.
•Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, or MBCT for short, is a modified form of cognitive therapy that incorporates mindfulness practices like meditation and breathing. MBCT teaches people how to avoid negative thought patterns that can often lead to depressive episodes. This treatment takes the form of a group practice that meets weekly for two hours for eight weeks. In the meetings, individuals learn meditative techniques like deep breathing and mindful meditation, and basic cognition principles. They also learn more about their depressive condition, and towards the end of the session, the therapist will assign homework that consists of deep breathing exercises and mindful meditation. This treatment is beneficial for individuals struggling with chronic depression because it teaches them how to avoid the negative thought patterns that often lead to a depressive episode. People with generalized anxiety disorders and addiction can also find MBCT useful.
•Multicultural Therapy
Multicultural therapy is an approach to talk therapy that addresses the individual's concerns of race, ethnicity, religion, gender identification, income, disability, or other social factors outside of the majority. Multicultural therapists are more culturally aware, sensitive, and empathetic to different cultural perspectives than other therapists typically are. The process begins by garnering trust between the therapist and the client, allowing them to open up. The therapist will then explain which aspects of their problems are rooted in the differences between their culture and the predominant culture. The therapist and client will then work together to find solutions. Multicultural therapy can work for people of all ages and walks of life. During multicultural therapy, topics of conversation might include racism and discrimination, cultural identity, or difficulties acculturating to a new country for immigrants and refugees. Multicultural therapy works with different treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy, couples counseling, and family therapy. The number of sessions depends on each individual's personal experience, and it can be a short-term option or long-term treatment.
•Narrative Therapy
Narrative therapy explores the stories people develop throughout their life that influence how they see themselves and the world. The approach emphasizes that people are separate from their problems, and disorders do not define people. Using a variety of methods and techniques, narrative therapy helps the client deconstruct their problems creating a more objective perspective. This form of treatment is useful for individuals, couples, and families of all ages who may be struggling with particular issues and tend to define themselves by their problems. Narrative therapy can be a short-term process, but the amount of time in treatment depends on each individual's unique situation.
•Person-Centered Therapy
Person-centered therapy is a form of talk therapy wherein the client leads the discussion and does most of the talking. This treatment allows the individual to discover their own solutions to their problems. The therapist serves as a compassionate facilitator who listens without judging or interpreting the client's feelings. From time to time, the therapist may repeat back words or phrases the client used, allowing them to restate what they mean until it's a more accurate description of what they're trying to convey. Person-centered therapy works in individual and group settings. Anyone who wants to gain self-confidence, have a stronger sense of identity, and learn how to trust their instincts and decisions, may find person-centered therapy useful. People who struggle with grief, depression, anxiety, stress, abuse, or other mental health conditions can also use person-centered therapy for help. Since the client drives the practice, the more motivated an individual is, the more likely they will be more successful in person-centered therapy. This therapy works with other forms of treatment, and the length of treatment can either be short-term or long-term, depending on the client's needs.
•Play Therapy
Play therapy is a therapeutic approach aimed primarily at kids aged 3 to 12. By expressing their lives through play, their natural mode of being, kids can learn how to express themselves in healthier ways while discovering positive problem-solving methods. The play therapy process begins with an initial intake interview to gather information about the child. Then the therapist encourages the kid to play with specific types of toys or games or participate in certain activities that promote self-expression and teaches positive behaviors. This therapeutic method is ideal for kids undergoing or witnessing stressful life events like domestic violence, abuse, trauma, or an upsetting change in their environment. Play therapy is also suitable for kids with academic or social problems, behavioral disorders, anxiety, depression, attention deficit disorders, or autism. Play therapy usually occurs weekly for about 20 sessions.
•Positive Psychology
Positive psychology aims to turn a person's attention away from the negatives by focusing on their character strengths and behaviors to achieve a balanced perspective. Theorists have developed vital elements of a good, more fulfilling life that results in greater satisfaction and wellbeing. It's a supplementary approach that complements more traditional forms of therapy. Positive psychology has proven to be effective in treating symptoms of depression and anxiety.
•Psychodynamic Therapy
Psychodynamic therapy, also known as insight-oriented therapy, uses the principles of psychoanalysis. The focus is on how unconscious processes manifest in a person's behavior. Clients learn how to change their behavior through an in-depth exploration of previous experiences. Psychodynamic therapy works in individual and group settings. People experiencing depression, addiction, social anxiety disorder, and eating disorders may find psychodynamic therapy useful. Depending on the client's situation's complexity, psychodynamic therapy can be a short-term or long-term process that ranges from 25 sessions to two or more years of therapy.
•Psychological Testing
Psychological testing consists of various evaluations that help determine the reason behind certain psychological symptoms a person may possess. These evaluations can clarify some questions and concerns clients may have by offering a diagnosis, and they aid in the formulation of a proper course of treatment. Usually, doctors, social workers, or government employees might refer individuals to get tested for various reasons. The process begins with filling out multiple questionnaires, ability ranking lists, surveys, and checklists, and then the tester might follow up with an interview with the test taker. The psychological testing process ends with an evaluation by a mental health professional who determines a diagnosis if there is one, followed by a treatment plan or a referral to another mental health professional. Children with behavioral, social, or academic problems are good candidates for psychological testing as those conditions might be a sign of an underlying problem. Psychological testing can help adults who are also experiencing various struggles they can't explain. A psychological evaluation can take up to several hours, or it's sometimes broken into multiple visits.
•Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)
Rational emotive behavior therapy, or REBT, helps clients identify irrational thoughts and feelings that might be holding them back and replaces those thoughts with healthier, more productive beliefs. An REBT therapist helps identify which thought patterns are damaging and articulates how those thoughts harm them. The client will receive various mental exercises and practices to reduce negative beliefs and replace them with more constructive ones. The therapist may assign homework to reinforce the work the client learned in the session. Rational emotive behavior therapy helps those who struggle with anxiety, depression, guilt, or anger. People who have a problem with certain undesirable behaviors like aggression, unhealthy eating, or procrastination can also use REBT to change those habits. Rational emotive behavior therapy is a short-term process that can take as few as three to seven sessions, or it can last longer depending on how seriously the client takes the work.
•Reality Therapy
Reality therapy is a long-term form of cognitive behavioral therapy that emphasizes that every individual has control over their behavior, which a person can use to improve current relationships and circumstances. Reality therapists believe that people can take control of improving their lives by making better choices. During a session, the client learns how their behavior interferes with their ability to live a more fulfilling life. Reality therapy is useful for individuals of all ages, parents and their children, and families. Those experiencing addiction, eating disorders, substance abuse, phobias, anxiety, or other behavioral or emotional issues might benefit from reality therapy.
•Relaxation Therapy
Relaxation therapy is a type of behavior therapy that eases stress and decreases fatigue. The purpose of relaxation therapy is to eliminate tension throughout the body, which alleviates stress and promotes a peaceful state of mind. This therapy uses many techniques to achieve relaxation, including breathing exercises, focused muscle tensing and relaxing, guided imagery and visualization strategies, and more. Those experiencing stress, fatigue, anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, social anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder may find relaxation therapy advantageous. Relaxation therapy works with other treatments as it's more of a supplementary method than a standalone process.
•Sandplay Therapy
Sandplay therapy is a form of nonverbal play therapy that requires the client to build a world with sand and various toys that reflect situations in their lives. It's a suitable option for kids who have trouble communicating their thoughts and feelings. Teens and adults may also find sandplay therapy useful, particularly those who've experienced severe trauma, neglect, or abuse. The sandplay process begins with the client choosing from a collection of toys to build a small world in a sand tray. The therapist observes the client's choices, and once the world is complete, they will discuss what the creation means. Sandplay therapy is an adjunct therapy to talk therapy, may consist of a single session or last as long as several years.
•Somatic Therapy
Somatic therapy utilizes psychotherapy and physical therapies for healing. This form of therapy operates under the belief that the mind, body, spirit, and emotions are connected, meaning that past emotional and traumatic experiences make changes to the body. Somatic therapy helps release the tension, anger, frustration, and other emotions that remain in the body from negative experiences. Somatic therapy begins with the therapist observing the physical changes that occur when a client recalls a traumatic event. They will then offer different techniques like deep breathing, relaxation exercises, and meditation to relieve the symptoms. The therapist may suggest additional physical methods like yoga, exercise, or other types of movement, and the therapist combines these tools with talk therapy. Somatic therapy works in individual and group settings. It's helpful for people struggling with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, addiction, relationship problems, and sexual dysfunction. The length of treatment varies from person to person.
•Strength-Based Therapy
Strength-based therapy focuses more on an individual's internal strengths than on their failures or shortcomings. The goal is to show the client that they already have the power to get through painful experiences and the confidence to deal with challenging situations in other areas of their life. Strength-based therapy improves confidence, increases resilience, and gives the client a more positive worldview. While the client talks through their history of trauma, stressors, and pain, the therapist focuses more on the client's role in surviving the experience. Strength-based therapy works for individuals, couples, and families of all ages. People who suffer from low self-esteem or emotional issues resulting from an abusive relationship may find strength-based therapy helpful. Others who have depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia, may also include strength-based therapy as part of their treatment plan.
•Structural Family Therapy
Structural family therapy, or SFT, is a form of marriage and family therapy that focuses on how familial transactions support or encourage dysfunctional behaviors. Instead of changing individual family members, structural family therapy helps the entire family unit develop more productive patterns of interaction and appropriate boundaries, easing the stress and tension of all family members involved. The structural family therapist begins by observing how the family interacts and then creates a chart that details the family's perceived hierarchy and relationship patterns. This chart allows the therapist to see what structural components need alternations and the interventions required. The therapist may get involved in the family dynamic to change and strengthen the family structure. SFT works for families with people of all ages and is especially useful for families and children at risk. Single-parent households, blended families, and extended families may find SFT beneficial as well.
•The Gottman Method
The Gottman Method, which is shorthand for The Gottman Method for Healthy Relationships, helps couples understand and gain the skills needed to work through conflict, maintain fondness, and turn towards each other to meet their needs. The process beings with a lengthy assessment that evaluates the couple's relationship and each individual. The following sessions are devoted to addressing whatever current concerns or pain rooted in the past the couple brings into the appointment. The therapist gives the practical skills and exercises to help increase understanding between the couple. The Gottman Method is useful for couples in any stage of life. It can educate partners in the early stages of their relationship and restore healthy functioning to partners under distress from chronic conflict like infidelity or engage in destructive patterns. Couples who experience frequent arguments, poor communication, or dealing with specific problems like sexual difficulties, money, and parenting, will benefit from the Gottman Method. This treatment can take the form of a two-to-four-day intensive for couples in crisis or weekly 90-minute sessions. The length of the treatment depends on the couple and their therapist.
•Transpersonal Therapy
Transpersonal therapy addresses mental, physical, social, emotional, creative, and intellectual needs while emphasizing the role of a healthy spirit during the healing process. Transpersonal therapy uses meditation, guided visualization, hypnotherapy, dreamwork, art, music, journaling, mindfulness practices, and other techniques to explore the spiritual self. This treatment is useful for people struggling with anxiety, depression, addiction, phobias, and other mood and behavioral problems. People open to exploring their spiritual side or becoming more spiritually aware can also use transpersonal therapy.
•Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT)
Trauma-focused cognitive behavior therapy addresses the emotional needs of individuals struggling to overcome the destruction of early trauma. The treatment involves cognitive-behavioral techniques to modify distorted or unhelpful thinking and adverse reactions to behaviors. TF-CBT may require additional family therapy to teach new parenting, stress management, and communication skills to help the client move past their emotional trauma. The treatment works in person with individuals or group therapy. People who struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder or mood disorders from abuse, violence, or grief can benefit from trauma-focused cognitive behavior therapy. Therapists mainly use TF-CBT for children, but it’s a valid treatment option for people of all ages. Those with serious behavioral problems, substance abuse, or suicidal ideation should resort to other treatment options, like dialectical behavior therapy, for initial intervention before following up with a trauma-sensitive approach. The whole process can take anywhere from eight to twenty-five sessions.