7 Types of Therapy Commonly Used in Psychology Today

Types of therapy used in psychology include several established therapeutic approaches commonly applied in modern clinical practice. You’ll find seven primary therapeutic approaches widely used in psychology: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) restructures unhelpful thought patterns through structured sessions; Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) targets emotion dysregulation in borderline personality disorder; Psychodynamic Therapy explores unconscious conflicts and early life experiences; Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) addresses relationship difficulties; Mindfulness-Based Therapies cultivate present-moment awareness; Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) processes traumatic memories; and Somatic Therapy approaches focus on releasing tension stored in the body. Each method offers evidence-based techniques tailored to specific mental health conditions, with the following sections examining their mechanisms and clinical applications

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) stands as the most extensively researched and empirically validated form of psychotherapy, examining how thoughts, emotions, and behaviors interact to influence psychological well-being. You’ll engage in structured, time-limited sessions focused on identifying and challenging cognitive distortions through Socratic questioning and behavioral experiments. CBT efficacy demonstrates remission rates of 40, 70% across depression and anxiety disorders, with standard treatment requiring 8, 20 sessions. CBT applications extend to PTSD, OCD, eating disorders, and various conditions affecting adults, children, and diverse populations. You’ll develop self-therapy skills through homework assignments and thought monitoring, enabling independent management of future challenges. The approach emphasizes building upon clients’ strengths and values while maintaining cultural sensitivity throughout treatment. The therapeutic process requires a strong collaborative alliance between therapist and patient, characterized by warmth, empathy, and shared decision-making throughout treatment. CBT therapists maintain a supportive, nonjudgmental environment that encourages open discussion and exploration of difficult thoughts and emotions. Clinical guidelines recommend CBT as a first-line intervention, supported by systematic reviews confirming robust outcomes and reduced relapse rates compared to medication alone.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) emerged in the late 1980s as a structured, evidence-based treatment specifically designed for individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) who exhibited chronic suicidality and self-harm behaviors that proved resistant to standard interventions. Grounded in biosocial theory foundation, DBT posits that emotion dysregulation arises from biological vulnerability interacting with invalidating environments. The dialectical philosophy approach synthesizes acceptance and change strategies to help you reduce maladaptive behaviors while building adaptive coping skills.

DBT’s inclusive framework includes four core components:

DBT’s comprehensive structure integrates individual therapy, group skills training, between-session coaching, and therapist consultation teams to ensure effective treatment delivery.

1. Individual therapy sessions applying skills to your personal goals
2. Group skills training teaching mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness
3. Between-session coaching for real-time crisis support
4. Therapist consultation teams ensuring treatment fidelity

Treatment typically begins with a pretreatment phase lasting 3-4 sessions where you and your therapist identify goals, learn about DBT’s structure, and clarify your respective roles in the therapeutic process. DBT demonstrates advantages over regular cognitive behavioral therapy for treating borderline personality disorder, as standard CBT approaches have proven less effective for this population. Beyond its original application, DBT has been successfully adapted to treat various mental health conditions including depression, eating disorders, and substance use disorders. Research demonstrates DBT’s effectiveness in reducing suicide attempts, hospitalizations, and improving quality of life across various disorders with emotion dysregulation.

Psychodynamic Therapy

Rooted in Sigmund Freud’s groundbreaking work on psychoanalysis, psychodynamic therapy has evolved into an extensive psychological treatment that examines how unconscious processes, early childhood experiences, and unresolved conflicts shape your current emotional life and behavior. Through techniques like free association and dream interpretation, your therapist helps you uncover hidden patterns influencing your relationships and symptoms. The approach analyzes transference dynamics within the therapeutic relationship, revealing how past attachments manifest in present interactions. Attachment focused approaches emphasize understanding how early bonding experiences continue to affect your emotional regulation and interpersonal functioning. The theory proposes that psychological issues stem from unresolved conflicts in the unconscious that influence behavior and emotional responses. Contemporary psychodynamic therapy typically involves one to two sessions weekly, integrating neuroscience and relational research. A central aim of treatment involves bringing unconscious elements into conscious awareness to facilitate deeper self-understanding and resolution of internal conflicts. The therapist-client bond serves as a magnifying glass to uncover emotional patterns and gain insights into unconscious motives. Evidence supports its effectiveness for depression, anxiety, personality disorders, and trauma, promoting lasting insight and behavioral change.

Interpersonal Therapy (IPT)

1. Grief following the loss of a loved one
2. Role disputes involving conflicts in significant relationships
3. Shift when you’re struggling to adapt to life changes
4. Interpersonal deficits affecting your ability to form or maintain relationships

Grounded in the medical model and attachment theory, IPT emphasizes affect and practical skill-building rather than cognitive restructuring. Delivered as a time-limited intervention of 12-16 weekly sessions for acute major depression, this structured approach focuses on improving problematic interpersonal relationships to achieve symptom remission. IPT targets symptom resolution, improved interpersonal functioning, and increased social support throughout treatment. Research demonstrates its effectiveness for major depression, with outcomes comparable to CBT, making it an empirically supported treatment incorporated into international clinical guidelines.

Mindfulness-Based Therapies

Mindfulness-based therapies employ specific techniques to cultivate present-moment awareness and non-judgmental acceptance of internal experiences. You’ll engage in practices such as breath awareness, body scan meditation, and the three-minute breathing space to strengthen attention regulation and reduce emotional reactivity. These evidence-based methods have demonstrated particular effectiveness in preventing depression relapse, with MBCT reducing recurrence rates by up to 50% in individuals with recurrent major depressive disorder. MBCT teaches you to develop a decentered perspective, where thoughts and feelings are viewed as temporary mental events rather than absolute truths. The approach integrates cognitive behavioral theories with mindfulness practices to address the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Practitioners cultivate openness and curiosity when observing thoughts and emotions as they arise during therapeutic sessions.

Core Mindfulness Techniques Used

Although mindfulness-based therapies vary in their specific applications, they share a common foundation of evidence-based techniques designed to cultivate present-moment awareness and psychological flexibility. You’ll encounter these core practices across MBSR, MBCT, ACT, and DBT:

1. Silent meditation and focused attention exercises ranging from brief 3-5 minute sessions to extended 30+ minute practices, targeting breath, sound, or bodily sensations
2. Body scan practices systematically directing attention through physical sensations, reducing chronic pain and stress reactivity
3. Mindful breathing techniques including the 3-minute breathing space, effectively interrupting automatic negative thought cycles
4. Sensory awareness exercises emphasizing acceptance and nonjudgmental observation of thoughts, feelings, and sensations

These techniques demonstrate consistent effectiveness in reducing symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression while enhancing emotional regulation and self-awareness. Regular practice establishes a routine to maximize the therapeutic benefits and long-term outcomes of mindfulness-based interventions.

Preventing Depression Relapse Effectively

Depression returns in approximately 50-80% of individuals following initial recovery, with each subsequent episode increasing vulnerability to future recurrence. MBCT considerably reduces your relapse risk within 60 weeks compared to usual care (HR = 0.69), with effectiveness comparable to maintenance antidepressants. You’ll experience ideal benefits if you’ve had three or more prior episodes, with relapse rates decreasing by 44-50%. The intervention proves especially effective when you’re managing residual symptoms at baseline, as higher depression severity predicts better outcomes. However, MBCT’s preventive effect diminishes over time, requiring sustained practice. The role of meditation adherence becomes critical for maintaining long-term benefits. MBCT offers you a viable alternative to continuous medication, though combined approaches may yield superior results for preventing recurrence.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

Since its development by Francine Shapiro in 1987, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) has emerged as a groundbreaking psychotherapy approach for treating trauma-related disorders. Recognized by the APA, WHO, and NICE, you’ll find this evidence-based treatment particularly effective for PTSD and treating complex trauma.

EMDR utilizes bilateral stimulation through eye movements, sounds, or touch to facilitate memory processing. The treatment operates through eight distinct phases:

1. History-taking and treatment planning
2. Preparation with resource building exercises
3. Assessment using SUDS measurements
4. Desensitization through bilateral stimulation

This approach targets past traumatic events, current triggers, and future scenarios while enhancing emotional regulation. Research consistently demonstrates EMDR’s efficacy, with fMRI studies showing normalized brain activity post-treatment, making it a first-line intervention for trauma-related conditions.

Somatic Therapy Approaches

Somatic therapy approaches recognize that trauma and psychological distress are stored not only in your thoughts but also in your body’s physical and neurological systems. These methods prioritize body-centered healing techniques that address how your nervous system responds to stress and traumatic memories through direct physiological intervention. By engaging somatic and sensorimotor methods, you’ll work to release trapped tension, restore natural regulatory processes, and reprocess distressing experiences through your body’s own healing mechanisms.

EMDR for Trauma Processing

Reprocessing traumatic memories through bilateral stimulation forms the foundation of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), a structured psychotherapy that’s gained recognition as a first-line treatment for PTSD. This eight-phase protocol targets dysfunctionally stored memories without requiring detailed verbal recounting, distinguishing it from traditional exposure therapies.

EMDR’s core components include:

1. Bilateral stimulation through eye movements, tones, or tactile taps to activate natural healing processes
2. Memory reconsolidation process that “unsticks” traumatic memories for integration
3. Body scan phase addressing somatic distress resolution through targeted processing
4. Installation phase strengthening adaptive cognitions after desensitization

Over 30 randomized controlled trials demonstrate EMDR’s effectiveness equals trauma-focused CBT, with neuroimaging revealing normalized brain activity post-treatment. Meta-analyses support its efficacy across populations with co-morbidities, including substance use and chronic pain.

Body-Centered Healing Techniques

While EMDR addresses trauma through targeted memory reprocessing, another therapeutic paradigm recognizes that distress isn’t solely stored in cognitive networks, it manifests as physical tension, restricted breathing, and dysregulated nervous system responses that persist long after danger has passed.

Body-centered healing techniques like Somatic Experiencing help you complete interrupted self-protective responses by gradually increasing tolerance for uncomfortable sensations. Bioenergetic Analysis dissolves chronic muscular tension through expressive movement and therapeutic bodywork. Polyvagal-informed approaches regulate your autonomic nervous system by restoring safety through breath, posture, and vocalization.

These methods emphasize sensory awareness exercises, grounding, conscious breathing, and mindful movement, that interrupt fight-flight-freeze patterns. Preliminary research shows reductions in PTSD symptoms and somatic complaints, supporting bottom-up processing where physical change precedes cognitive insight.

Neurofeedback and Sensorimotor Methods

Beyond talk-based interventions, a specialized class of therapies targets the nervous system’s electrical and physiological signatures directly. Neurofeedback trains you to self-regulate brain activity through real-time displays, achieving clinically meaningful outcomes across multiple conditions. Neuroimaging guided neurofeedback, including EEG and fMRI modalities, demonstrates effect sizes ≥0.5 for PTSD, ADHD, depression, and anxiety.

Key applications include:

1. PTSD treatment: SMD of 1.30 versus passive controls on CAPS-5 assessments
2. ADHD symptom reduction: Effect sizes ranging from 0.29 to 0.76
3. Depression management: Sustained improvements in over 75% of patients
4. Anxiety disorders: Effect sizes around 0.77

Complementing neurofeedback, somatic processing techniques focus on body-mind connections. These evidence-based methods track bodily sensations, movement, and breath patterns to process trauma and stress-related disorders effectively.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Choose the Right Type of Therapy for My Specific Needs?

Start by assessing personal goals and identifying specific concerns through validated screening tools with a qualified clinician. You’ll want to match your condition to evidence-based treatments, CBT effectively addresses depression and anxiety, while DBT targets borderline personality disorder. Consider your previous treatment responses, format preferences (individual, group, or digital), and practical factors like accessibility. Prioritize finding a therapist who fosters strong therapeutic alliance, as this relationship quality greatly predicts successful outcomes across all modalities.

Are Therapy Sessions Covered by Most Insurance Plans or Health Providers?

Insurance coverage for therapy varies dramatically. While many plans include mental health benefits, you’ll find that about one-third of therapists don’t accept insurance due to low provider reimbursement rates. Medicaid acceptance is particularly limited, with rates 40-73% lower than cash pay. You may face narrower provider networks and higher out-of-pocket costs. Even with insurance, you might need out-of-network care, resulting in delays or additional expenses when accessing needed treatment.

How Long Does It Typically Take to See Results From Therapy?

You’ll typically notice initial improvements within 8 sessions, with about 50% of patients experiencing meaningful change at this point. The expected timeline for noticeable changes varies based on factors influencing therapy duration, including session frequency and symptom severity. Attending weekly sessions generally produces faster results than biweekly appointments. For clinically significant recovery, you’ll likely need 13-18 sessions. Remember, most improvement occurs early in treatment, though your individual progress depends on your specific circumstances and therapeutic approach.

Can Different Types of Therapy Be Combined or Used Together Effectively?

Yes, you can effectively combine different therapies. Research demonstrates that integrative approaches, particularly combining psychotherapy with medication, produce remarkably better outcomes than single treatments. Concurrent therapies show 48% remission rates versus 32% for psychotherapy alone in chronic depression. You’ll also experience reduced relapse risk when treatments are combined (RR = 0.60). However, effectiveness varies by depression severity, combined therapy works best for moderate-to-severe chronic cases, while mild depression shows minimal additional benefit from combination approaches.

What Credentials Should I Look for When Selecting a Qualified Therapist?

You should verify your therapist holds current state licensure (LPC, LMFT, or LCSW) through your state’s regulatory board. Confirm they’ve completed required graduate education, passed national examinations, and fulfilled supervised clinical hours. Check that they maintain active credentials through continuing education in ethical standards and cultural competency. Look for membership in professional organizations like ACA, which demonstrates commitment to best practices. Don’t hesitate to ask about their specific training, areas of expertise, and adherence to confidentiality protocols before beginning treatment.