Types of Therapy
Glossary and Brief Overview of Therapeutic Areas of Practice
Have you ever felt confused by all the various kinds of therapy options available? You’re not alone if it has felt overwhelming. There’s no one-size-fits-all therapeutic approach when it comes to therapy, and everyone needs something different and tailored to their unique experiences. The world of therapy is big and there are many different approaches out there, but don’t worry, we’re here to help break it down.
Here's a quick look at some types of therapy and what they might be useful for, offered here at Peachey Counselling and Family Support:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is rooted in the idea that an individual’s thoughts can negatively affect their behaviour.
This can include thinking patterns such as all-or-nothing, catastrophizing, and personalization. The goal of CBT would be to identify, challenge, and eventually change such thought patterns to then alter their behaviour to better respond to difficult life experiences 1.
Useful for depression, anxiety, relationship problems, anger issues, and/or stress, and is appropriate for children, adolescents, and adults and for individuals, families, and couples 1.
Solution-Focused Therapy (SFBT)
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy is a non-traditional approach to therapy that focuses on collectively finding solutions to problems, while exploring an individual’s hope for the future.
One of the main focuses of SFBT is goal setting, with the belief that individuals have the experience, wisdom, strength, and resilience to bring about change. This approach can be used as a stand-alone intervention or be used alongside other therapy styles 1.
Useful for clients of all ages and a variety of issues, including child behavioural problems, family dysfunction, domestic or child abuse, addiction, and relationship problems 1.
Narrative Therapy
Narrative Therapy is an approach that focuses on the individual as the expert of their own lives and works to separate them from their problems.
When an individual comes into therapy for the first time, they typically have created a story for themselves, which more often than not is dominated by their problems. Narrative Therapy involves seeing people’s lives as multi-storied, then listening to these stories and working to co-discover clues to skills and knowledge that can work opposite to the problem-filled story 2, 3.
Narrative therapy can be useful for those with depression, anxiety, trauma, addictions, anger, and eating problems 1.
Trauma Informed Therapy
Trauma Informed Therapy comes from the recognition and understanding of how traumatic experiences can impact an individual’s emotional, mental, behavioural, spiritual, and physical well-being.
The goal of Trauma Informed Therapy is to provide skills and strategies to assist in the understanding and processing of, as well as coping with any emotions and memories linked to the experience. Some benefits of Trauma Informed Therapy include learning about trauma, identifying triggers, re-establishing safety, creating healthy coping mechanisms, and decreasing stress 7.
Trauma Informed Therapy can be helpful for those who have experienced a traumatic event or circumstance, such as abuse, natural disasters, or the loss of a loved one.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy focuses on the belief that behaviour and emotion can co-exist but are independent of each other.
The goal of ACT is to accept difficult or disruptive feelings, yet still, make the commitment to act effectively in accordance with values 4.
Useful for sexual abuse survivors, at-risk adolescents, substance abuse, mood disorders, victims of trauma, phobias, obsessive behaviours, post-traumatic stress, childhood abuse, couples and families 4.
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy is a structured therapeutic intervention that focuses strongly on emotion regulation skills through an educational component.
DBT centers around four main concepts: distress tolerance, mindfulness, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. Due to the skills-based nature of the approach, clients are often asked to practice the skills they learn between sessions 1.
Useful for: self-harm, post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, depression, anxiety, depression, substance use disorder, and bipolar disorder 1.
Client-Centered Approach
Client-Centered Approach is an empathetic approach that focuses on fostering a supportive relationship between the client and therapist, acting as a key agent in self-discovery.
With this approach, clients are the main decision-makers, giving them the autonomy to take control of their sessions and life 8, 9.
Useful for those who want professional help outside of their own communities, don’t want a dominant approach, and want help finding themselves and learning how to be themselves 9.
Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT)
Emotion-Focused Therapy prioritizes emotions and their regulation, making them an important factor in both individual experiences and interactions within relationships.
Some goals of EFT are expanding and structuring emotional responses, while offering corrective experiences to shape stable and long-lasting change 5.
Most used for intervention among couples, but it is also used to address individual depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress, and to repair family bonds 5.
Existential Therapy
Existential therapy centers around an individual’s free will, self-determination, and search for meaning, rather than their symptoms, in an effort to determine and articulate values.
Additionally, there is a strong focus on life-enhancing experiences such as love, creativity, power, presence, spirituality, and authenticity. Most often, existential therapy aims to increase a client’s ability to make rational choices, self-awareness, and self-understanding 1.
This type of therapy is helpful for clients who have felt any kind of existential threat or dread, as well as those with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, or anxiety 10.
Mindfulness Practice
The term mindfulness means “clear comprehension,” which aligns with its purpose of helping individuals respond more effectively to difficult situations, by seeing things with more clarity.
Mindfulness suggests a calm, grateful, and compassionate frame of mind. This state of mind can be worked towards learning how to be present at the moment and be aware of our thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations. In a therapeutic setting, mindfulness can be practiced with your therapists to ultimately lead to a more productive and happier life 11.
Practicing mindfulness can be useful for everyone, but can be important for those dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideations, and borderline personality disorder 11.
Strength-Based Therapy
Strength-Based Therapy focuses primarily on an individual’s internal and external strengths and resources, rather than focusing on the negatives.
Each strengths-based treatment is unique and guided by the therapist, with solutions coming directly from the client themselves. The overall goal of Strengths-Based Therapy is for individuals to recognize that they may already have the skills and resources to tackle and cope with difficult situations 1.
Useful for self-esteem issues, abusive relationships, depression, and anxiety 1.
Attachment-Based Therapy
Attachment-Based Therapy considers the relationship between a child’s early attachment experiences with caregivers, and how that plays into their ability to form healthy physical and emotional relationships later in life.
If a secure attachment is not formed in early-life experiences, then the goal of Attachment-Based Therapy is to learn how to build or rebuild healthy, trusting, and supportive relationships 1.
Attachment-Based Therapy may be useful for children of depressed parents, adopted children or those in foster care, victims of abuse or trauma, and individuals dealing with depression and or suicidal ideation 1.
Motivational Interviewing
Motivational Interviewing is an empathetic, short-term counselling intervention that focuses on an individual’s mixed feelings or insecurities in order to find the internal motivation that is required for behavioural change.
Combined with other interventions, motivational interviewing has two goals: to increase motivation and to get the individual to make the commitment to change. The process involves four key components - expressing empathy, supporting self-efficacy, rolling with resistance, and developing discrepancy - in order to help individuals, discover motivation and make healthier choices 1, 6.
Motivational interviewing is especially helpful with physical health conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease, as well as those with substance use disorder 1.
Whatever it is, we’re here for you.
Life is uncertain. Jobs are stressful. Parenting is hard. Relationships take work. Families can be dysfunctional. And, sometimes love hurts. When you’re confronted by feelings, events, or issues that are making your life challenging, it’s okay to ask for some help.
