Types of Therapy
The following are the major types of therapy:
- Psychotherapy
- Behavioral therapy
- Humanistic therapy
- Integrative or holistic therapy
- Physiotherapy
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy,
or talk therapy, is a way to help people with a broad variety of mental
illnesses and emotional difficulties. Psychotherapy can help eliminate or
control troubling symptoms so a person can function better and can increase
well-being and healing.
How it works
Psychotherapy
is a collaborative treatment based on the relationship between an individual
and a psychologist. Grounded in dialogue, it provides a supportive environment
that allows you to talk openly with someone objective, neutral, and
nonjudgmental.
Benefits
- Build self-esteem
- Reduce anxiety
- Strengthen coping mechanisms
- Improve social
- Community functioning
- Supportive psychotherapy helps patients deal with issues related to their mental health conditions which in turn affect the rest of their lives.
Behavioral therapy
Behavioral therapy is a focused,
action-oriented approach to mental health treatment.
According to behavioral theory,
certain behaviors develop from things you learned in your past. Some of these
behaviors might affect your life negatively or cause distress
Behavioral therapy can help you
change your behavioral responses.
How it works
In behavioral therapy, you won’t
spend much time talking about unconscious reasons for your behavior or working
through emotional difficulties.
Instead, you’ll focus on ways to change behavioral reactions and patterns that cause distress.
Benefits
Behavioral therapy may be a good
option for addressing:
- Anxiety
- Phobias
- Substance use disorder
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Oppositional and defiant behaviors
- Behavioral issues that result from communication difficulties or emotional challenges
Humanistic therapy
Humanistic therapy is an approach
that looks at how your worldview affects the choices you make, especially choices
that cause distress. It’s based on the belief that you’re the best person to
understand your experiences and needs.
Humanistic therapists work to help
you better understand what you’re experiencing, offering guidance and support
without interpreting your feelings for you.
How it works
Your therapist will help you work
toward the goal of living your most fulfilling life, largely by enabling you to
be your true self. You’ll spend time exploring ways to grow and increase
self-acceptance along with discussing the issues you’re dealing with.
Another important principle in
humanistic therapy is unconditional positive regard.
This simply means your therapist will
accept you, even if they disagree with you on some things. Humanistic therapy
is particularly useful for coping with negative judgment (perceived or real) from
others.
Generally, you’ll be the one
directing the session. Your therapist will step in when needed, but otherwise, they’ll be actively
listening to you, occasionally asking questions to ensure they understand what
you’re saying.
Benefits
Humanistic therapy can be useful for
addressing:
- Self-esteem issues
- Difficulty coping with chronic health concerns
- Effects of trauma
- Depression
- Relationship issues
- Substance use disorder
- Feelings of worthlessness or being lost in life
Integrative or holistic therapy
Holistic
therapy, also sometimes referred to as holistic psychotherapy or body-centered
psychotherapy, is an integrative type of therapy that incorporates both
traditional and non-traditional treatments to help the individual as a whole.
How it works
Holistic
therapy is a type of therapy that addresses the “whole” person. This kind of
therapy integrates spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional forms of
well-being. Its goal is to help individuals develop a deeper understanding of
themselves on all these levels.
Benefits
- Stress Reduction and Healthy Coping Skills.
- Spiritual Connection.
- Relapse Prevention.
- Better Overall Health.
- Increased Self Esteem and Identity.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy
helps to restore movement and function when someone is affected by injury,
illness, or disability. It can also help to reduce your risk of injury or
illness in the future. It takes a holistic approach that involves the patient
directly in their care.
How it works
Physiotherapists
exert manual pressure by using their hands to mobilize joints and soft tissues to
reduce the pain that results due to joint stiffness or muscle spasm. Manual
therapy is known to be beneficial in treating musculoskeletal conditions like
chronic back pain.
Benefits
- Eliminating or reducing pain.
- Helps in avoiding surgery.
- Improving overall strength and coordination.
- Reducing the dependency on medicines.
- Boosting cardiovascular functioning and lung capacity.
- Managing and preventing sports-related injuries.
- Staying fit at all ages and phases.
- Managing heart and diabetic conditions.
- Easing pregnancy and postpartum care.
- Improving mental health.