What Are the Most Common Forms of Mental Health Therapy?
If you’re struggling with mental health challenges such as addiction, an eating disorder, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder, you would no doubt benefit from some form of therapy. However, if you’ve been looking into the options, you may have noticed that there are many types available. Some approaches are best for certain conditions while others are broadly applicable.
Therapy involves working with a trained mental health professional. Exactly what happens during each session depends on the methods the therapist uses and the challenges the patient needs to address.
One of the most common types of mental health therapy is psychotherapy but this can take several forms and it’s definitely not the only option. Let’s look at some of the most common types of therapy for addiction treatment and other problems as well as what we offer at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab™ Center.
What are the Common Applications of Psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy is also called “talk therapy”. It is when a person talks to a trained professional therapist in a confidential setting in an effort to explore their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and develop coping skills.
Psychotherapy is versatile since it can help to treat several mental disorders, including:
The therapist often guides the conversation, assists the patient in making connections, and provides insight into the cause of their problems and how they can improve. It’s important to note that many mental health conditions need to be treated with both therapy and medication.
Talk therapy can also be helpful for families, couples, and groups of individuals facing similar problems.
Therapists offer different types of psychotherapy and some people respond better to one type than another. We’ll discuss some of the most common forms of talk therapy below.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT focuses on the relationships among thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. The therapist works with the patient to identify unhealthy thought patterns and how they may be contributing to self-destructive behaviors and beliefs. The individual learns how to address these patterns and develop new ways of thinking so they can also develop healthier beliefs and behaviors.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
DBT was originally intended to treat suicidal individuals with borderline personality disorder. However, it has been adapted to treat people with various mental health conditions. Still, most people who are treated with DBT have a primary diagnosis of borderline personality disorder.
DBT is different from CBT in one significant way. It focuses on accepting or validating uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, and behaviors instead of struggling with them. This makes change seem more attainable and individuals can then work with the therapist to devise a gradual recovery plan.
The therapist helps the patient to strike a balance between acceptance and change and assists them in developing new skills. These skills, such as mindfulness techniques and coping methods, empower the individual to improve their unhealthy thoughts and behaviors.
Psychodynamic Therapy
What is psychodynamic therapy? It’s derived from psychoanalysis – an approach to mental health treatment in which patients talk about anything on their minds in an effort to identify thoughts and behaviors that may be playing a role in their distress. Patients also talk about fantasies, recurring dreams, or things that happened in childhood.
In psychodynamic therapy, individuals work with a therapist to examine the connection between their actions and their unconscious minds. They often look at their thought patterns, emotions, and relationships. Psychodynamic therapy tends to be a long-term approach to treatment when compared to other types of therapy. It can help to address anxiety, depression, eating disorders, substance use disorders, and other conditions.
Interpersonal Therapy
This type of therapy focuses on the interactions patients have with their family and friends. It is a short-term intervention designed to improve communication skills and increase self-esteem. Interpersonal therapy can be used to treat depression caused by major life events, grief, relationship challenges, transitions to new roles, and social isolation.
Humanistic Therapy
Humanistic therapy is based on the belief that the patient is the best person to understand their needs and experiences. This approach examines how individuals’ worldview affects the decisions they make, particularly the decisions that lead to distress. In this form of therapy, the therapist doesn’t interpret the patient’s feelings but they provide support and guidance and help them to better understand their experiences.
Patients participating in humanistic therapy direct the session and the therapist only contributes as needed. The humanistic therapist helps the patient to be their true self so they can live the most fulfilling life possible. They accept the patient as they are even when they disagree with them. This is especially important for people who find it hard to cope with real or perceived judgment from other people.
Some humanistic approaches to therapy include:
Gestalt therapy
Existential therapy
Person-centered therapy
Humanistic therapy can be helpful for individuals dealing with:
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Our Therapeutic Approaches at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab™
We offer a wide range of therapy options at our luxury rehab facility. Our aim is to provide each patient with the treatment that is best suited to their needs whether they’re struggling with addiction or another mental health problem.
Therapies we offer include:
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What To Expect During Therapy In Hawaii?
Personalized mental health treatment planning is key. Therefore, therapy can be either short or long-term. During your first session, the therapist will likely focus on getting to know you so they can get an idea of how to proceed in future sessions. The frequency and duration of your sessions will depend on the type of therapy you’re getting and how serious your condition is.
Regardless of which type of therapy you receive, you need to make sure you feel comfortable. If you have questions or concerns, you should raise them with your therapist so you can get the most out of your sessions. You have the right to choose a therapist with specific traits. For example, you may prefer to talk to a man or a woman or someone who shares your cultural background.
You have the right to safety, confidentiality, and respect during therapy. Even if you participate in group sessions, the other individuals are expected to respect your right to privacy.
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We offer bespoke therapy for trauma disorders, substance abuse problems, and other mental health concerns. If you have co-occuring disorders such as depression and a drug adddiction, we are well equipped to help you since we offer the best dual diagnosis treatment in Hawaii.
You may feel overwhelmed by all the different types of therapy available. However, you don’t need to feel pressured to commit to any single approach. If you’ve been diagnosed with a mental health disorder, they may recommend some initial options. However, you can try different therapeutic approaches, although you should avoiding jumping from one program to another without giving a program time to make a difference.
Many therapists use multiple techniques so if they realize that one option isn’t working, they can switch to another. As we noted earlier, we offer multiple treatment types at our facility so there’s something for each patient.
Regardless of which type of treatment you get, therapy can be challenging. However, it’s worth it if you want to develop better coping mechanisms and live a more fulfilling life. You may be nervous about talking to a stranger about your thoughts and feelings but this will get easier as time goes on. Remember, you therapist is there to help, not judge.
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FAQs
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