Types of Therapy: 11 Different Types of Therapy

Psychotherapy can be an effective treatment for many mental health conditions and emotional issues. And when it comes to different types of therapy, you’re not short on options. 

There’s everything from behavioral therapy to group therapy to exposure therapy. Some types of therapy work best for specific conditions, while others are a little more general. 

Below, we take a look at some of the most common types of therapy and dive into how the different approaches work, who they can help, and how you can choose the best type of therapy for you.

Psychodynamic therapy is a form of talk therapy focused on your past experiences. 

This therapy approach is anchored in psychoanalysis, which is based on the work of Sigmund Freud and the theory that unconscious conflicts are at the heart of psychological issues. It’s thought that bringing these unconscious conflicts into your awareness can help resolve your symptoms.

During psychodynamic therapy, you’ll work with your psychotherapist to identify unhelpful patterns, past experiences, and repressed emotions and figure out how these could be causing your problems today.

For example, you might look at past relationships to see how they could be influencing your behavior in your current relationship.

Studies on the efficacy of psychodynamic therapy have found that this older type of therapy produces effects that are just as strong as more recently developed types of therapy, such as CBT. 

How it works: Your therapist might ask you open-ended questions — especially about your past — and allow you to talk about what’s on your mind. They’ll then help you find negative patterns in your feelings or behavior and work through ways to overcome them. 

What it can help with: 

• Depression 

• Anxiety disorders like generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)

• Panic disorders

• Stress disorders 

• Borderline personality disorder

Instead of being an emotion-focused therapy, behavioral therapies focus on your behaviors — hence the name. The aim is to replace negative behaviors with positive ones. 

The basis of behavioral theory is that certain behaviors develop from things you’ve learned in your past. The goal of behavioral therapy is to help you change your responses to those behaviors.

There are many different techniques that fall under the umbrella of behavioral therapy including: 

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)

• Systematic desensitization or exposure therapy 

How it works: Your therapist will help you identify unhealthy behaviors and work through ways to change them, using techniques like positive reinforcement and punishment to facilitate healthy behavioral change. 

What it can help with: 

• Anxiety

• Depression 

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

• Panic disorder

• Phobias

• Alcohol abuse disorder 

• Bipolar disorder

• Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

• Borderline personality disorder 

• Eating disorders

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of behavioral therapy that also focuses on thought patterns. Instead of focusing on your past, it looks at the connection between your current thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

CBT is sometimes described as a short-term, skills-focused treatment. You might start noticing the benefits in 12 to 16 weeks.

How it works: In cognitive behavioral therapy, your therapist will help you identify negative thought patterns and understand how they affect your emotions and behaviors.

Together, you’ll explore ways to change or replace those negative thoughts and patterns with ones that are more constructive. You might be given exercises or homework to complete to help you put your new skills into practice.

What it can help with: 

• Depression 

• Anxiety 

• Bipolar disorder 

• Eating disorders

• Schizophrenia

• Substance abuse disorders  

Dialectical behavior therapy was developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan for the treatment of borderline personality disorder (BPD). In fact, it remains the only empirically supported treatment for the condition. 

Dialectical behavior therapy helps you accept challenging thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and work toward changing them.

You’ll learn behavioral skills designed to target your symptoms. Examples of these skills include: 

• Emotion regulation

• Mindfulness

• Distress tolerance

How it works: Dialectical behavior therapy usually involves a combination of skills training, individual therapy, telephone therapy, and group therapy. 

What it can help with: 

• Borderline personality disorder

• Substance abuse 

• Mood disorders

• Eating disorders

• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) 

Exposure therapy is a form of behavior therapy designed to help you overcome a fear. It involves purposefully exposing yourself to a situation or object you’re afraid of — whether that’s heights, spiders, or social situations.

You don’t need to jump in the deep end, though. Your therapist may recommend gradually increasing how often you interact with the thing you’re afraid of. Over time, you may find that it doesn’t bother you as much.  

How it works: You’ll talk through your fear with a therapist, and they’ll guide you through activities in which you interact with it. This may include virtual reality exposure therapy in which you interact with your fears through computer-generated simulations — such as a flight simulator if you’re afraid of flying.

What it can help with: 

• Phobias 

• Social anxiety 

• OCD

• PTSD

Humanistic therapy is focused on the individual. 

Philosophers Jean-Paul Sartre, Martin Buber, and Soren Kierkegaard had an influential role in developing this type of therapy, which aims to help you become the best version of yourself. 

One of the core beliefs behind humanistic therapy is that humans are inherently good and, given the chance, will make the right choices. 

There are three primary types of humanistic therapy: 

• Gestalt therapy. Gestalt therapy may involve techniques like reenactment and role-play to explore how past events influence your present thoughts and emotions.

• Client-centered therapy. With client-centered therapy — aka person-centered therapy — your therapist takes more of a back seat and acts as an equal partner. Rather than telling you what to do or giving you all the answers, they guide you to find solutions to your problems yourself.   

• Existential therapy. Existential therapy focuses on helping you find meaning in your life to overcome your symptoms. 

How it works: Depending on which type of humanistic therapy you go for, you can expect role play, guided questions, and space to come to your own conclusions with gentle support from a mental health expert. 

What it can help with: 

• Anxiety 

• Depression 

• Addiction 

• Substance abuse 

• PTSD

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR) was developed in the 1990s. While it’s been clinically validated, it’s not completely understood how it works. 

This type of psychotherapy was developed by American psychologist Francine Shapiro when she noticed that certain eye movements reduced the intensity of disturbing thoughts. 

EMDR therapy involves a certain sequence of phases paired with eye movements to help you process unresolved memories and heal from them.

How it works: Your therapist will walk you through a series of repetitive eye movements for 20 to 30 seconds while recalling a traumatic event. You might focus on a single memory over one to three sessions.

What it can help with: 

• Trauma 

• PTSD

• Anxiety

• Depression, especially when it’s related to trauma

• Panic disorders

Interpersonal therapy (IPT) is a type of therapy focused on your relationships. The goal is to improve your relationships and social functioning to resolve your symptoms.

IPT involves specific strategies to achieve four goals:

• Enhancing social support

• Decreasing interpersonal stress

• Facilitating emotional processing

• Improving interpersonal skills

IPT is typically time-limited, with treatment lasting 12 to 16 weeks and broken up into three phases.

How it works: Your therapist will start by gathering information about your mental health issues and relationships. They’ll then lead you through various strategies to improve those relationships.

What it can help with: 

• Depression 

• Dysthymic disorder (a form of mild but long-term depression)

• PTSD 

• Bipolar disorder 

• Social anxiety 

• Body dysmorphic disorder 

As the name suggests, group therapy is done in a group, usually with five to fifteen patients. It’s often targeted toward addressing a specific issue.

Distinct from other therapeutic approaches in this way, group therapy can provide benefits individual therapy might not. The group may become a support network for you, and the act of listening to and talking to others may help you put your own problems into perspective.

You might also go to individual therapy alongside group therapy.

How it works: You’ll meet with your group — either in person or online — and talk through your problems and learn skills to overcome them together. 

What it can help with: 

• Depression

• Social anxiety

• Substance abuse

• Panic disorder 

• Grief 

As the name suggests, acceptance and commitment therapy focuses on acceptance. 

In this therapy approach, your therapist will guide you through techniques like mindfulness to help you come to terms with distressing emotions. 

The idea is that accepting emotions like sadness or fear, rather than ignoring them, is the first step to overcoming them. 

How it works: You can do ACT in a variety of forms, including as online therapy, in person, in group workshops, and even through apps. This mindfulness-based therapy aims to help you accept emotions you find difficult or upsetting.

What it can help with: 

• Anxiety 

• Depression

• Stress 

• OCD 

• Eating disorders

• Substance use disorders  

Mentalization-based therapy helps you practice the skill of mentalizing. Mentalizing is when you understand your thoughts, feelings, and behavior. 

This form of therapy aims to help you express your emotions in a more stable way and have better self-awareness.

How it works: MBT is usually a long-term form of therapy that doesn’t follow a particular structure. Therapy sessions will be based on you and your needs. You can get MBT in one-on-one settings or as part of a group.

What it can help with: 

• Borderline personality disorder 

• PTSD

• Eating disorders 

• Depression

There are so many different types of therapy out there that you may be left wondering, “What kind of therapist do I need?” Here’s what to keep in mind:

• The best place to start is with a healthcare provider or mental health professional. They can make recommendations on the best type of therapy for you based on your symptoms and diagnosis. You’ll also probably find therapists use a combination of therapy approaches in your treatment. 

• But don’t be afraid to mix things up. If you find you don’t like one approach, don’t hesitate to try another. Just make sure to give each approach time to work before moving on. 

• Be prepared for some challenges. Regardless of which type of therapy you choose, expect some challenges. Talking about your mental health symptoms and your personal thoughts and feelings with a stranger can be difficult, but you may find it gets better with time and practice. Just remember your therapist is an objective bystander — it’s their job to help you, not judge you. 

• Remember it can take time to find a fit. Keep in mind that success in therapy has a lot to do with the relationship you form with your therapist. If you don’t feel like you’re forming a trusting connection with your counselor, seek out a new therapist. It could take several tries to find the right therapist.

Ready to get started? As we mentioned, a good first step is to talk to your healthcare provider or connect with a healthcare provider online. 

Also remember that therapy doesn’t necessarily have to do it all — in fact, therapy is also often used in combination with other treatments. You can get expert advice and personalized mental health treatment online, too.