Mental illness is prevalent in the United States — just as prevalent as physical illness. Nearly one in five Americans live with some sort of mental illness. However, not understanding just how serious it is, many don’t seek treatment.
This could be because of the stigma surrounding mental illness. However, it could also be because they don’t understand the different types of psychotherapy. Therapy is far from a single system. There are many types of therapy out there, and the best therapy for one person might not work for someone else. This article will walk you through some of the most popular types of psychotherapy, so you can choose the best option for you.
Psychoanalytic Therapy
This is perhaps the most “stereotypical” type of psychotherapy. Psychoanalysis was the system that Freud invented at the beginning of the profession, and it’s the type of therapy you often see parodied.
Psychoanalysis is all about talking and exploring your background to try to root out our problems. It’s not nearly as silly as it’s made out to be on TV, but there are many better, more updated forms of therapy for use today.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is one of the most popular types of therapy today. It focuses on metacognition or thinking about the process of thinking. Practitioners believe that thoughts come before emotions. If one can change their thoughts, their emotions can change as well.
A therapist in CBT will help a patient recognize thought patterns that aren’t beneficial to them. They’ll give them tactics to stop these thoughts from taking over their brain and suggest replacement thoughts. This will effectively rewrite their brain and help them overcome their problems.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
DBT is, in many ways, an updated and improved form of CBT. It’s less action and goal-oriented, which is better for some patients because it doesn’t provide as much stress.
Where CBT is more thought and philosophy-based, DBT centers on emotions. Many DBT practitioners also encourage mindfulness. Those dealing with trauma or emotions that they can’t understand or those who simply consider themselves more emotion-based people should consider DBT.
An important part of DBT is group therapy. Part of the underlying treatment plan of DBT is to get people to be able to understand what they’re going through by comparing it to the experiences of other people. This component isn’t usually found in CBT, which is another reason why many people prefer DBT.
Understand the Different Types of Psychotherapy
As you can see, the world of psychotherapy extends far beyond laying down on a couch and talking about your parents.
This is simply a stereotype based on an outdated form of therapy. When you look at the different types of psychotherapy that have arisen in contemporary life, like CBT and, especially, DBT, you’ll see that there’s a right therapy option for everyone.
For more information on therapy, contact Suzette Bray LMFT today.