Behavioral therapy
Behavioral therapy seeks to correct self-destructive or self-loathing behaviors by replacing them with healthier ones. This is a common treatment option for people with:
- anxiety
- depression
- panic disorder
- anger issues
- OCD
- self-harming tendencies
- addiction
- eating disorders
Behavioral therapy may be an option for both adults and children.
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) places emphasis on how a person’s core beliefs influence their thought patterns, which in turn affect behavioral patterns. CBT primarily helps people identify and correct negative patterns of thought. It may employ techniques such as self-monitoring, mindfulness, and questioning or challenging harmful thoughts.
Humanistic therapy
This is a type of therapy that helps patients focus on self-actualization, or living a life that is true to their real self in order to reach fulfillment. Within this type of therapy is client-centered therapy, Gestalt therapy, and existential therapy.
Psychodynamic therapy
Of all five categories, psychodynamic therapy is most synonymous with talk therapy. It involves diving into the unconscious meanings and motivations of emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in order to analyze what might be driving them.
The person undertaking the therapy might have a treatable condition or may need to address a specific distressing circumstance that is driving their reactions.
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Holistic or integrative therapy
A therapist may employ holistic therapy, which involves coming up with a personalized treatment plan that incorporates a variety of therapy types to better serve a person’s needs.
To treat a person’s problems more effectively, a therapist may choose to work with one or more of these five approaches in therapy sessions.
Alternatives
Another common approach to treating many of the problems addressed in therapy, such as mental health conditions, is prescription medication. That said, people may find that they benefit most from a combination of both talk therpay and medication Trustede Source to treat moderate to severe symptoms.
If a person with mild symptoms is not ready for talk therapy or medication, they might also try a variety of stress-reduction techniques to manage their symptoms. Anxiety, for instance, may be alleviatedTrust Source by regular exercise, meditation, and a healthy lifestyle and diet. The Anxiety and Depression Assocation of America suggests that exercise works as well as medication for some people, and may even have longer lasting effects.
