The stigma surrounding therapy and its various forms has gone down, but resistance remains. People think going to therapy or getting the treatment you need means something is wrong with you. In fact, this couldn’t be more wrong. The truth is nearly everyone in our modern society could use some form of therapy. The therapy modalities that are currently available and accessible can be used for just about every person. Even if you’ve had a charmed life, you could still benefit from some therapeutic attention. Below are five effective forms of therapy commonly needed and practiced.
Table of Contents
Talk Therapy
The most common of therapy has become something of a cliché in TV and movies. The main character is on a couch spilling out their problems or resisting the process. While this caricature comes from somewhere, people’s ignorance about talk therapy is stunning. The purpose of talk therapy counseling is clear—the therapist is a blank slate for you to come as you are, and their job is to reflect that back to you meaningfully.
One of the biggest benefits of therapy is to rework behaviors and ideas we learned when we were very young. As a child, we’re informed by our experiences and upbringing. So often, these experiences lead to our biggest problems. We have a difficult time changing behaviors that are hardwired into us. To relieve trauma, cope with depression, or just alleviate the need to talk to someone, talk therapy is effective.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Another way to change your behavior is to do cognitive behavioral therapy. This form of therapy focuses on changing behaviors. Whether you want to stop emotionally eating, change the way you approach sex and relationships, or address your tendency to self-medicate your depression and anxiety, cognitive therapy can help.
Multiple types of cognitive behavioral therapy help patients change what they do and how they feel. This type of therapy can also ease phobias, irrational thoughts, stress, anxiety, and more. Even those skeptical of therapy will change their tune when they see the results of cognitive behavioral therapy. You can even find CBT in San Antonio and other parts of Texas, Florida, Michigan, and California–all over the country. It’s a great resource for people who want to change but have difficulty doing so.
Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing
Eye movement desensitization reprocessing, otherwise known as EMDR, is a very effective therapy for trauma, phobias, and the symptoms these conditions cause. It is a very physical therapy. Instead of focusing on all the feelings and the results of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), it takes a scientific approach. Through eye movement and desensitization sessions, the therapist helps you change how your brain responds to various stimuli—including trauma.
When someone was traumatized as a young child, it can greatly impact their life as an adult. EMDR helps these patients change how their brain responds to better cope, deal with pain, and move forward in their life to bigger and better things.
Dual Diagnosis Addiction Counseling
One of the biggest mental health problems in the United States is addiction. This is partly because instead of getting the help we need to improve mentally, we often turn to self-medication with drugs and alcohol. Luckily, addiction treatment has become more comprehensive and effective. When someone is addicted to alcohol or another drug, the response is treating the whole person now.
A dual diagnosis is when someone isn’t just struggling with addiction but a co-occurring and underlying mental health disorder. This form of counseling helps the person get off drugs and alcohol, but it also aims to work on the underlying issues that led them to misuse substances in the first place.
These four forms of therapy are just the beginning. They are some of the most commonly needed and used forms of therapy, but there are plenty more. Depending on who and what you need, there is a therapy for you. There is no shame in getting the help you need. It’s the right thing to do for you and shows maturity. So, if you could benefit from one of these therapies, why not give it a shot?
Featured Image by Thomas Malyska from Pixabay
