Therapy is not a one-size-fits-all solution. The way treatment is approached can be influenced by symptoms, culture, the number of people participating, and the therapist themself. Understanding the different therapy approaches can be critical to finding a therapist who is a good fit for you. Furthermore, knowing more about the various therapeutic approaches can help put your mind at ease that you are making the best choice for you.
Aligning Therapy With Your Unique Needs and Goals
Pace
Some therapy techniques are geared more toward short-term or brief therapy. In such instances, interventions are specific to the concern presented, with little flexibility in exploring things too far in depth. Other therapy techniques see the benefits of going more in-depth and at a slower pace. More in-depth techniques may require a person to be in therapy longer to reach their goals, but the change they get is more significant. Regardless of your preference, there is no set timeframe in which a therapist can estimate you will need to be in therapy. This is a great topic to bring up in a consultation.
Therapeutic Relationship
All types of therapy spend some time building a solid therapeutic relationship to ensure safety when touching on more complex topics. However, the way this is done can look different between approaches. Some approaches may do this by being direct, while others do this through empathy. Each approach connects with the client in a way that suits how it meets the overall therapeutic goals.
Assessment
Each approach will work toward getting specific information that will lead to accomplishing set goals. This could be learning more about family dynamics, assessing attachment history, identifying strengths, or understanding behavioral patterns. Each approach has targeted assessments based on the information that would be most helpful when entering the intervention stage. In therapy, interventions are the techniques that the therapist uses to help you reach your goals.
Exploring Popular Types of Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is an approach that believes that how a person reacts to a situation is strongly influenced by their thoughts and perspectives. Individuals are prone to have distorted thoughts when under stress that impact their emotions, behaviors, and psychological responses. Through CBT, individuals become more aware of their distorted thinking patterns. They then learn to evaluate their thinking to create more realistic thinking patterns, ultimately changing their reactions.
CBT may be a good fit for you if you are looking for that is more structured and goal-oriented.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Have you ever found yourself saying, "a part of me 'this,' but a part of me 'that'"? IFS addresses internal conflicts that hinder our external experiences. IFS believes that we all have a Self that, at its core, can heal and guide. In addition to the Self, we also have parts in protective roles that take more extreme measures when distressed. This approach integrates well with others. Internal exploration can be done through guided meditation, talk therapy, play therapy, and more.
IFS would be a good option if you seek deeper internal exploration to increase self-awareness.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR is about reprocessing events and beliefs through bilateral stimulation, allowing your brain to do all the work. Reprocessing the events and beliefs will enable you to release the negative outlook on your experience, decreasing the disturbance and distress it has in your life. This is an excellent approach for those who wish to refrain from talking about their stresses in detail. However, this integrates well with other approaches for those who like to talk things out more.
EMDR may be a great option if you are looking to process trauma but don't want to do just talk therapy.
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)
As the name states, SFBT focuses on the solution. Rather than focusing on the problem, the client is guided to access the strengths and resources they already have. As clients gain access to their strengths and resources, they naturally move toward their goals for change.
SFBT may be for you if you are looking for short-term therapy that is focused and action-oriented.
Finding the Right Approach for Your Journey
Goals
What do you want to get out of the therapy process? Identifying goals will be helpful in choosing the type of therapy and therapist before commitment to treatment and financial responsibility. Understanding your goals can help you determine if you are looking for something more structured or more exploratory.
Preferences
Think about your preferences. Are you looking for a more directive approach that may encourage homework assignments between sessions? Perhaps you may want space to explore who you are by having more flexibility in session. Sometimes, it can take time to identify what we need. It may be helpful to identify the things you don't like and would instead not have included in the session. These can be useful things to talk about during a consultation.
Consultation
Schedule consultations with at least three therapists and ask them about their therapeutic approach. You may find that therapists will integrate several approaches. Connect their response with your goals and preferences to determine whether this would fit. This would also be an excellent time to bring up time constraints you may have in participating in therapy or concerns around things you may not like about the therapy process. This will give you more information on how that therapist will navigate your concerns.
Reflections
Be open to the process but also notice any resistance that comes up. You are doing something different, so by nature, you are going to want to resist and fall back into what is more predictable. This resistance feels similar but different from intuition. Intuition will let you know that even though this is uncomfortable, it doesn't seem like the right fit. It is pretty easy to get resistance and intuition mixed up. Checking in with yourself regularly and having honest reflection about this will bring more clarity.
Final Thoughts
Therapy is meant to be a helpful process, so it's important to consider yourself when identifying a therapeutic approach for you. Reflecting on your needs and goals will bring more insight into what you want the therapy pace to look like, what kind of therapeutic relationship you wish to have, and what things you are ok with having assessed throughout the process. While we highlighted four approaches, there are many different therapy approaches. It's ok for you to identify the things you like and don't like. Use this information to find a therapist that is a good fit for you. Visit our list of services to learn more about the types of therapy we offer at Well Within Collective.
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