What’s The Right Type of Therapy For Me?

If you're thinking about starting therapy, it's good to have a sense of what type of therapy you might want to do. Very broadly, psychotherapy helps people understand their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. If you'd like some support with managing stress, anxiety, depression, its a good choice. There are many different types of therapy. Let's break down several types of therapy that you might hear about. Hopefully this helps you determine where to start in your search for a psychotherapist.

Depth Therapy

Depth psychotherapy, also called Jungian therapy, focuses on exploring the unconscious mind. It's helpful to notice our conscious choices in various situations. Understanding the part of your mind you're not fully aware of can also be helpful. The goal is to understand deep-rooted emotional patterns. From there we can more easily grasp how they shape our thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Depth therapy is long-term approach. It aims to bring hidden issues to the surface, so you can deal with them consciously. It's great for people who want to explore the "why" behind their thoughts and feelings. 

Somatic Therapy

Somatic therapy incorporates body and mind in its approach to mental health. This therapy focuses on how trauma and stress affect the body. It helps people release physical memories stored in the body. Breath, movement, or relaxation techniques are often used to calm the body and mind. Somatic therapy is especially helpful for people who feel "stuck" in their emotions.

Psychoanalytic Therapy

Psychoanalytic therapy is based on the theories of Sigmund Freud. It focuses on the impact of childhood experiences on mental health. It involves talking with a therapist to uncover hidden feelings or conflicts from your past. The therapist helps you make connections between past experiences and current concerns. Self-compassion is often grown through this approach. It's often long-term and explores deep aspects of the psyche.

Behavioral Therapy

Behavioral therapy is about changing specific actions or behaviors. It’s not about understanding the "why" behind behaviors. Instead it focuses on the "what" and "how" of behavior. If you want to stop a bad habit or learn a new skill, behavioral therapy might be helpful. This therapy often involves practicing new behaviors, rewarding positive actions, and discouraging negative ones. It's very goal-oriented and can be short-term.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT combines elements of both cognitive therapy and behavioral therapy. It focuses on the connection between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. By changing negative thinking patterns, you can change your emotions and actions. CBT is usually short-term and teaches practical skills. It can yield quick results to help manage issues like anxiety or depression. It’s one of the most common and well-researched types of therapy.

Attachment Therapy

Attachment therapy focuses on the bond between individuals, especially early relationships with caregivers. The goal is to understand how attachment styles formed during childhood affect current relationships and emotional health. You may have heard something about insecure attachment styles. People that attach "insecurely" often avoid closeness or being overly dependent. Attachment therapy can help them develop healthier relationships. This therapy is helpful for people who struggle with vulnerability or abandonment fear. It is great for parents and children to help strengthen their emotional bond. If interested in this approach, we recommend the helpful book “Attached” by Amir Levine.

Trauma Therapy

Trauma therapy helps people heal and process trauma. EMDR and Brainspotting are two examples often used by Rezak Therapy's holistic therapists. Both of these are especially effective for treating Post-Traumatic Stress. They can also help with anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and phobias. Brainspotting is also helpful for visualizing and actualizing peak performance.

Evidence-Based and Phenomenological Practice

We've introduced six types of therapy in this post. People respond differently to each of them. The good news is that if you try one type of therapy that doesn't feel helpful, there are other options to explore. Another way therapies are often categorized involves the ways successful outcomes are measured. There are two main approaches to understanding what works: evidence-based practices and phenomenological practices.

Evidence-Based Practice relies on scientific studies and research to show what therapies are effective. Evidence-based therapies, like CBT, EMDR, and Brainspotting have been tested in controlled settings. Data can be reported to back up their success. For the scientifically-oriented, these approaches demonstrate success rates for people in similar situations.

Phenomenological Practice is more about personal experience. It’s about understanding each individual’s unique perspective and feelings. Therapists using these approaches focus on how a person experiences the world. They explore the meaning people give to their life events. Rather than scientific research, success rates are based on personal stories and insights.

Both approaches have value, and many therapists combine them to create a personalized treatment plan that works for each person’s needs. For example, a therapist might use evidence-based techniques to address specific problems, while also using a phenomenological approach to understand the deeper, more personal meanings behind those problems.

What's Best For Me Based on My Goals?

Therapy can be incredibly beneficial, but there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. You may wish to explore why you think and act the way you do with depth therapy. Addressing body-mind connections with somatic therapy might be up your alley. Perhaps you feel past traumas are getting in the way of your happiness. In that case, processing through EMDR or Brainspotting could be a good fit for you. Understanding the difference between evidence-based and phenomenological approaches can also help you choose the therapy that makes the most sense for your personal journey.

At Rezak Therapy we focus on holistic approaches to therapy that consider a whole individual. Most of our therapists work from a toolbox including all of the types outlined in this post. Our specialties are depth, somatic, attachment, and trauma therapy. We are trained and frequently incorporate other approaches as well. Please reach out to schedule a free consultation call with our founder. We can help you narrow down the approach and therapist that may be best for your goals.