4 Most Effective Types of Therapy

There are many therapy types to choose from, each with varying degrees of success. The most effective types of therapy.

While the therapist’s quality can determine the effectiveness of therapy, the approach taken also matters. For example, a therapist might decide to tackle a depressed patient’s illness with cognitive behavioral therapy.

As much as it is not a wrong step, it is not effective enough when compared to the psychodynamic type of therapy. There may be multiple therapy solutions for one therapy-related issue, but one is sure to produce a better result than the others.

Most therapy solutions are under an umbrella name, which gives the therapist the license to use some/all solutions beneath it. This integration of various aspects of a particular field guarantees a better outcome than a singularity.

What are the most effective types of therapy?

Cognitive Therapy/ Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Cognitive Therapy is a short-term approach to therapy that focuses on present thinking, thought patterns, and emotions. It’s sometimes referred to as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) because it aims to improve cognitive behavior (thoughts and actions).

CBT is arguably the best type of therapy. It focuses on immediate occurrences and helps a therapist identify unhealthy thought patterns in a patient before working to help them reduce the negativity that such thoughts breed within a short period.

Cognitive therapy is based on the fact that thoughts and emotions have a dictatorial role in deciding behavior. It helps people to get a grip on reality while making them realize that some events are beyond their control.

CBT can also be applied to a broad range of problems, which further solidifies its status as one of the most effective types of therapy. Some of these problems it can tackle are:

• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Relationship issues
• Panic attacks
• Phobias
• Stress

Psychodynamic Therapy

Psychodynamic therapy is a highly effective type of therapy that focuses on the human emotional spectrum. It analyzes how a person’s mind affects their behaviors and thoughts. However, unlike CBT, it examines both past and present experiences.

It allows for the free sharing of thoughts and outward projection of feelings. The therapist can also request dream narrations (should the need arise) to gain insight into how the patient’s mind works.

With such attention on the emotions, psychodynamics tend to bring out distressing thoughts that the patients avoid or seal away. Through its exploration of the past, it can also identify recurring unhealthy patterns that might prove destructive in the future.

Psychodynamic therapy can help with:

• Emotional struggles
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Identity issues
• Self-esteem problems

Behavioral Therapy

Behavioral therapy is a broad range of techniques used to correct abnormal or non-adaptive behaviors. Based on the idea of behaviorism, that our environment modifies our behavioral patterns, this type of therapy focuses on reducing or eliminating bad character. It’s effective in children.

Some types of behavioral therapy include:

• Applied Behaviour Therapy: It operates primarily on the use of operant conditioning.
• Cognitive Behavioural Play Therapy: This type of approach uses play as a method of changing bad behavior in children. It is one of the most effective types of therapy in use today.
• Social Learning: A type of behavioral therapy that thrives on observation.
• Exposure Therapy: This allows a patient to overcome the phobia of a particular thing by exposure to the source of such fear.
• Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy: It identifies negative thought patterns.

Some of the mental health conditions behavioral therapy treats include:

• Depression
• Autism
• Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Panic disorder
• Stress Management
• Anger Management

Humanistic Therapy

This group of therapeutic approaches dwells on an individual’s unique capability and potential. HT aims to amplify a person’s good attributes, usually through unconditional positive regard. There are different types of humanistic therapy, each focused on an all-round improvement of an individual. They include:

• Gestalt Therapy: This type of humanistic therapy focuses on the patient’s current lifestyle.
• Narrative Therapy: It identifies value through the patient’s narration of past experiences.
• Logotherapy: It helps with the management of a mental health condition(s).
• Client-centered Therapy: Client-centered therapy features an empathetic/ non-judgemental approach from the therapist. It’s an effective type of therapy usually used to boost self-esteem.

Humanistic therapy is more helpful to those who don’t go to therapy to treat mental illnesses but aim to maximize their potential. Nonetheless, it’s still used to treat mental health conditions, such as:

• Trauma
• Psychosis
• Panic disorder
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Low self-esteem

Takeaway

The most effective types of therapy are cognitive, behavioral, humanistic, and psychodynamic therapies. While every method of therapy yields results, these four have proven to be the most effective over time. For further inquiries on therapy or to connect with a good therapist who suits your needs, reach out to us here.