2-17-15 post: Kinds of psychotherapy

Question/Comment: Are there different kinds of psychotherapy? If so, how would I know which is the best for me and which therapist uses what type of approach?

Response: There are many approaches to psychotherapy and asking any therapist that you are considering doing business with what approaches they use is something every potential patient should do. Also you can try out various approaches to see which ones work well for you.  Different types may be useful for you at different times, depending on what you are working on and which part of you is involved.

Here are some of the approached, in broad terms, there are the analytical approaches, the non-analytical talk approaches, the brief approaches that focus on problem resolution, expressive approaches and experiential approaches.  Freud’s psychoanalysis, Jungian analysis and Transactional Analysis by Eric Berne are examples of analytical approaches. 

Some examples of non-analytical talk approaches might include brief therapy that focuses on a particular problem, cognitive behavioral therapy, behavioral therapy, and family therapy or couples therapy where relationships are the focus. Expressive approaches can include art therapy (which can also be analytical), music therapy, dance therapy, and play therapy (can also be analytical).

Some examples of experiential therapy include, Gestalt, positive affirmations, tapping, EMDR, regression, hypnosis, and animal assisted therapy.      

Depending on you, your approach to life, your temperament, your style of thinking, the depth of the work you want to do, the time and money you have to invest in the process,  the issue you want to work on, and so on, you will choose which approach works best for you.