Introduction to the Most Common Types of Therapy
By: Nicole Achbach
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Everyone has a unique personality. We all have different strengths and weaknesses, goals, and problems which means that not everyone needs the same type of guidance. Therefore, it is important that people can access the type of therapy which addresses their specific needs. By doing so, they can find an appropriate path to improving their wellbeing. This article will provide a brief overview of the most commonly utilized therapies, how they work, and who they are meant to help.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, is founded on the idea that many psychological problems are derived from harmful thinking, feeling, and behavioral patterns, but these problems can be subdued if replaced with healthier, more positive patterns. CBT is geared towards a wide range of problems including but not limited to depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), eating disorders, phobias, and addiction. CBT is a short-term therapy meaning that people tend to undergo 3-6 months of private one-on-one sessions around 30-60 minutes long. Though it is a short-term therapy, studies show that CBT is tremendously effective, possibly even the most effective, therapy in the long-term as it aims to rewire one’s thinking process from the ground up.
Imagine a situation where someone wanted a promotion at work but they did not get it. This person could either get upset, but move on or they could have extremely negative thoughts about the situation; for example; thinking they are bad at their job. Once someone has negative thoughts pertaining to a situation, their feelings about themselves will also start being negative; for instance, they may begin to feel hopeless. Negative feelings then cause behavioral issues like giving up and no longer making an effort at work. Thoughts, feelings, and behaviors all affect each other, so they can spiral out of control quickly if one does not know how to get them under control. Therefore, CBT is about teaching people to react positively, which helps them think positively, which helps them behave positively. CBT therapists can help people achieve this by teaching skills like problem solving or relaxing in bad situations. Other strategies include learning to face fears, developing self-confidence, and learning to temporarily step away from negative situations until clear minded.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, or DBT, is based on resisting the urge to automatically behave negatively in negative situations by using the four main skills taught in DBT: mindfulness, the ability to be actively present in the moment; distress tolerance, the ability to tolerate negativity without trying to escape or change it; emotion regulation, the ability to overcome emotions; and interpersonal effectiveness, the ability to communicate with others in an assertive yet positive and self-respecting manner. DBT is mainly beneficial in cases borderline personality disorder, but also cases of self-harm, suicidal tendencies, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and eating disorders. DBT can range from short-term to long-term therapy meaning people tend to undergo anywhere between 6 to 12 months worth of weekly one-on-one sessions which are typically 60 minutes long. It is also common for individuals to attend group DBT therapy for around 6 months. Similar to private sessions, group DBT therapy tends to be weekly, however sessions tend to be around 2 hours long as opposed to just 1 hour.
DBT is built on dialectical philosophy: the practice of balancing opposites. Opposites refers to two different mindsets: the desire to change things and the desire to simply accept things as they are. The purpose of DBT therapy is to find the balance between acceptance of outcomes and desire to change outcomes, creating a happy medium between the two. As an example, imagine someone is having an argument with their friend. Acceptance of the conflict might mean the person stops engaging with their friend altogether because the situation feels hopeless whereas a desire to change the outcome could mean the person continues to argue with their friend without getting any closer to solving the problem. Dialectical philosophy would encourage this person to find a compromise between acceptance and change, like agreeing to disagree with each other, in order to solve the conflict with the friend. By teaching dialectical philosophy, a DBT therapist is able to provide their client with the ability to look at situations from multiple perspectives to find an appropriate response rather than seeing every situation as black and white.
Interpersonal Therapy
Interpersonal Therapy, or IPT, is a form of time-limited therapy used to address mood disorders and other mental health concerns following the principle that mood has a direct effect on personal relationships. There are four main mood problems, or sick roles, addressed in IPT: interpersonal deficits, fostering personal relationships; role disputes, handling conflicts with friends and family; emotional processing, the ability to handle and overcome grief; and role transition, handling major life changes. IPT is primarily used for mood disorders such as major depression, bipolar disorder, seasonal affective disorder, and other mood disorders, but can also be used for non-mood disorders like anxiety and eating disorders. IPT is a short-term therapy consisting of three phases which take 3-4 months of hour-long private sessions. IPT Group therapy is also commonly used because it gives people the opportunity to practice applying the interpersonal skills they learn in private sessions.
IPT Therapy has three phases. During phase one (the first 1-3 sessions), the therapist identifies the patient’s “sick role,” which is “a temporary status recognizing that depressive illness keeps the patient from functioning at full capacity” (Markowitz). Essentially, the therapist works to diagnose the problem and the interpersonal context where the problem is occurring (Note: the sick roles include interpersonal deficit, role dispute, role transition, and emotional processing). During phase two (sessions 4-9), the therapist teaches skills and strategies to address the sick role; for example, they might work on communication skills or strategies to decrease stress. During phase three (sessions 10-12), the therapist conducts a review of the past 9 weeks and helps the patient become confident in themself and their newfound abilities. The therapist will emphasize that termination of treatment is approaching, review the patient’s successes, and discuss how the patient can handle future problems.
Work Cited
Chapman, Alexander L. “Dialectical Behavior Therapy: Current Indications and Unique Elements.” Psychiatry (Edgmont (Pa. : Township)), Matrix Medical Communications, Sept. 2006, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2963469/.
Lipsitz, Joshua D, and John C Markowitz. “Mechanisms of Change in Interpersonal Therapy (IPT).” Clinical Psychology Review, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Dec. 2013, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4109031/.
Markowitz, John C, and Myrna M Weissman. “Interpersonal Psychotherapy: Principles and Applications.” World Psychiatry : Official Journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA), Masson Italy, Oct. 2004, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1414693/.
“What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?” American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/patients-and-families/cognitive-behavioral.
