There are many kinds of therapy and often it is difficult for consumers to figure out which is right for them. Here is a brief overview.

 Individual Psychotherapy.
Individual, one-to-one therapy is the staple of mental health. Some kinds are better for certain disorders. 
Psychodynamic Therapy (psychoanalysis) encourages clients to talk about the things they need to talk about until they reach a resolution. This may take weeks, months or years. The main emphasis of psychoanalytic therapy is on the relationship between therapist and client, which is seen as a model of all other relationships and is considered the main agent of change. It works best with histrionic personalities, obsessive-compulsive disorder, neurotic depression, and most forms of anxiety.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which is popular nowadays, emphasizes behavioral changes and does not go into the past as psychoanalysis does, but instead concentrates on thought and behavioral patterns that are counterproductive, striving through here-and-now interventions to put the client back on the right track; it is often used effectively with phobias, panic disorder, and destructive habits such as smoking or drinking or various eating disorders.
Humanistic Psychotherapy (including Client-Centered Therapy and Gestalt Therapy) focuses on what a person needs in the form of nurturing in order to full their potential as a human being. Awareness of feelings in the here and now is seen as crucial for achieving healthy psychological functioning. This works well with depressed people and all those who feel blocked.
A host of other modalities exist. They include Supportive Therapy, which involves helping a client through a crisis. 
Interpersonal Therapy identifies how a person interacts with other people. When a behavior is causing problems, IPT guides the person to change the behavior. Physical therapies such as Bioenergetics or EMDR use exercises to free a person from blocked emotions such as anger or sadness. There are a hundred and one other kinds of therapy and all can be helpful. The main thing is that a bond of trust must be established between the client and therapist for any therapy to work.

 Group Therapy
When clients are ready, they are encouraged to participate in group therapy. In group they can observe and identify with others who are going through similar situations, as well as interact with them. Groups provide a safe environment where they can take risks and get in touch with feelings. This helps them learn to tolerate real intimacy, involving the flow of both positive and negative feelings, without attempting manipulate the relationships they are in.
Group therapy fosters a family-like atmosphere that, when it is working well, provides a new, more constructive model of relating. Clients tend to transfer qualities of relating onto members of the group or the group leader, and they then have the opportunity to understand first hand and work through them.

 Family Therapy/Couples Therapy
Dysfunctional families or couples can benefit from talking about their conflicts with the help of a professional, who mediates disputes and offers constructive feedback about resolving them. Often families do not deal with their internal conflicts. Most families want to think they are happy families and tend to minimize or suppress conflicts. The first step in family therapy, as in any other therapy, is to acknowledge problems and be willing to face them.

Child Psychotherapy
Therapists who work with children use methods that are designed for particular age groups. Very young children (under six) require play therapy, since they are not that verbal yet and do not usually understand what they are feelings. Their play reveals their feelings. Older children can benefit from talk therapy of various kinds. It is important with children, as with adults, not to blame the children for their disorders, but to be open to finding out the truth, whatever it is. If it is a parent who is causing the problem, the parent or parents should be brought into the treatment.

 Online Therapy
When clients cannot come to the office due to age, disability or being in a remote location, instant messenger programs such as SKYPE provide a vehicle for therapeutic communication. Online sessions, like office sessions, are held once a week and utilize the same techniques. Online therapy also enables a client to choose from a multitude of therapists all over the world, not just those in their own neighborhood. With the advances in technology, online sessions can be just as meaningful and intense as in-person therapy. Unfortunately insurance has not caught up with the digital age so online sessions generally must be paid for out of pocket.

 Philosophies of Therapy
There are many philosophies of therapy and many approaches, but most therapists today use an eclectic approach to therapy, which means they use whatever technique works with a particular client. Sometimes that requires a psychoanalytic approach, sometimes it demands behavioral or cognitive work and sometimes a supportive approach. The bottom line is empathy. Therapists respect the feelings and thoughts of clients and try to understand them without judging them. This nonjudgmental atmosphere gives a client the space needed to figure out things that need figuring out.
A therapist doesn’t guide or force clients or use any form of manipulation. Instead, he or she attempts to help clients achieve their stated goals by shedding light on their conflicts and how those conflicts, personal or professional, are affecting their well-being. The therapist guides by helping them to understand their own feelings and thoughts so that they can make better decisions on their own. Only when clients are in touch with their feelings can they live an authentic life.


Schoenewolf, G. (2016). Which Therapy is Right for You?. Psych Central. Retrieved on February 18, 2016, from http://blogs.psychcentral.com/psychoanalysis-now/2016/02/which-therapy-is-right-for-you/