What type of therapy is right for you?
Therapy comes in all different shapes and sizes, as do your needs at any given point through your life. The Counseling Corner emphasizes the value of the therapeutic relationship and focuses on you as a whole person. Personality traits, in addition to areas of expertise, certainly do make a difference when it comes to the best fit; do you prefer your therapist to be more talkative and take the lead during the session OR do you benefit from someone with a calming, grounding presence who creates space for you to lead the way? Nothing is black and white; there are shades of grey throughout this spectrum as you search for the best fit therapist.
You might see lots of psychology jargon throughout your journey, and we’re thinking that maybe, just maybe, we can help ease some of the feelings of overwhelm and endless research. Below, we’ll describe a few common therapeutic modalities and interventions so you can better understand what might benefit you most:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Helps break down the relationship between your thoughts and actions
Can help rewire the way you view yourself and others
Beneficial for many needs including anxiety, depression, and self-esteem
Promotes understanding and awareness of feelings, bodily sensations, and thoughts (mindfulness)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Focuses on four “pillars” including emotional regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, mindfulness, and distress tolerance
Helpful with overwhelming and “big” emotions or patterns of difficult relationships
Can benefit attachment styles
Beneficial with self-harming behaviors
Psychodynamic
Explores your past experiences as they relate to your current situation
Can delve into childhood themes and understanding of self through this lens
Based in “free association”, following the thought process of the client
Bolsters insight into relationships and self
Systems-based (Family systems, feminist lenses, etc)
Emphasizes the role of the world you live in to inform your areas of need and distress
Considers relational underpinnings of your present identity and relationships
Promotes collaborative, team-based approach to sessions between client and therapist
Honors your unique identity and considers roles of culture, societal impacts, gender identity, and more
As always, let us know if any questions arise or if we can help you in your search! Feel free to read more about our team members and don’t hesitate to reach out online or by phone at 804-372-3975 if you need any support.