Types of Therapy

Each person is unique, so what helps you may not help someone else and what works for others may not work for you. With that in mind, the type of therapy you will benefit from is not just based on the problems and challenges you are facing but also by your learning style, your personality and your motivation to change.

There are dozens of types of treatment that psychologists, counselors and coaches use. Over the course of many years, the evidence shows that the quality of the relationship between you and the therapist has a greater influence on the outcome than the specific type of psychotherapy used by the therapist. 

In the sections below I have included, in alphabetical order, a brief description of several of the treatment approaches that I include in my repertoire. Other treatment techniques like hypnosis, biofeedback, and aversive conditioning are also effective in certain situations but I am not an expert in these areas and do not use them.

If you and I decide to work together, as you go through the learning and healing process I will continually assess how you are doing and will taylor your therapy to your needs.

Behavior Therapy is often referred to as behavior modification.  It is a process of altering behaviors and reactions to stimuli through positive and negative reinforcement. Behavioral therapy approaches rely on the principles of conditioning and social learning theory. Behavioral therapy focuses less on thoughts and feelings and more on behaviors that are observable and measurable.

Behavior therapy is one of the most scientifically validated approaches because of its emphasis on measurable and observable results. Increasingly, psychologists and counselors are incorporating behavior therapy techniques into their repertoire.

A behavior therapist uses techniques such as contingency contracts, self-management, and shaping. A behavioral therapist may also use systematic desensitization, flooding, counter-conditioning, exposure, modeling, and role playing. Often behavioral therapy techniques are used in the treatment of addictions, fears and phobias, and fetishes as well as eating disorders, and a variety of other mental health and behavior problems.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Is a form of psychotherapy that emphasizes the role of thinking in how we feel and behave.  A cognitive-behavioral therapist operates on the basis that if your brain is healthy, it is your thinking that causes you to feel and behave as you do. Therefore, if you are experiencing unwanted feelings and behaviors, it is important to identify the thinking that is causing the feelings and behaviors and for you to learn how to replace this thinking with thoughts that lead to more desirable feelings and behaviors.

Cognitive therapy or cognitive behavior therapy is used to treat a variety of disorders and has been found to be effective with depression and anxiety, phobias and delusional disorder and other forms of mental health problems.

Desensitization, also called Systematic Desensitization, is a type of behavioral therapy used to help overcome fears and phobias, and other anxiety problems. To begin, you are taught relaxation skills in order to control fear and anxiety responses. Once you have learned these skills, you and the therapist develop a list of behaviors from the least fearful to the most fearful. You then learn to use the relaxation skills to overcome the fear progressing slowly through each fear on the list.

Family Therapy, also referred to as couple therapy, family systems therapy, and marriage therapy, works with families and couples.  It focuses on the ways a couple or family interact with each other rather than focusing on, or blaming, individual members.

Gestalt Therapy focuses on the "here and now", the therapist-client relationship, and personal responsibility.  In Gestalt Therapy the focus is on the present (the here and now) in contrast to other therapeutic approaches which look at the past and the unknown. Gestalt therapy is about the aliveness, excitement and the awareness of choice everyone has in creating and living their life.

Reality Therapy is an approach to counseling and problem-solving which, rather than focusing on the past, focuses on present behavior and how to create a better future. It emphasizes making decisions, taking control of your own life, and being responsible for your actions. Typically, in Reality Therapy, you clarify what you really want and whether what you are currently doing is actually working to help you reach your desired goal.

The central premise of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy is that events alone do not cause you to feel depressed, angry, frustrated, or highly anxious. Rather, it is your beliefs about the events which contributes to unhealthy feelings and behaviors.  Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy teaches you to feel and act better by identifying, evaluating and acting in opposition to your irrational and self- defeating beliefs and behaviors.

Psychotherapy Is a generic term that includes a variety of of therapeutic approaches which use verbal and non-verbal communication to improve mental health and behavior. Psychotherapy may address specific forms of mental health problems such as depression, anxiety disorders, phobias, and addictions, or everyday problems in relationships or meeting personal goals. Treatment of everyday problems is often referred to as counseling but the term is sometimes used interchangeably with traditional psychotherapy.

Remember that there are a great many types of treatment that are used by psychologists and other mental heath professionals.  However, as mentioned above, the most important variable in whether you are helped or not is not related to the type of therapy but is related to the quality of the relationship between you and the therapist and to your motivation to change.

For a more detailed explanation of therapeutic approaches in general, please visit the Types of Treatment link on the website PsychologistAnywhereAnytime.

"If you really want help dealing with your feelings and emotions, changing your behavior, and improving your life, I will be happy to help you.  I am available almost any time and any place.  You can call me directly and there is no cost or obligation for the initial telephone consultation.  Or you can reach me by email.  I look forward to the possibility of helping you to improve your life."   Dr. Vince Berger