Types of Therapy

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on accepting and embracing life’s challenges, rather than attempting to eliminate difficult feelings. In ACT, clients learn mindfulness skills and strategies to live life in a way that reflects their core values and goals.

Biofeedback is a technique used to control the psychological functions in the body that are often involuntary. During a biofeedback session, sensors connected to the client’s body monitor physiological rhythms, such as heart rate or skin temperature. The feedback from the sensors helps the client to develop increased awareness of their body and understand the body’s response as they try different relaxation skills or other relevant interventions led by the therapist.

Chairwork is a technique used by the therapist to give clients the opportunity to process their thoughts and feelings. The therapist provides an empty chair in which an imagined person or part of the self is seated. The client then engages with the imagined scenario to bring awareness to their thoughts and feelings and work through conflicts towards acceptance and healing.

Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) is an intervention for children 0-5 years old who have experienced a scary or traumatic event resulting in changes to the child’s behavior or emotions in a way that is concerning to the family. The focus of healing lies in the power and strength of the parent-child relationship. The therapist works with the parent and child as they learn to understand, support, and communicate in loving and healing ways.

Client-centered therapy, also known as person-centered therapy, gives the client a leadership role in the process of self-discovery. Self-acceptance and healing are promoted by the therapeutic relationship based on unconditional positive regard and the shared goal of understanding the client’s unique experiences, goals, and solutions.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a skill-based treatment that focuses on the interconnection of one’s thoughts, behaviors, and emotional experiences. The therapist teaches techniques to examine and reduce unhelpful thoughts and implement new ways behaving outside of the sessions that result in desired emotional and behavioral outcomes.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a skill-based treatment that values both self-acceptance and change. The therapist validates the client’s experiences while teaching mindfulness, relationship, communication skills, and techniques to manage overwhelming emotions.

Emotional Freedom Techniques (also known as “EFT” or “Tapping”) uses the gentle tapping of fingers on acupressure meridians, resolving energy imbalances to promote physical and emotional healing. The therapist coaches the client to develop mind and body awareness, helpful thought strategies, and self-tapping sequences that support one’s natural healing process.

Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy is a research-based structured approach that helps couples to reduce stress and conflict and foster a secure and loving bond. The therapist helps clients to identify and understand their emotions, communicate their needs to one another, and practice change strategies and techniques for strengthening a loving and supportive connection.

Equine-assisted therapy offers clients the unique opportunity to process emotions and experience empathy and healing through interaction with a horse. Therapists using this technique are often equine specialists as well trained mental health professionals.

Existential therapy emphasizes universal aspects of the human condition and how one makes meaning in their life. The therapist promotes the client’s self awareness through exploration of life experiences and choices with the goal of achieving psychological balance and freedom.

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is a cognitive behavioral therapy that helps people reduce anxiety by gradually facing their fears. The client learns to identify triggers, obsessive thoughts, and unhelpful coping strategies such as compulsions, rituals, or avoidance. The client then begins facing their fears while refraining from any of the unhelpful coping strategies. Anxiety gradually subsides in response to increased exposure to the trigger.

EMDR is a trauma treatment that helps process distressing memories and restore the brain’s natural healing abilities. In addition to other therapeutic techniques, the therapist leads the client in a series of lateral eye movements while focusing on a difficult memory, reducing any overwhelming feelings connected to past experiences, and allowing for emotional healing.

Family systems theory views the family as a powerful emotional unit comprised of complex interactions that impact the wellbeing of the family members. The therapist helps family members understand patterns of interaction and behavior within the family, as well as developing new ways of engaging that are beneficial for all family members.

Gestalt therapy focuses on achieving personal growth and freedom by increasing self-awareness in present moment experiences. The therapist engages the client in conversations and exercises that bring awareness to their thoughts, emotions, and movements in real time, increasing the client’s understanding and acceptance of their inner-self.

Holistic therapy views the mind, body, and spirit as interdependent components of the whole-person. With the help of a holistic therapist, clients develop increased awareness and acceptance of the whole self, promoting balance and well-being.

Humanistic therapy encourages clients to connect with their innate potential to choose and maintain healthy relationships and meaningful life experiences. The therapist asks open-ended questions in an accepting environment, supporting the connection of inner wisdom and self-determination.

Hypnosis is a highly focused state of consciousness in which people are able to experience the world in a different way. In hypnotherapy, the therapist guides the client into state of hypnosis, inviting the client to hold specific expectations and felt experiences related to their current health and healing goals.

Internal Family Systems (IFS) increases self-awareness by exploring the different sub-personalities or “parts” of the mind and nurturing and deepening the connection to the self. The therapist and client work together to understand, engage, and reduce destructive parts of the mind, allowing clients to enjoy the peace and freedom of leading a self-directed life.

Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) is a time-limited psychotherapy that focuses on relieving emotional suffering by improving the client’s relationships and strengthening social supports. The therapist helps the client utilize their strengths to nurture and maintain positive and meaningful relationships.

Jungian therapy utilizes in-depth exploration of the self and the mind to better understand sources of suffering and pathways to healing. The therapist works in collaboration with the client to explore unconscious elements of the mind and alleviate psychic suffering through balance of unconscious and conscious awareness.

Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) illuminates thought patterns that take hold during depressive episodes and teaches mindfulness skills to alleviate emotional pain. The therapist supports the client as they notice how thought patterns have an impact on their emotional experience and teaches mindfulness techniques to maintain emotional health and wellness.

Mindfulness-informed therapy integrates present moment awareness as a tool that allows people to disengage from mental preoccupations and difficult emotions. The therapist teaches the practice of present moment awareness through non-judgmental observation of the mind and body.

Motivational Interviewing is person-centered counseling style that utilizes collaborative conversation with a focus on the client’s own goals and motivations, typically specific to substance misuse or other behavioral challenges. The therapist helps the client explore their goals, next steps, and reasons for change within an atmosphere of acceptance and compassion.

Multicultural therapy is an approach that values the many roles of culture in shaping how people experience and understand life. Often used in conjunction with other therapeutic techniques, the therapist maintains a tone of openness and empathy with regard to each person’s unique cultural identities and experiences.

Narrative therapy vies the client as the expert in their own life, and offers the opportunity to examine the meaning clients make of their life experiences. As the client guides the conversation to areas of interest, the therapist supports them to explore, expand, and deepen their understanding of themselves.

Non-directive or child-centered play therapy, children express themselves through play: their natural process for expression, development, and growth. The therapist creates a safe and nonjudgmental place for the child to engage in play, following the child’s lead and supporting the child’s natural tendency towards healing and wellness.

Pastoral counseling offers a blend of traditional psychotherapy with spiritual or theological resources from a faith based perspective. Pastoral counselors have training in both religious or theological studies and psychological knowledge, and offer a spiritually integrated approach to promoting health and healing.

Positive psychotherapy provides relief from emotional pain by increasing focus on the positive aspects of life and relationships. The therapist helps the client to notice their strengths, skills, and natural desire for growth and wellness through conversation and self-reflection.

Psychoanalytic therapy is an in-depth talk-therapy based on uncovering and understanding how the unconscious mind impacts a client’s thoughts and behaviors. Providing a safe and non-judgmental environment, the therapist meets with clients frequently and over a long period of time, gradually facilitating the process of uncovering repressed memories, experiences, and emotions and increasing awareness of the effects of the unconscious mind on current life and relationships.

Psychodynamic therapy is based on Freud’s psychoanalytic theory that thoughts and behaviors are influenced by our unconscious mind and past experiences. Through collaborative conversation, clients deepen their awareness and understanding of the unconscious mind. Unlike traditional psychoanalysis, therapists often meet with clients once weekly over several months rather than several years.

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is a cognitive therapy with behavioral components that takes a practical approach to changing unhelpful thought and behavior patterns. The therapist helps the client to identify and challenge irrational beliefs and replace them with more realistic and helpful thoughts that promote the client’s ability to achieve their goals.

Sand tray therapy is a technique that utilizes imaginary play to promote self-awareness, growth, and healing. The therapist provides lifelike miniature toys and a sand tray where clients can create meaningful scenes that represent their inner experience.

Solution Focused Therapy is a guided conversational approach that helps individuals to understand and achieve their solutions to reduce suffering. The therapist and client work collaboratively to break down next steps towards the client’s goals using the skills and strengths the client already possesses.

Through strength-based therapy, the positive aspects of a person’s character are highlighted rather than one’s problems or weaknesses. The therapist helps the client to build and maintain resilience through exploration of pre-existing strengths and inner resources.

Therapeutic journaling incorporates the use of writing prompts and exercises to deepen self-awareness, provide an outlet for self-expression, and support the client’s journey towards their goals.

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is an evidence-based and time-limited therapy designed for children and adolescents experiencing emotional effects of trauma. The therapist helps the client and their family to understand their experience and symptoms as well as strengthen skills and supports to promote the healing process.