Which Type of Psychotherapy Is Best for My Needs?

Mental illness is becoming more prevalent, with one in every 20 US adults living with a severe form of mental illness, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). With the increasing numbers, psychotherapy is an essential tool that provides long-term relief from symptoms.

Various types of psychotherapy exist, including cognitive behavioral therapy and humanistic therapy. Each type of therapy addresses specific needs for multiple forms of mental illness, including depression, PTSD, and anxiety.

Choosing the best form of psychotherapy for your specific needs can be challenging, which is why the team at Carolina Wellness Psychiatry offers guidance and information.

Our team consists of two experienced psychiatrists and one board-certified psychologist, all three experts in different therapy types.

What is psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy may sound terrifying, but it's an excellent and user-friendly tool for people living with mental health problems. It's a broad term that refers to various forms of talk therapy that allow you to recognize negative thought patterns, behaviors, and emotions holding you back.

Psychotherapy sessions are often in a licensed psychiatrist or psychologist's office, where you can safely talk one-on-one with the therapist. However, other forms of psychotherapy are in a group setting with peers going through similar problems.

We often use psychotherapy and medications together for optimal relief from issues like depression, anxiety, PTSD, and bipolar disorder. Medications address the physical changes in the neurotransmitters, while psychotherapy addresses the emotions and behaviors they produce.

Different forms of psychotherapy

Many types of psychotherapy exist, each of which addresses specific problems or barriers to feeling your best. Therapy works by helping you understand your thoughts, feelings, and emotions and breaking down barriers that make you feel negatively about certain aspects of your life.

The goal of psychotherapy is to help you function better, deal with negative emotions, and regain control of your thoughts and feelings. A few of the widely utilized forms of psychotherapy include:

Cognitive behavioral

CBT aims to determine detrimental thoughts and behaviors and change them to those that are beneficial to your body and mind. The theory behind CBT is that your thoughts, behaviors, and feelings interconnect and influence how you act and feel.

People living with general anxiety disorder, eating disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder do well with CBT.

Psychodynamic

Psychodynamic therapy is a process that involves figuring out unconscious beliefs that impact mood and behavior. People who've lived through childhood trauma often seek psychodynamic therapy to help them overcome negative thought patterns from past consequences.

People who have issues with self-esteem and confidence and those with depression or anxiety may do well with this form of therapy, too.

Behavioral

Unlike psychodynamic therapy, behavioral therapy helps you work through behaviors you're dealing with that may not be good for you. Instead of figuring out the root of the behavior, we help you figure out what's preventing you from changing those behaviors and how to reward positive changes.

Behavioral therapy is suitable for people living with OCD, phobias, and substance abuse disorders.

Humanistic

Humanistic therapy is less about your weaknesses and problems and more about building on specific strengths and helping you feel more satisfied with how your life develops. It's about finding yourself and accepting where your life is going and who you've become.

Humanistic therapy is excellent for people living with anxiety, depression, and self-esteem problems.

Several other types of therapy benefit various kinds of mental health issues. Our team carefully evaluates your goals and needs to determine which therapies are best for you.

Which option is suitable for my needs?

It may seem overwhelming to choose just one type of therapy – but don't stress too much. Our team typically takes a multifaceted therapy approach; we may use more than one kind to get the best results.

You should ask yourself a couple of questions when considering what type of therapy is right for you. Ask yourself what you specifically want to work on and talk about. Answering that question gives you a direction to go in.

You also want to consider what you want to change about yourself or what’s preventing you from changing those behaviors. For example, compulsive behaviors like gambling require behavioral therapy to change.

Another aspect of therapy to consider is whether you want a group setting to discuss feelings and emotions with your peers or a more structured, one-on-one setting. Group therapy benefits some, while others prefer to be the only one in the room with the therapist.

Ultimately, we steer you toward the best therapy for your current and future needs based on our assessment and your long-term goals. We may try one type of therapy first and move to another if that doesn't work.

Call Carolina Wellness Psychiatry today to schedule an appointment for psychotherapy, or request a consultation with our team using our online booking feature.