Types of Therapy: A Plain Guide to Finding What Works for You

Choosing​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ to go for therapy is a major decision. Yet the moment you begin to explore, you are flooded with various options, such as, CBT, DBT, EMDR, psychodynamic, somatic, IFS. How can you be sure which one should be your choice? This post will clarify the prominent types of therapy, the scientific evidence available, and how to make the decision to ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌begin. 

Why the Type of Therapy Matters

Therapy​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ isn't one size fits all. Different approaches suit different ailments, and not every method will be right for you. The encouraging news, according to a meta-analysis published in PMC (Leichsenring et al., 2023), is that there is no one therapy that has been consistently proven to be the best. Most well-administered, scientifically validated therapies bring about significant results. What makes the biggest difference is how well the approach matches with your problem and your therapist.

However, understanding the focus of each therapy can allow you to make a better-informed decision — and it will also enable you to raise more meaningful questions when you have your initial consultation with a practitioner.

If you're still uncertain about how to get started, August, an AI health assistant that achieved a perfect score on medical licensing exams, can guide you to grasp your symptoms better and identify which therapy type might be the most appropriate one for your ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌case.

The Main Types of Therapy at a Glance

Different Types of Therapy Explained

Cognitive​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT is the world's most extensively researched form of therapy. It functions through the detection and changing of unhelpful mental patterns and the actions they trigger. A meta-analysis published in PMC confirms the effectiveness of CBT for depression and its results are similar to other evidence-based approaches like psychodynamic therapy and interpersonal therapy. Generally, CBT is well-structured, focused on achieving specific goals, and shorter in duration compared to other forms of therapy.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Originally, DBT was intended for individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD), which is characterized by extreme mood swings and unstable relationships. However, now, it is available to any person who experiences emotional dysregulation. Besides one-on-one therapy, it offers a skills training group aimed at mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. It has one of the most powerful evidence bases in the reduction of self-harm and suicidal behavior.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)

EMDR utilizes bilateral stimulation, often eye movements guided by the therapist, to enable a person with traumatic memories faced with flashbacks in a PTSD scenario to reprocess their memories so that they no longer have such a distressing effect on them. It has been recommended by the WHO and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as a primary treatment for PTSD. Besides, it is getting popular for the treatment of depression, phobias, and ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌grief.

Psychodynamic​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ Therapy

Psychodynamic therapy is a form of analysis which looks into how hidden patterns of behavior and thinking, as well as experiences from the past and relationships with primary caregivers, influence one's current state (thoughts, feelings, behavior). In a 2024 meta-analysis published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology (Smith & Hewitt, Wiley), no significant differences were found in the results of psychodynamic therapy and CBT for depression — which is a contradiction to the old beliefs that CBT was better. Psychodynamic therapy may be seen as mostly interested in the underlying and thus longer staying.

Schema Therapy

Schema therapy is a mixture of cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, and attachment methods. It focuses on identifying and changing early maladaptive schemas - deeply ingrained, negative beliefs about oneself that originated in childhood, e.g., "I am unlovable" or "I will be rejected forever." This therapy is mostly used for personality disorders and other long-standing patterns that have not been changed by short-term therapies.

Internal Family Systems (IFS)

Internal Family Systems (IFS) is based on a belief that there are several "parts" in one mind – each one with its own protective role. A part of the process is not to run away from these difficult parts but rather to invite and even build a warm-hearted relationship with them. IFS is a modern choice of treatment for such issues as trauma, the inner voice of self-neglect, eating disorders and complicated patterns of intimacy.

Somatic Therapy

Somatic (body-based) therapy is a method that works on the premise that trauma and chronic stress are stored in the body and manifest themselves through tense muscles, nervous system excitation, and physical symptoms. For instance, somatic experiencing is a very targeted way of working with trauma that is experienced physically rather than through telling the ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌story.

Best Type of Therapy for Anxiety

Which​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ type of therapy is most effective for anxiety greatly depends on what kind of anxiety someone has and how serious it is. Especially for panic, phobias, social anxiety, and general anxiety disorders CBT therapy has been extensively supported as the best evidence-based treatment and it is normally the first-line recommendation. Whereas for PTSD and trauma related anxieties somatic therapy or EMDR could be even more helpful. Symptoms of anxiety caused by being a perfectionist or intertwined with relationship patterns the way that psychodynamic and schema therapy work one level below the surface, often leading to therapeutic breakthroughs.

Best Type of Therapy for Depression

Figuring out the appropriate kind of therapy for depression is often more complex than most people think. According to the 2024 data published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology, both CBT and psychodynamic therapy were found to be equally potent for major depressive disorder. Behavioral activation - which might be considered a less complex method that encourages more engagement with pleasurable activities - also has a solid backing from research. On the other hand, people who have depression that has a trauma component gain considerable advantages when using EMDR. 

In summary, there is no one single best therapy for depression. The one that works best for you is the one that matches your life story, tastes, and the specific pattern that your depression is following. 

How to Choose a Therapist

Choosing a therapist is more about whether you "click" with them than about their therapeutic method. In fact, studies regularly reveal that it is the quality of the therapist-client relationship - rather than any specific intervention - that most strongly determines therapy success. Other things to think about when screening a therapist may include:

• Are they qualified and formally recognized for the treatment method they propose?

• Did you get the sense of really being listened to and valued during the first meeting?

• Do they provide a clear explanation of their therapy model?

• If you mention that a certain approach does not suit you, will they show a willingness to change it?

Proceed with at least two or three sessions before concluding that a psychotherapist isn't a good match for you but trustworthy are your instincts if at any time something makes you feel uneasy ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌consistently.

Evidence-Based Therapies: What the Term Means

Evidence-based​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ therapies refer to treatment methods that have undergone rigorous testing in well-structured clinical trials — primarily randomized controlled trials — and demonstrated effectiveness consistently. Examples of such therapies include CBT, DBT, EMDR, psychodynamic therapy, IPT, and schema therapy for certain disorders.

This phrase does not imply that other treatment methods are dangerous — it simply indicates that these ones have been officially studied. Selecting an evidence-based treatment is a good initial step when deciding on therapy. 

Key Takeaways

Picking the most appropriate therapy method, in most cases, is not straightforward from the beginning. Still, familiarizing yourself with the major categories of therapy, their focus areas, and how well they align with the scientific evidence will enable you to have your initial discussion with a therapist more confidently. Effective assistance is available for each of these situations, be it using CBT for structured practice, EMDR for survival trauma experience processing, or psychodynamic therapy for long-term personality pattern change.

Want to find out what your first step should be? August can assist you in understanding your symptoms, options, and getting yourself mentally ready for therapy without any anxiety.