Talking therapies is a commonly used term among public to describe any types of psychological therapies that involve a person or a group of persons talking and discussing their problems with a trained counsellor or therapist during a specified session. There are multiple types of therapies.
This is a type of therapy that involves a session between a person and a therapist only. It does not include a third person in the therapy. Most of the therapies below are offered on one on one basis.
This is a kind of psychological therapy that takes place with a group of people together, rather than with an individual during a one-on-one session. It can apply to any kind of psychotherapy that is delivered to a group but most associated with a specific therapy type that makes use of the group dynamic like family therapy, couples therapy and support groups.
Couples therapy is a type of group therapy that usually involves improving the communication and problem-solving skills within the couple. In contrast to a individual therapy, couple’s therapy involves the therapist entering the couple’s way of life more directly. Couples will likely bring their habits and routines with each other directly into the sessions. The therapist will be analysing and offering feedback about the interactions the couple have and makes suggestions about ways to improve it. It is likely to be more intensive than individual therapy because both partners are encouraged to show efforts to create a change.
This is also known as teletherapy, remote therapy, e-therapy, e-counselling, or cyber-counselling in some places. Online therapy simply involves providing mental health services and support over the internet in the ways of sending an email, text messaging, video conferencing, online chat, messaging, or internet phone. Although this type of therapy has limitations, it is quickly becoming an important resource for a growing number of people in today`s world particularly after the Covid pandemic. Any types of the therapies in this list can be offered via online therapy.
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a talking therapy is very commonly offered therapy that can help you manage your problems by changing the way you think and behave.
It is usually the first line of therapy to treat most of anxiety disorders and depression but can also be useful for other mental and physical health problems.
CBT is based on the concept that the way you think, you feel, and you behave is intertwined and therefore if a positive change in the way you think and you behave is achieved, the way you feel will change too.
Unlike some other talking treatments, CBT is based on “here and now” principle and so deals with your current problems, rather than focusing on issues from your past. It therefore looks for practical ways to improve your state of mind on a daily basis.
Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) is a kind of amended and sophisticated version cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to help people who feel emotions very intensely.
DBT help the individual to understand and accept his/her difficult feeling, learn skills to manage them and be able to make positive changes in the life.
The term ‘Dialectical’ in the therapy refers to the efforts to encourage the individual to understand how two things that seem opposite could both be true and how he and she can maintain emotional stability while dealing with these two seemingly opposite things.
This therapy can be offered in groups and on 1 on 1 basis.
It is mainly developed to treat Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (Borderline Personality Disorder) but has also been found helpful with other mental health conditions like self harm, depression, suicidal attempts, eating disorders, addictions….etc.
EMDR is a special and structured type of therapy that encourages the patient to briefly focus on the trauma memory while simultaneously experiencing eye movements, usually by following the movement of your therapist’s finger. Other methods may include the therapist tapping their finger or playing sounds.
Although we do not how exactly EMDR works, but it helps to change the negative way a person thinks about a traumatic experience.
It is mainly offered for the treatment of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. However, EMDR has also been
successfully used to treat:
anxiety and panic attacks
depression
stress
phobias
sleep problems
complicated grief
addictions
pain relief, phantom limb pain
self-esteem and performance anxiety
Mindfulness has recently become a very popular concept not for only mentally ill patient but all individuals.
In simple terms, mindfulness involves paying attention to what is going on inside and outside us, moment by moment.
It is thought that we have easily stopped noticing the world around them and are losing touch with the way our bodies are feeling. Consequently, we are caught up in our thoughts without stopping to notice how those thoughts are driving our emotions and behaviour.
Mindfulness helps us to reconnect with our bodies and the sensations our bodies experience. This involves sessions of paying attention to the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the present moment and having an awareness of our thoughts and feelings as they happen moment to moment.
Although it is a self help technique for public but has recently been offered in combinations with other structured therapies by the trained therapies like mindfulness based CBT.
CAT is another special and structured therapeutic programme run collaboratively with the patient to analyse the way a person thinks, feels and acts, and the events and relationships that underlie these experiences mostly from childhood or early life. It brings together ideas and understanding from different therapies into one user-friendly and effective therapy.
It is a specifically designed programme that is tailored to a person’s individual needs and to his or her own manageable goals for change. Therefore, it is a strictly time-limited therapy agreed in the beginning – between 4 and 24 weeks, but typically 16.
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is an action-oriented talking therapy that is derived from behavioural therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy. Patients are encouraged to learn how to stop avoiding, denying, and struggling with their inner emotions and, instead, to accept that these deeper feelings are appropriate responses to certain situations that should not prevent them from moving forward in their lives. Whilst this understanding is progresses, patients begin to accept their hardships and commit to making necessary changes in their behaviour, regardless of what is going on in their lives and how they feel about it.
ACT is offered to treat many mental and physical conditions. These include:
IPT is a type of individual talking therapies that helps people with depression identify and address problems in their relationships with family, partners, and friends.
The concept behind this therapy is that poor relationships with people in your life or any recent changes like a recent grief, occupational change or relational change can leave you feeling depressed. Depression can in turn make your relationships with other people worse and make it difficult for you to adapt the new change.
This therapy is offered if you have mild to moderate depression when other talking therapies, such as CBT did not work.
IPT is usually offered for 16 to 20 sessions.
The concept in this therapy is that our early life or childhood experiences play an important role in how we feel today and how we interact with others. The therapy therefore addresses underlying issues and causes, often from your past, which may be concerning you now, or affecting your relationships with others.
During the sessions you will be encouraged to talk freely and to look more deeply into your problems and worries. It therefore differs from many other talking therapies in that it aims to help people make deep-seated change in personality and emotional development, alongside relieving troubling symptoms. It can help you discuss feelings you have about yourself and other people, particularly family and those close to you.
Psychodynamic psychotherapy can be offered on individual or group basis.
It is offered to treat a wide range of mental health conditions such as depression, complex trauma, personality disorders, eating disorders and anxiety.
Schema Therapy is a special type of therapy that combines elements of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Psychoanalytic Therapy and Attachment Theory.
It is offered to people with long-standing difficulties that originated in childhood.
It aims to identify and heal unhelpful life patterns (known as ‘schemas’) which have occurred throughout a person’s life.
Some examples of common schemas include:
Schema therapy is offered for many mental health concerns, including eating disorders and depression, borderline personality disorder and other personality disorders.
Dr Ibrahim Yahli MD MRCPsych