When someone starts to talk about different types of mental health therapy, it can feel like they are just spitting an alphabet soup of nonsense. Knowing what all of these acronyms mean and what different therapies have to offer can take time, but at Highland Hospital Behavioral Health, we are happy to provide an overview. It is important to remember that one type of therapy is not better than another. They are all different and provide different benefits that may or may not work well for a specific individual.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is one of the most popular therapy modalities in use to support patients who are struggling with mental health or addiction. Some things to know about CBT are that it is:
- Present-focused, meaning you’re not likely to spend a lot of time in your sessions talking about traumatic things that happened to you years ago. You’ll be talking more about what happened since your most recent session, how you perceived those things, how you responded to them, and what happened as a result of the choices you made.
- Meant to address thinking distortions, such as black-and-white thinking, focusing too much on possible negative outcomes, and assigning yourself too much blame for something that wasn’t really your fault
- Based on the assumption that you can unlearn behavioral and emotional responses that aren’t serving you
- A lot of time spent answering the therapist’s questions
- Probably going to involve some homework you do outside of sessions
- Centered on goals you want to work on with your therapist
- Meant to last for around 12-16 sessions, that last around an hour each
- Offered individually or in groups
- A great option for people who are looking to increase their coping skills.
- Often used to treat depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD, schizophrenia, ADHD, substance use disorders, and certain medical issues that lead to chronic pain and emotional distress
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
This therapeutic modality works with dialectical statements, which are two seemingly conflicting ideas that can actually both be true at the same time. An example of a dialectical would be the idea that you can love someone very much, at the same time that you can also be annoyed or frustrated with them. Another would be that a person can be imperfect and also worthy of love and kindness.
DBT grew out of CBT, but it is often helpful to clients for whom CBT is not especially effective. It can be particularly effective for clients who are struggling with:
- Self-harm
- Suicidal thoughts
- Borderline personality disorder/emotional intensity disorder
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Substance use disorders
- Eating disorders
Like CBT, DBT is present-focused and does not spend a lot of time talking about the past. Sessions can happen individually, in groups and also via phone-based coaching between sessions. There is also likely to be homework between sessions that you need to complete.
DBT focuses on four core strategies:
- Mindfulness
- Distress tolerance
- Emotional regulation
- Relationship building
Often, a person who is engaged in a DBT group will also be asked to participate in individual therapy sessions to talk through things that there might not be time to address with the broader group or that are better handled in a one-on-one session.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
While CBT and DBT can be done individually or in groups, EMDR is done one-on-one with a therapist. It is also focused on past trauma and how the mind interprets the trauma. It generally allows people to heal from trauma faster than traditional psychotherapy modalities. A full course of treatment is around 12 sessions. Unlike other therapy modalities that are used to treat multiple different diagnoses, EMDR is just used for addressing trauma.
Recreational Therapy (RT)
Some people really struggle to talk about the things that are impacting their mental health. For them, RT can be a great way to express themselves and connect with other people. It can involve:
- Visual arts
- Interacting with animals
- Sports
- Music
- Spending time in nature
At Highland Hospital, we recognize that each of our patients is a unique individual and that each person we serve may have different needs, and responses to the various therapy modalities. This is why we offer a wide range of therapeutic options to our patients, as well as individualized treatment plans.
