List of psychotherapies

Psychotherapy involves a range of treatments that can help with mental health problems, emotional challenges, and some psychiatric disorders. It aims to enable patients to understand their feelings, and what makes them feel positive, anxious, or depressed. This can equip them to cope with difficult situations in a more adaptive way. The following is a list of notable psychotherapies, each linked to their respective article for more detailed information.

Types of Psychotherapies

Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) - A popular therapy that combines cognitive and behavioral techniques. Clients learn to identify and change destructive or disturbing thought patterns that have a negative influence on behavior.
• Behavior therapy - Focuses on modifying harmful behaviors associated with psychological distress.
• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) - A form of CBT that combines strategies like mindfulness and acceptance with cognitive-behavioral techniques for emotion regulation.
• Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) - Focuses on resolving emotional and behavioral problems and disturbances and enabling people to lead happier and more fulfilling lives.

Psychodynamic Therapies

• Psychoanalysis - Developed by Sigmund Freud, this therapy aims to bring unconscious thoughts and feelings to the conscious mind to understand repressed emotions, experiences, and conflicts.
• Jungian psychotherapy - Based on the theories of Carl Jung, it focuses on the balance between conscious and unconscious mind and the experiences that shape personality.
• Adlerian psychotherapy - Emphasizes on understanding the unique motivations of individuals and the importance of life goals for therapy.

Humanistic Therapies

• Person-centered therapy (Rogerian therapy) - Developed by Carl Rogers, this therapy facilitates a client’s self-actualizing tendency, an inherent proclivity toward growth and fulfillment, via acceptance (unconditional positive regard), therapist congruence (genuineness), and empathic understanding.
• Gestalt therapy - Focuses on the present moment, and understanding the context of a person’s life and taking responsibility rather than placing blame.

Systemic Therapies

• Family therapy - Involves treating more than one member of the family at the same time to help with issues that affect the psychological health of the family.
• Couples therapy - Aims to improve romantic relationships and resolve interpersonal conflicts.

Integrative or Holistic Therapies

• Integrative psychotherapy - Combines elements from different schools of psychotherapy in the belief that no single approach can treat each client in all situations.

See also

• List of counseling topics
• Mental health professional
• Psychiatry
• Clinical psychology