19 Types of Psychological Therapies

Written and verified by the psychologist Valeria Sabater

Published: 18 julio, 2018 10:00

Last update: 28 julio, 2022 22:58

There are many different psychological therapies. However, they all have the same objective, one common therapeutic goal. They seek to facilitate changes towards well-being. Thus, instead of asking ourselves which of these psychological strategies is the best or worst, we should first ask ourselves what we need.

We establish this hierarchy in our questions for a very simple reason. Sometimes, when someone realizes they need to see a therapist, they still maintain some mistaken ideas about what psychological therapy is. Oftentimes, they have the classic mental image of a patient on a sofa with the therapist behind them taking notes.

The classic image of psychoanalysis continues to weigh heavily on the collective unconscious. Thus, it’s common for many people to not know that there are different psychological techniques and methods. That’s why people keep on asking which one is the best. Therefore, before you make the mistake of emphasizing one therapy over another, we should clear a few things up.

“Even when it’s not entirely attainable, we become better people by trying to pursue a higher objective.”
-Viktor Frankl-

In this regard, we’re referring to an active and proactive process between two or more people. It’s an intense working relationship. Although it’s difficult at times, it’s a journey of discoveries, creativity, and interpersonal dynamics. A relationship in which it’s not worthwhile to sit still, where the therapist doesn’t limit himself to giving advice or guidelines about what his patient must do. As Richard Lazarus explains, “the goal of therapy is to teach individuals to see problems as challenges instead of threats.” A smiling girl with a sun glare on her face.

Types of psychological therapies

Emotional problems, fears, traumas, personal crisis, relationship troubles, childhood disorders… There are many reasons why people decide to see a psychotherapist. However, it never hurts to know the different therapeutic strategies within your reach.

They can all be effective if you choose competent, skilled, well-trained professionals. We already know that we should assume an active role as patients or clients. In turn, it’s necessary to know which approach each therapy uses in order to at least intuit if that therapeutic setting can fit our characteristics and needs.

Let’s look at the main psychological therapies and what each one offers.

A. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies

Cognitive-behavioral therapies are based on understanding the way people think (cognitive approach) and the way they behave (behavioral approach). The goal of this approach is to teach us that change is possible. But in order to achieve it, we should first learn to improve our thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors.

In this type of therapy, the specialist seeks to identify the patient’s problems, acting as a guide to change their dysfunctional thought patterns.
To achieve this, they proceed to a functional analysis of the behavior in order to find out what the “maladaptive” behaviors are.
Once identified, the cognitive-behavioral therapist uses diverse techniques to train the person in problem-solving, skill training, cognitive restructuring, etc.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is very effective to treat depression, phobias, anxiety disorders, and traumatic processes…

On the other hand, other therapeutic practices are included in cognitive-behavioral therapies. We should take a look at them.

1. Acceptance and commitment therapy

Acceptance and commitment therapy helps treat depression.
Its goal is to train the patient in psychological flexibility in order to improve the focus of their thoughts and favor change.
Therapists use a set of exercises to help the patient recognize the emotional problem and see the effect it has on one’s thoughts and behaviors. Also, it helps patients commit to themselves.

2. Behavioral therapy

Behavioral therapy is useful in the treatment of phobias and addictions.
As the name suggests, it seeks to make us look at our own learned or conditioned behaviors in order to see the impact these have on our lives.
Once identified, the goal is clear. To help us “let go” in order to “re-condition us” towards more inclusive actions and behaviors.

3. Cognitive analytic therapy

It’s very useful in brief and punctual treatments to improve certain behaviors, distorted thoughts, or behavioral problems. It’s based on 12 sessions.
Hospital mental health departments use it a lot.
Cognitive analytic therapy mixes cognitive therapy and analytic psychology.
The goal is to help the patient understand why they think what they do or why they behave the way they do. The therapists teaches them various confrontation techniques in order to facilitate change.

4. Rational emotive behavioral therapy

Albert Ellis’ rational emotive behavioral therapy helps treat rage, anxiety, frustrations, social phobia, shyness, and sexual dysfunctions.
Its goal is to resolve emotional and behavioral problems through a more direct, philosophical, and empirical approach.
Therapists use reason and rationality to make the individual become aware of their emotions, as well as their destructive and limiting thoughts. Thoughts which are often found in a more subconscious or automatic level, and that the very individual usually can’t identify.
Later on, the psychotherapists facilitate strategies to help the patient develop more constructive thoughts.

B. Psychoanalytic and psychodynamic therapies

One of the best known psychological therapies is undoubtedly the one that follows the theoretical model created by Sigmund Freud almost a century ago. Even though it’s known by the general population, it’s necessary to know its dynamics, principles, and objectives before choosing to begin a therapy within this framework.

Let’s look at some of its traits.

Psychoanalytic therapy is based on the principle that, at times, human beings manifest a set of unconscious conflicts which originate in their pasts, especially during childhood.
A big part of our conflict is the result of badly repressed instinctive impulses.
The purpose of a psychoanalyst is to help all these unconscious conflicts ascend to the conscious world. In order to do this, they will use emotional catharsis or hypnosis. This way, they’re improving the chance of identifying and getting rid of those defense mechanisms that most of us use to avoid the original problem.

These are the main psychological therapies within this approach.

5. Psychoanalytic therapy

Psychoanalytic therapy helps treat childhood traumas, phobias, and depression.
This therapy explores the unconscious mind and how it influences our thoughts and behaviors.
Above all, it focuses on analyzing childhood experiences and trying to identify how those precise events impacted the person’s life.
This type of therapy tends to extend over a long period of time.

6. Dynamic interpersonal therapy

Dynamic interpersonal therapy helps us improve our relationships with others.
It doesn’t last long, and it helps us understand certain problematic bonds that we may have with certain people.

7. Jungian therapy

Jungian therapy or Jung analysis is another type of psychological therapy which is very useful in treating addictions, depression, and anxiety, and even to favor one’s personal growth.

Carl Jung’s goal was to delve into the individual’s unconscious through the archetypes inscribed in their dreams and even in their artistic expressions.
This type of therapy is based on the conversation between the therapist and the patient. The goal is to establish a relationship of trust, equality, support, and collaboration between the two.
Dream analysis is performed, along with word association tests and creative activities.

C. Humanistic therapies

Humanistic therapies are popular nowadays and are very much appreciated. They’re useful and preferred by professionals and people in general due to the great variety of techniques used and the therapeutic strategies they’re based on.

Carl Rogers was the father of this approach. We already talked about this human behavior expert above. He sought, above all else, to bring optimism to psychotherapy, to favor our personal growth and get us closer to change in order to reach our maximum human potential.

These are some of the characteristics of this type of psychological therapy:

Instead of deepening our suffering or traumas, humanistic therapy is more concerned with providing alternatives to these states. It enables us to be active agents of change.
It also seeks to offer us a more hopeful vision of ourselves. Humanistic therapists believe in the goodness of human beings, in well-being and health as natural tendencies. Thus, the ultimate purpose is, therefore, to help us put aside those “deviations” that sometimes take us away from that magical point of balance. To find the true meaning of our lives.
In the humanistic model, the present is valued as the perfect moment to solve problems. The past, unlike in psychoanalysis, ceases to be so important.

8. Existential therapy

Existential therapy helps us find meaning, a vital purpose. It does so by urging us to reflect upon our own existence.
It helps us accept responsibilities and new personal challenges in order to reach success.
This therapy views emotional difficulty, inner conflicts, and our fears as stones that serve as obstacles towards our goals. Also, all of this is done in our “here and now.”
Existential therapists offer strategies to live more authentically, find meanings to our lives, and leave aside superficial things. Or, at least, it helps us try.

9. Gestalt therapy

The goal of Gestalt therapy is to work on our self-awareness to solve our problems with greater confidence. Also, for the patient to leave aside personal anxiety and worries. To reach personal freedom and acquire enough determination to reach their maximum potential.

Gestalt therapy was developed towards the end of the 1940s by Fritz Perls. He assumed, for example, that each person was a whole, where thoughts, sensations, emotions, or actions couldn’t ever occur in isolation.
The therapist would attempt to always make his clients comfortable, to be participants at all time in order to see their own resistance and be completely aware of the importance of their emotions, thoughts, ideas, memories, etc…
Creative techniques are used to aid in self-discovery.
Clients are also encouraged to have a responsibility to themselves and to society itself.

10. Client-centered therapy

Client-centered therapy helps us understand our needs in order to boost our personal growth.
We’re referring to one of the most interesting psychological therapies in this field. Here, the humanistic therapist will help us clarify our needs and boost the values that identify us. Plus, aid in our acceptance and work on our strengths.
Likewise, it’s important to remember that this is a non-directive type of therapy. The client, not the therapist, carries out a great part of the therapeutic process.
During the whole process, three key dimensions prevail: empathy, unconditional positive acceptance, and authenticity or congruence.

11. Brief therapy: focused problem resolution

As the name indicates, this therapy doesn’t last long and seeks to change some type of dysfunctional thought, improve the relationship between couples or a family, or help the client find their emotional and social balance.
Thus, instead of focusing on the person’s weaknesses or limitations, focused problem resolution therapy seeks to boost our strengths and potential in order to help us move forward.
The therapy is based on a set of questions that facilitates the process of reflection and self-knowledge.

12. Transactional analysis

Transactional analysis is a very effective therapy to improve psychological well-being and facilitate restructuring and personal change.
It’s also noteworthy that this approach is commonly used in many psychiatric hospitals for the treatment of various disorders.
It was founded by Eric Berne towards the end of the 1950s. Transactional analysis or therapy is based on the theory that each individual has three states of ego: parent-like, adult-like, and child-like.
Thus, the purpose of the therapist is to help the patient make use of a more inclusive personality based on these psychological transactions. Thus, for example, adult-like represents the most rational part of the self, child-like is linked to the spontaneous, and parent-like to the normative and ethical aspects…

13. Transpersonal psychology

Transpersonal psychology is an approach developed by Abraham Maslow is the 1960s. His goal was to help his patients discover the true meaning of their lives, resolving their needs based on the hierarchy established by this vital purpose or meaning.

In this branch of psychology, aspects such as conscience, spirituality, deep inner knowledge, compassion, and universal brotherhood are emphasized.

The therapist has a very specific role. He must have an open mind, great respect, innocence, and the ability to be amazed. He must show his patient that everything the patient transmits is new and valuable. Thus, the methodology used to impulse this peculiar therapeutic process is a mix of spiritual traditions, where one of the following dynamics is commonly used:

Yoga.
Creative writing.
Guided visualizations.
Meditation.
“Encounters” with one’s inner child.
Symbolic art.

D. Artistic therapies

It’s possible that among all of the different types of psychological therapies, the general public dismisses this type of approach, which can be so cathartic, liberating, and healing at the same time. Just as we mentioned in the beginning, when you’re looking for some type of therapeutic strategy, it’s very important to identify what you want and which therapeutic mechanism could best suit you.

Artistic expression is a channel, a universe of possibilities where we can shape our emotions, liberate them, encourage our self-discovery, and give a different approach to many of our problems.

Let’s look at the different kinds of artistic therapies within our reach.

13. Artistic psychotherapy

Art therapy or artistic psychotherapy uses tools such as canvases, paint, or clay to get people to express their inner worlds. This way, people exteriorize problems and conflicts, which could later spill out in other ways. The good thing about this kind of therapy is that it offers the patient a form of expression which might be much more natural for them. This allows them to say more and hide less.

14. Drama therapy

This type of therapy uses dramatic arts to confer relief and favor physical and emotional integration.
It uses theatric improvisations or specific scripts to get the individual to delve into their personal universe, improve their social skills, and acquire greater confidence.

15. Music therapy

Music therapy is a very versatile type of creative therapy. It is as intense as it is healing. The changes produced are almost immediate, and this is something that is very often seen in patients with autism spectrum disorder, dementia, or anxiety. The individual responds immediately and experiences a whole torrent of emotions and sensations.

E. Other types of psychological therapies

As you have seen, a big part of psychological therapies can fit into 4 very clear approaches. However. there are a lot more options within our reach that are worthing learning about.

16. Systemic therapy

Family therapy or systemic therapy is very useful in groups of people that are united by a family bond. The goal is to improve the relationship itself and the communicative style. Also, it seeks to fix the complex interactions which tarnish the cohesion of this group of people.

Usually, the therapy focuses, above all, on the “index patient”. That is to say, on the member of the family who presents some type of clinical disorder or problematic behavior.

17. Interpersonal psychotherapy

Interpersonal psychotherapy is a therapeutic discipline which seeks to improve the quality of our interactions and styles of communication.
The fundamental belief of interpersonal psychotherapy is that many of our psychological symptoms are the results of those complex, harmful, or ambivalent interactions, which generate a high degree of anxiety. Sometimes, even our own inability to interact better with others intensifies negative states.

Hence, the purpose is to offer the patients tools to improve these dimensions.

18. Psychosexual therapy

In psychosexual therapy, a good professional would help you openly and sincerely explore, reflect upon, and analyze your sexual problems. Oftentimes, there are many emotional blocks within the couple that need to be resolved.

19. Psychodrama

It’s possible that many of you have heard of Jacob Levy Moreno’s psychodrama. Even more, you may have practiced some dynamics in your workplaces.

We’re referring to a type of group psychotherapy where dramatic expression, theatric plays, or body movement are applied. These are therapeutic tools used to improve your relationships with others and your self-confidence.
Also, it’s a very enriching invitation to be spontaneous and which usually yields good results in group dynamics.

To conclude, keep in mind that there are undoubtedly many more psychological therapies. Nevertheless, the ones mentioned here are the most widely used, the ones which yield the greatest benefits, and which can offer us the best results. So, don’t hesitate to try any of these psychological therapies if you need to. We all have the right to feel better, enjoy a greater sense of well-being, and to grow as people.

There are many different psychological therapies. However, they all have the same objective, one common therapeutic goal. They seek to facilitate changes towards well-being. Thus, instead of asking ourselves which of these psychological strategies is the best or worst, we should first ask ourselves what we need.

We establish this hierarchy in our questions for a very simple reason. Sometimes, when someone realizes they need to see a therapist, they still maintain some mistaken ideas about what psychological therapy is. Oftentimes, they have the classic mental image of a patient on a sofa with the therapist behind them taking notes.

The classic image of psychoanalysis continues to weigh heavily on the collective unconscious. Thus, it’s common for many people to not know that there are different psychological techniques and methods. That’s why people keep on asking which one is the best. Therefore, before you make the mistake of emphasizing one therapy over another, we should clear a few things up.

“Even when it’s not entirely attainable, we become better people by trying to pursue a higher objective.”
-Viktor Frankl-

In this regard, we’re referring to an active and proactive process between two or more people. It’s an intense working relationship. Although it’s difficult at times, it’s a journey of discoveries, creativity, and interpersonal dynamics. A relationship in which it’s not worthwhile to sit still, where the therapist doesn’t limit himself to giving advice or guidelines about what his patient must do. As Richard Lazarus explains, “the goal of therapy is to teach individuals to see problems as challenges instead of threats.” A smiling girl with a sun glare on her face.

Types of psychological therapies

Emotional problems, fears, traumas, personal crisis, relationship troubles, childhood disorders… There are many reasons why people decide to see a psychotherapist. However, it never hurts to know the different therapeutic strategies within your reach.

They can all be effective if you choose competent, skilled, well-trained professionals. We already know that we should assume an active role as patients or clients. In turn, it’s necessary to know which approach each therapy uses in order to at least intuit if that therapeutic setting can fit our characteristics and needs.

Let’s look at the main psychological therapies and what each one offers.

A. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies

Cognitive-behavioral therapies are based on understanding the way people think (cognitive approach) and the way they behave (behavioral approach). The goal of this approach is to teach us that change is possible. But in order to achieve it, we should first learn to improve our thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors.

In this type of therapy, the specialist seeks to identify the patient’s problems, acting as a guide to change their dysfunctional thought patterns.
To achieve this, they proceed to a functional analysis of the behavior in order to find out what the “maladaptive” behaviors are.
Once identified, the cognitive-behavioral therapist uses diverse techniques to train the person in problem-solving, skill training, cognitive restructuring, etc.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is very effective to treat depression, phobias, anxiety disorders, and traumatic processes…

On the other hand, other therapeutic practices are included in cognitive-behavioral therapies. We should take a look at them.

1. Acceptance and commitment therapy

Acceptance and commitment therapy helps treat depression.
Its goal is to train the patient in psychological flexibility in order to improve the focus of their thoughts and favor change.
Therapists use a set of exercises to help the patient recognize the emotional problem and see the effect it has on one’s thoughts and behaviors. Also, it helps patients commit to themselves.

2. Behavioral therapy

Behavioral therapy is useful in the treatment of phobias and addictions.
As the name suggests, it seeks to make us look at our own learned or conditioned behaviors in order to see the impact these have on our lives.
Once identified, the goal is clear. To help us “let go” in order to “re-condition us” towards more inclusive actions and behaviors.

3. Cognitive analytic therapy

It’s very useful in brief and punctual treatments to improve certain behaviors, distorted thoughts, or behavioral problems. It’s based on 12 sessions.
Hospital mental health departments use it a lot.
Cognitive analytic therapy mixes cognitive therapy and analytic psychology.
The goal is to help the patient understand why they think what they do or why they behave the way they do. The therapists teaches them various confrontation techniques in order to facilitate change.

4. Rational emotive behavioral therapy

Albert Ellis’ rational emotive behavioral therapy helps treat rage, anxiety, frustrations, social phobia, shyness, and sexual dysfunctions.
Its goal is to resolve emotional and behavioral problems through a more direct, philosophical, and empirical approach.
Therapists use reason and rationality to make the individual become aware of their emotions, as well as their destructive and limiting thoughts. Thoughts which are often found in a more subconscious or automatic level, and that the very individual usually can’t identify.
Later on, the psychotherapists facilitate strategies to help the patient develop more constructive thoughts.

B. Psychoanalytic and psychodynamic therapies

One of the best known psychological therapies is undoubtedly the one that follows the theoretical model created by Sigmund Freud almost a century ago. Even though it’s known by the general population, it’s necessary to know its dynamics, principles, and objectives before choosing to begin a therapy within this framework.

Let’s look at some of its traits.

Psychoanalytic therapy is based on the principle that, at times, human beings manifest a set of unconscious conflicts which originate in their pasts, especially during childhood.
A big part of our conflict is the result of badly repressed instinctive impulses.
The purpose of a psychoanalyst is to help all these unconscious conflicts ascend to the conscious world. In order to do this, they will use emotional catharsis or hypnosis. This way, they’re improving the chance of identifying and getting rid of those defense mechanisms that most of us use to avoid the original problem.

These are the main psychological therapies within this approach.

5. Psychoanalytic therapy

Psychoanalytic therapy helps treat childhood traumas, phobias, and depression.
This therapy explores the unconscious mind and how it influences our thoughts and behaviors.
Above all, it focuses on analyzing childhood experiences and trying to identify how those precise events impacted the person’s life.
This type of therapy tends to extend over a long period of time.

6. Dynamic interpersonal therapy

Dynamic interpersonal therapy helps us improve our relationships with others.
It doesn’t last long, and it helps us understand certain problematic bonds that we may have with certain people.

7. Jungian therapy

Jungian therapy or Jung analysis is another type of psychological therapy which is very useful in treating addictions, depression, and anxiety, and even to favor one’s personal growth.

Carl Jung’s goal was to delve into the individual’s unconscious through the archetypes inscribed in their dreams and even in their artistic expressions.
This type of therapy is based on the conversation between the therapist and the patient. The goal is to establish a relationship of trust, equality, support, and collaboration between the two.
Dream analysis is performed, along with word association tests and creative activities.

C. Humanistic therapies

Humanistic therapies are popular nowadays and are very much appreciated. They’re useful and preferred by professionals and people in general due to the great variety of techniques used and the therapeutic strategies they’re based on.

Carl Rogers was the father of this approach. We already talked about this human behavior expert above. He sought, above all else, to bring optimism to psychotherapy, to favor our personal growth and get us closer to change in order to reach our maximum human potential.

These are some of the characteristics of this type of psychological therapy:

Instead of deepening our suffering or traumas, humanistic therapy is more concerned with providing alternatives to these states. It enables us to be active agents of change.
It also seeks to offer us a more hopeful vision of ourselves. Humanistic therapists believe in the goodness of human beings, in well-being and health as natural tendencies. Thus, the ultimate purpose is, therefore, to help us put aside those “deviations” that sometimes take us away from that magical point of balance. To find the true meaning of our lives.
In the humanistic model, the present is valued as the perfect moment to solve problems. The past, unlike in psychoanalysis, ceases to be so important.

8. Existential therapy

Existential therapy helps us find meaning, a vital purpose. It does so by urging us to reflect upon our own existence.
It helps us accept responsibilities and new personal challenges in order to reach success.
This therapy views emotional difficulty, inner conflicts, and our fears as stones that serve as obstacles towards our goals. Also, all of this is done in our “here and now.”
Existential therapists offer strategies to live more authentically, find meanings to our lives, and leave aside superficial things. Or, at least, it helps us try.

9. Gestalt therapy

The goal of Gestalt therapy is to work on our self-awareness to solve our problems with greater confidence. Also, for the patient to leave aside personal anxiety and worries. To reach personal freedom and acquire enough determination to reach their maximum potential.

Gestalt therapy was developed towards the end of the 1940s by Fritz Perls. He assumed, for example, that each person was a whole, where thoughts, sensations, emotions, or actions couldn’t ever occur in isolation.
The therapist would attempt to always make his clients comfortable, to be participants at all time in order to see their own resistance and be completely aware of the importance of their emotions, thoughts, ideas, memories, etc…
Creative techniques are used to aid in self-discovery.
Clients are also encouraged to have a responsibility to themselves and to society itself.

10. Client-centered therapy

Client-centered therapy helps us understand our needs in order to boost our personal growth.
We’re referring to one of the most interesting psychological therapies in this field. Here, the humanistic therapist will help us clarify our needs and boost the values that identify us. Plus, aid in our acceptance and work on our strengths.
Likewise, it’s important to remember that this is a non-directive type of therapy. The client, not the therapist, carries out a great part of the therapeutic process.
During the whole process, three key dimensions prevail: empathy, unconditional positive acceptance, and authenticity or congruence.

11. Brief therapy: focused problem resolution

As the name indicates, this therapy doesn’t last long and seeks to change some type of dysfunctional thought, improve the relationship between couples or a family, or help the client find their emotional and social balance.
Thus, instead of focusing on the person’s weaknesses or limitations, focused problem resolution therapy seeks to boost our strengths and potential in order to help us move forward.
The therapy is based on a set of questions that facilitates the process of reflection and self-knowledge.

12. Transactional analysis

Transactional analysis is a very effective therapy to improve psychological well-being and facilitate restructuring and personal change.
It’s also noteworthy that this approach is commonly used in many psychiatric hospitals for the treatment of various disorders.
It was founded by Eric Berne towards the end of the 1950s. Transactional analysis or therapy is based on the theory that each individual has three states of ego: parent-like, adult-like, and child-like.
Thus, the purpose of the therapist is to help the patient make use of a more inclusive personality based on these psychological transactions. Thus, for example, adult-like represents the most rational part of the self, child-like is linked to the spontaneous, and parent-like to the normative and ethical aspects…

13. Transpersonal psychology

Transpersonal psychology is an approach developed by Abraham Maslow is the 1960s. His goal was to help his patients discover the true meaning of their lives, resolving their needs based on the hierarchy established by this vital purpose or meaning.

In this branch of psychology, aspects such as conscience, spirituality, deep inner knowledge, compassion, and universal brotherhood are emphasized.

The therapist has a very specific role. He must have an open mind, great respect, innocence, and the ability to be amazed. He must show his patient that everything the patient transmits is new and valuable. Thus, the methodology used to impulse this peculiar therapeutic process is a mix of spiritual traditions, where one of the following dynamics is commonly used:

Yoga.
Creative writing.
Guided visualizations.
Meditation.
“Encounters” with one’s inner child.
Symbolic art.

D. Artistic therapies

It’s possible that among all of the different types of psychological therapies, the general public dismisses this type of approach, which can be so cathartic, liberating, and healing at the same time. Just as we mentioned in the beginning, when you’re looking for some type of therapeutic strategy, it’s very important to identify what you want and which therapeutic mechanism could best suit you.

Artistic expression is a channel, a universe of possibilities where we can shape our emotions, liberate them, encourage our self-discovery, and give a different approach to many of our problems.

Let’s look at the different kinds of artistic therapies within our reach.

13. Artistic psychotherapy

Art therapy or artistic psychotherapy uses tools such as canvases, paint, or clay to get people to express their inner worlds. This way, people exteriorize problems and conflicts, which could later spill out in other ways. The good thing about this kind of therapy is that it offers the patient a form of expression which might be much more natural for them. This allows them to say more and hide less.

14. Drama therapy

This type of therapy uses dramatic arts to confer relief and favor physical and emotional integration.
It uses theatric improvisations or specific scripts to get the individual to delve into their personal universe, improve their social skills, and acquire greater confidence.

15. Music therapy

Music therapy is a very versatile type of creative therapy. It is as intense as it is healing. The changes produced are almost immediate, and this is something that is very often seen in patients with autism spectrum disorder, dementia, or anxiety. The individual responds immediately and experiences a whole torrent of emotions and sensations.

E. Other types of psychological therapies

As you have seen, a big part of psychological therapies can fit into 4 very clear approaches. However. there are a lot more options within our reach that are worthing learning about.

16. Systemic therapy

Family therapy or systemic therapy is very useful in groups of people that are united by a family bond. The goal is to improve the relationship itself and the communicative style. Also, it seeks to fix the complex interactions which tarnish the cohesion of this group of people.

Usually, the therapy focuses, above all, on the “index patient”. That is to say, on the member of the family who presents some type of clinical disorder or problematic behavior.

17. Interpersonal psychotherapy

Interpersonal psychotherapy is a therapeutic discipline which seeks to improve the quality of our interactions and styles of communication.
The fundamental belief of interpersonal psychotherapy is that many of our psychological symptoms are the results of those complex, harmful, or ambivalent interactions, which generate a high degree of anxiety. Sometimes, even our own inability to interact better with others intensifies negative states.

Hence, the purpose is to offer the patients tools to improve these dimensions.

18. Psychosexual therapy

In psychosexual therapy, a good professional would help you openly and sincerely explore, reflect upon, and analyze your sexual problems. Oftentimes, there are many emotional blocks within the couple that need to be resolved.

19. Psychodrama

It’s possible that many of you have heard of Jacob Levy Moreno’s psychodrama. Even more, you may have practiced some dynamics in your workplaces.

We’re referring to a type of group psychotherapy where dramatic expression, theatric plays, or body movement are applied. These are therapeutic tools used to improve your relationships with others and your self-confidence.
Also, it’s a very enriching invitation to be spontaneous and which usually yields good results in group dynamics.

To conclude, keep in mind that there are undoubtedly many more psychological therapies. Nevertheless, the ones mentioned here are the most widely used, the ones which yield the greatest benefits, and which can offer us the best results. So, don’t hesitate to try any of these psychological therapies if you need to. We all have the right to feel better, enjoy a greater sense of well-being, and to grow as people.