Therapeutic Approaches

If you are in the process of looking for a counsellor or mental health support professional, trying to untangle some of the approaches can be overwhelming – would you benefit from EMDR or CBT? Do I want 3 sessions or 10 sessions? Understanding how a counsellor approaches their practice may help give you insight to what you think will work best for you. 

Mental health workers generally have at least one therapeutic approach that helps guide their sessions. Social workers are more inclined to use solution focused therapies that are short term and goal oriented, where as counsellors who focus on trauma may be i inclined to incorporate EMDR in their sessions. Learning about the approaches and modalities a therapist uses can help you understand how therapy will be used in sessions.

There are many approaches and therapeutic techniques that mental health professionals can use. Here is a list of a few of the more common therapies that you will find, however there are many more approaches out there.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT):  a type of talk therapy where your counsellor will help you learn to recognize and change negative thoughts and behaviors. Tools and techniques may be introduced to help you recognize the relationship between your thoughts, feelings and behaviours. 

Solution Focused Therapy: a type of counseling that focuses on finding solutions to current problems rather than dwelling on past issues. It helps clients identify their strengths and resources to create practical steps toward achieving their goals.

Psychodynamic Therapy: a type of talk therapy that explores how past experiences and unconscious thoughts influence current behaviors and emotions. It aims to uncover and address deep-seated patterns and conflicts to promote self-awareness and emotional healing.

Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR): a therapy used to help people overcome the effects of traumatic experiences. It involves recalling distressing memories while focusing on external stimuli, like hand movements or sounds, to process and reduce their emotional impact.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT): a type of therapy that helps people manage their emotions and develop coping skills. It focuses on teaching mindfulness, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, and distress tolerance to improve overall well-being.

Family Systems Therapy: a type of counseling that views individuals as part of a larger family unit, examining how each person’s behavior affects and is influenced by the family dynamics. It seeks to identify and address patterns of interaction within the family to promote healthier relationships and overall well-being.

Art Therapy:  a form of mental health treatment where individuals use creative expression, like drawing, painting, or sculpting, to explore and process their emotions, thoughts, and experiences. It can help improve self-esteem, communication skills, and emotional well-being by providing a non-verbal outlet for self-expression and reflection.

Client Centered Counselling: a therapeutic approach where the therapist provides unconditional positive regard, empathy, and genuineness to help clients explore their feelings and experiences in a safe and supportive environment. The focus is on the client’s subjective experience and their ability to find their own solutions and personal growth.

Integrative Approach: An integrative counseling approach combines techniques and insights from different therapeutic approaches to tailor treatment to the individual’s needs. It allows the therapist to draw from various theories and methods to address the complexity of each client’s unique situation.

Now, with all of the above information, nothing is more important in your mental health journey than finding a therapist with whom you connect with! Where to start can be overwhelming and if you are looking for someone to help you with anxiety, there may be many therapists to choose from which means you may need to narrow down the options. 

Getting referrals from friends, family or colleagues is a great way to get started. Another option is to take advantage of the free consultations that many therapists offer which gives you a small chunk of time to chat with them, ask questions and get a “vibe check” on them. This doesn’t have to be a perfect exchange, but is enough for you to decide wether you feel comfortable talking with them or not. 

Another great resource to find counsellors is Psychology Today that lists all the qualified professionals and gives a “filter” option in which you can use to narrow down your criteria (online vs in-person sessions, location, cost as well as approach and specialization etc)

Hopefully this article gives you a bit more insight on how to move forward with finding the right mental health professional for you. 

Feel free to email me with any questions, corrections or comments 🙂

Yours in health,
Kirsten