Different Types of Therapy

There are many different types of therapy out there and it is important to know what exactly they all are. Many inpatient treatment centers are now offering more therapy options for people to chose from. Educating yourself about therapeutic techniques can be helpful so that you understand exactly what kind of treatment you or your loved one is receiving. It is important to note that there are many more types of therapy than listed here. We have listed some here that are particularly common in drug treatment.

1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy often called CBT is a type of therapy that helps people look at and change their thoughts and behaviors. In this type of therapy people are often asked to examine the false beliefs that they have. This is done by taking a belief you might have and then examining the evidence that you have for why you might believe that about yourself. For example, if you have the belief that you can never live a sober life a CBT therapist might ask you to look at the days you have gone without drinking. You do this until you see that the belief is false. Once you see that you are able to live a sober life you can start to change your behavior to be more in line with your new belief about yourself.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness CBT has been shown to be an effective form of therapy for treating anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. Being that these disorders are often diagnosed along side addiction, CBT can be an important part of treating addiction. Anxiety and depression might sometimes even be the underlying cause of addiction. It is crucial to treat the underlying issues that might be causing or contributing to addiction. If these root causes aren’t addressed people might relapse or fall into other addictions.

2. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy or DBT is a type of therapy that helps people work on acceptance and change. DBT got its name because of the dialectical nature of these two things. They seem to be opposites. How can you accept something and change it at the same time? The therapist helps you do this by helping you tolerate and sit with uncomfortable feelings or situations that cannot be changed. Simultaneously the therapist will help you have the confidence to change the thoughts, feelings, or situations, that can be changed.

According to the National Institute of Health DBT has been found to be effective treating people who have addiction, suicidality, or borderline personality disorder. The reason it is so helpful for people coping with these things is because it is important to feel both validated and hopeful. It is important to feel like your painful thoughts and emotions are true but that there is also hope that some things can change.

3. Solution Focused Therapy

Solution Focused Therapy is also sometimes called Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT). This is because typically this approach to therapy only requires three to five sessions. SFBT does not look at past causes or current problems. rather, clients are asked to look at the tools they already have and examine their future hopes and desires. One way this is done is by having people look at exceptions to problems. Therapists might ask if there is anything in your life that is working right now. That way you can build on the tools you already have established.

According to a study published in the journal of Advances in Psychiatric Treatment SFBT has been effective regardless of what someone is dealing with. Specifically, these researchers suggest that it is helpful in treating drug abuse, trauma, and relationship problems. SFBT can be helpful when treating addiction because it allows people to look at the solutions they already have within themselves. Given the short length of time people usually spend in inpatient treatment, it can be great to have a type of therapy that works quickly.

4. Motivational Interviewing

Motivation Interviewing is a type of therapy that was specifically developed for people with addiction. In motivational interviewing the therapist and the client are working collaboratively with one another. The therapist encourages and motivates the client in order to help them change. In this type of therapy it is thought that there are motivational blocks that get in the way of recovery. By having a therapist who is aligned with the client and there to motivate them it helps them break through those motivational blocks.

5. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

EMDR is a type of therapy that was developed for people who are coping with post traumatic stress and anxiety. Clients are asked to think of the event or stimuli that induces anxiety. Then they follow the clinician’s finger with their eyes. According to Scientific American, this is thought to work because it allows the two hemispheres of the brain to connect and process information in a new way. During rapid eye movement (REM) sleep the eyes do a similar action. It is thought that this is one of the ways that our brain helps us process information. Mirroring these eye movements that you have in REM sleep is thought to have a similar effect.

6. Neurofeedback

Neurofeedback is a theraputic intervention that is used to help people who have many different psychological disorders. It is done by attaching monitors to the scalp and then having the client view their brainwaves on a screen in front of them. The client does a number of tasks in order to tell which brain waves the client has in response to different things. Then the person guiding the session will help reinforce using the right brain waves for the right task. This can help the brain to become more efficient and can help the client respond to situations in new ways.

7. Family Systems Therapy

Family systems therapy asks the client to take a look at how their problems fit within the larger family system. This is done by having families come in and work on interpersonal communication among other things. Family members are asked to try and understand one another and relate to one another in new ways. This perspective views the family as an emotional unit. Each person in the family is looked at in relation to the whole.

8. Equine Therapy

Equine therapy is a type of therapy where clients interact with horses in conjunction with a therapist. Increasingly popular with holistic rehab centers, it is thought that interacting with an animal in this way can improve communication, anxiety, trust, and self-esteem. The client is asked to interact with the horse in a number of activities that are meant to enhance the qualities listed above. It is important to note that equine therapy is done in conjunction with other types of therapy and it not usually used by itself.

Hopefully after reading this list you have a better idea of the types of therapy that are out there and how they might be used. The best way to figure out what works for you is to be informed about what they are and what they are usually used for. The list above features types of therapy that many inpatient treatment centers are now offering as they have been found to be helpful for people struggling with addiction or co-occurring disorders.