Psychological therapy is like Baskin Robbins on steroids: it comes in a variety of flavors. “Someone once stopped counting at 1,000 forms of psychotherapy in use,” says psychologist Timothy B. Baker of the University of Wisconsin, who studies the effectiveness of psychotherapies. (Begley, 10-12-2009) Although it wouldn’t be practical to write about every method being used, the information herein will cover the major forms of mental health therapy, so that you can make the best and most educated decision for you and your family.
If you’re wondering about a type of psychotherapy that isn’t listed below, then chances are it’s a less-established practice with little or no solid evidence backing its efficacy, and families should proceed at their own risk. However, we should point out that most of these backwoods psychotherapies are actually offshoots of more well-known forms, so this doesn’t necessarily mean that all lesser-known therapies are no good. So long as the philosophical approach is sound and grounded in science, it may be helpful. Whenever considering a type of therapy that isn’t listed here, you should inquire about the therapist’s background and ask her to describe what discipline her techniques are influenced by. You can then compare it to the information here in order to get a better idea about whether it would be helpful.
- Cognitive Therapy
- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
- Exposure Therapy
- Information About Stress Debriefing Therapy
- Light Therapy
- Psychoanalysis & Psychoanalytic Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Shock Therapy