Whether you’re struggling with a diagnosed mental illness or are dealing with everyday stresses such as relationship issues, or another psychological or mental health problem, deciding to start therapy can be significant in ensuring your mental health and well-being.
How Is Therapy for Mental Health?
Therapy is a generic term to describe mental health treatment that consists of talking to a psychiatrist or psychologist, or other mental health provider.
Therapy for emotional and mental health is a private friendly and safe space that allows you to discuss your concerns with an experienced mental health practitioner who is independent, neutral and nonjudgmental. While most therapy centers on individuals, it may also involve working with couples, families or groups.
What are the different Types of Mental Health Therapy?
Mental health professionals use numerous evidence-based therapies and techniques they’re skilled in to aid their patients. Certain techniques are more effective than others at treating certain disorders and conditions typically it is the case that therapists employ the combination of methods.
Some of the more common research-based strategies that you’ll find include:
- Psychotherapy with supportThis is one of the most frequently used types of psychotherapy that clinicians employ. The goal of this therapy is to alleviate the symptoms of emotional distress by the emphasis on reassurance and reeducation recommendations, and motivation for the desired behavior.
- Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) CBT is a type of common therapy that focuses on helping people become aware of inaccurate or negative thinking in order to view the situation more clearly and respond to them in a positive manner. It is common for them to give their clients homework after sessions in order to learn new behaviors or to develop new ways of thinking about whatever they are struggling with.
- Psychodynamic psychotherapyIn psychodynamic therapy, Mental Health Psychiatrist and clients discuss negative patterns of behavior as well as feelings that stem from past experiences with the aim of resolving the problems. The Mental Health Psychiatrist you have is helping you discover how your subconscious thinking is driving your conscious thoughts and behaviors.
- DBT is a form of dialectical therapy. (DBT)DBT is heavily based on CBT with a few distinct differences. CBT concentrates on understanding the connection between thoughts, feelings and actions, while DBT concentrates on managing distressing or uncomfortable thoughts and emotions. It also has more of an emphasis placed on behavioral change, or working on skills for overcoming negative behavior patterns.
- exposure therapyExposure therapy is a different subset of CBT most often used to treat obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, PTSD and phobias including fear that of going out on a trip or fears of flying. When in treatment, patients work with a specific Mental Health Psychiatrist to find their triggers. They also learn techniques to overcome their fears , through gradual exposure to them in a safe environment.
- Mindfulness-based therapies (MBT)MBT helps patients focus their attention on their current thoughts emotions, bodily sensations as well as their surrounding environment, with the aim of being mindful, open, interested, and compassionate.
- Eye movement desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR)EMDR is used to treat PTSD as well as research that suggests it can significantly reduce the emotional distress that arises from trauma memories.
- Therapy for couples and familiesFamily therapy is a kind of counseling that assists families improve communication and overcome conflicts. It’s usually brief-term, delivered by a psychologist or clinical social worker or licensed therapy.
- Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)TMS is a non-invasive procedure that utilizes electric fields to stimulate neurons in the brain to alleviate symptoms of depression.
Does Therapy Work? Here’s What the Research Says
Research suggests that talk therapy for mental and emotional well-being can greatly assist.
Through an analysis of 270 studies that examined whether psychotherapy is effective for people with depression the researchers discovered that it did work and, in some instances, better than other types of treatment.
Another massive meta-analysis of psychodynamic therapy revealed that over the long run, this kind of talk therapy helped patients with depression as well as those suffering from social anxiety and social phobias.
What Do I do to Know If I’m in need of therapy?
For instance, therapy can be used to treat mental health problems, including:
- Anxiety disorders, such as PTSD, OCD, phobias, or panic disorder
- Disorders of the mood, like depression or bipolar disorder
- Alcohol use disorder Other substance use disorders, as well as gambling disorder
- Eating disorders, such as anorexia as well as bulimia
- Personality disorders, for example borderline personality disorder
- Schizophrenia and other conditions that cause detachment from reality
But you don’t need a mental health diagnosis to seek out therapy and seeking out therapy doesn’t mean you have an illness or a disorder.
Beyond mental illness, other reasons for seeking therapy include:
- A chronic illness, death or grief in the family
- Problems with finances, job loss, or problems in the workplace
- Stress from relationships, like trying to make your marriage work, taking care of young children or aging parents and managing friends
- Everyday stressors are weighing on you or knocking your life out of balance
- Recovering from physical or sexual abuse or witnessing violence or any traumatizing experience
- Cope with sexual difficulties It doesn’t matter if they’re due to physical or psychological reasons
Anyone seeking therapy could be able to:
- Be stronger in the face of difficulties
- Change the behavior that’s holding them back
- Consider ways of thinking that influence how they feel or behave
- Get rid of the pain from the past
- Develop relationship skills
- Plan your the goals
- Increase self-confidence
- Be prepared for strong emotions such as grief, fear, or anger
- Acquire problem-solving and problem-solving expertise
Therapy can help anyone who feels that they are struggling to cope with the stressors of life on their self, Linde says. Therapy may be a suitable initial step in case emotional issues or challenges are significantly interfering (and in an ongoing way) with daily routines and activities, such as work, school or household chores. Find the best suited Mental Health Psychiatrist for you in Texas, College Station.
