If you’ve ever looked into starting therapy, you may have noticed that there isn’t just more than one type. There are dozens of different types of therapy, practiced by a variety of providers, that help people with all kinds of goals and conditions. But trying to understand the difference between cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), can feel overwhelming.
The good news is that you don’t necessarily need to have a full understanding of the types of therapy in order to begin — your therapist will work with you to create a personalized treatment plan that incorporates approaches that will work for you. But, for those who want to get a better understanding before they get started, we’ve created this guide.
Key takeaways
- There are dozens of evidence-based therapy types, and no single approach works for everyone.
- The best therapy for you depends on your goals, preferences, and specific mental health needs.
- Your relationship with your therapist matters as much as the modality they use.
- It’s okay to try a therapy type and adjust — your therapist can help you course-correct.
- You don’t need to know which therapy type you want before you start. A good therapist will guide the process.
Why are there so many types of therapy?
As our understanding of mental health has deepened, through both clinical research and experiential practice, approaches to therapy have evolved.
New types of therapy are developed to treat conditions as we understand and define them better. For example, eye movement and desensitization reprocessing EMDR was developed in 1987, and is often used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which was added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) in 1980.
The diversity in therapy types also ensures that people are able to find treatment that fits their needs and preferences. Some people prefer structured, skills-based therapies like CBT.
Others are more comfortable with open-ended, exploratory approaches like psychodynamic therapy. Gender– and LGBTQ-affirming therapy, feminist therapy, and Christian counseling are examples of approaches that provide mental health support within a framework that validates peoples’ identities and lived experiences.
Group therapy provides help for people who benefit from bonding with others during their therapeutic journey.
Did you know?
Research consistently shows that the quality of the relationship between a therapist and client — often called the therapeutic alliance — predicts treatment outcomes more reliably than the specific therapy type used. It’s one of the most replicated findings in psychotherapy research.
How do I know which type of therapy is right for me?
The best type of therapy for you will depend on several factors:
- Your goals for therapy: Are you looking for concrete coping skills, emotional processing, or deep self-exploration?
- Your personal preferences: Do you prefer a structured approach with “homework assignments,” (exercises or practice your therapist asks you to do between therapy sessions) or do you want more free-flowing conversations?
- Your specific mental health needs: Some therapies are designed for particular concerns. For instance, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is highly effective for emotional regulation, while cognitive processing therapy (CPT) is specifically designed for trauma.
- Your willingness to experiment: Sometimes, the best way to find out what works for you is to try a therapy style and see how it feels.
What’s the difference between a therapist, psychologist, and psychiatrist?
These titles are often used interchangeably, but they refer to different credentials and scopes of practice.
Therapists (including LCSWs, LPCs, LMFTs, and LMHCs) are licensed to provide talk therapy but generally cannot prescribe medication. Psychologists hold doctoral degrees and can provide therapy and psychological testing; in most states, they cannot prescribe medication either. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who specialize in mental health and can both diagnose and prescribe.
When choosing a provider, your goals and whether you’re seeking therapy, medication management, or both will help determine who’s the right fit.
What if I choose the ‘wrong’ type of therapy for me?
Therapy is a significant investment — not just of your time and money, but your emotional energy. It’s normal to wonder if the one you’ve chosen is right for you. The good news is that deciding on a type of therapy isn’t a choice you only get to make once. You can adjust as you go, and your therapist can help.
In fact, your therapist — or more specifically, your relationship with your therapist — is the most important factor in whether therapy will work for you. This is often known as the “therapeutic relationship” or the “therapeutic alliance.” Even if a particular therapy modality is “perfect” for you, it won’t be as effective if you aren’t comfortable with your therapist.
Your therapist will be able to adjust approaches and techniques as necessary. All providers, including licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFTs), licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs), psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, licensed professional counselors (LPCs), licensed mental health counselors (LMHCs), are trained in multiple types of therapy.
If your therapist senses that you would benefit from a specialized approach that they lack training or education in, they can refer you to another provider.
At the same time, it’s okay to ask your therapist about their approach. If there’s a certain type of therapy you’d like to discuss, or even try, bring that up. A good therapist will explain their perspective on how this approach may or may not work for you, and help find the best way to move forward.
How can I learn about the different types of therapy?
We built this guide to help you do just that. To the left, you can see a wide range of types of therapy such as acceptance and commitment therapy, mind-body therapy, and solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT). Each article answers common questions like:
- What are the origins of this therapy?
- How does the therapy work?
- What is the therapy like?
- Is the therapy effective?
- How do you find a therapist who practices this approach?
Learning about the different types of therapy covered in this guide can help you make a more informed decision when selecting a therapist. On the Grow Therapy website, you can filter for therapists who practice all of the approaches in this guide, plus more.
Final thoughts
Finding the right type of therapy is less about making a perfect decision upfront and more about being willing to begin. The range of approaches covered in this guide reflects how much the field of mental health has grown — and how seriously therapists take the idea that no two people are the same. Whether you’re drawn to something structured like CBT or something more open-ended like psychodynamic therapy, there’s likely a modality and a provider who can meet you where you are.
What matters most is taking the first step. You don’t need to arrive at therapy with a plan or a preferred approach already in mind — that’s part of what the work is for. If something isn’t clicking, you can say so. If your needs change, your treatment can too. The goal isn’t to find the objectively “best” therapy type — it’s to find the right fit for you, with a therapist you trust, at a time when you’re ready to show up.
Ready to find the right therapist for you?
Frequently asked questions
The length of therapy depends on your goals and the approach you’re using. Some short-term models like solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) are designed to produce results in as few as 6–8 sessions. Others, like psychodynamic therapy, are often open-ended. Your therapist will work with you to set goals and evaluate progress over time.
Yes — many therapists use an integrative or eclectic approach, drawing from multiple modalities to fit your specific needs. This is actually common. It’s worth asking your therapist how they blend approaches and why.
The type of therapy generally doesn’t change the cost — what matters more is your provider’s credentials, session length, and whether they accept your insurance. You can estimate your out-of-pocket costs at growtherapy.com/cost-estimate.