Psychotherapy is not one size fits all. From
behavioral to gestalt therapies, which approach will work best for you
depends on your needs and goals.
The Conversation – Sourav Sengupta
Since ancient times, cultures across the world have understood that human suffering can have psychological causes. At its core, psychotherapy
is working with another person to help identify and address emotional
challenges that matter to you. It involves trying to understand the
source of those problems and coming up with ways to tackle them head on.
Some therapists may take a particular approach to psychotherapy, like cognitive-behavioral or psychodynamic. As a child and adolescent psychiatrist
who trains and consults with many other clinicians, I often find myself
fielding questions about what type of therapy would be the best fit for
a particular person.
It can be difficult to understand what therapists mean when they
refer to these different techniques, and which is best for you.
Learning about how each of the most common approaches to psychotherapy
works may help clarify what you might expect from a particular session.
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy is considered the gold standard in psychotherapy. Numerous clinical trials
have found CBT to be effective for a spectrum of emotional health
challenges, from anxiety and depression to addiction and schizophrenia.
CBT involves identifying, assessing and finding ways to push
back on the negative thoughts that often underlie many negative
feelings. For example, if I’m stuck thinking that I will definitely be
unable to give a good presentation to my colleagues tomorrow, this can
lead to feelings of anxiety and dread that fuel unhelpful behaviors like
avoiding finishing up my preparation. A therapist might help me examine
these thoughts by asking questions like, “Is this thought really
accurate? Is this helpful right now in reaching my goals?”
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