If you’re struggling with a diagnosed mental illness or just everyday tensions, relationship problems, and other emotional or mental health concern, making the decision to start therapy can be essential to ensure your mental health and well-being.
What Is Therapy for Mental Health?
Therapy is a term used which refers to mental health treatment that consists in speaking with a psychiatrist, psychologist, or another mental health provider.
Therapy for mental and emotional well-being is a secure friendly and safe space that allows you to share your thoughts with an experienced mental health practitioner who is independent, neutral and unprejudiced. While the majority of therapy is directed at people as individuals, it can involve working with families, couples or groups.
What are the different Types of Mental Health Therapy?
Mental health professionals employ an array of evidence-based therapies and techniques they’re skilled in to aid their patients. Certain techniques are more effective than others in treating specific ailments and disorders, and in most cases practitioners will employ an array of strategies.
Some typical research-based methods will include:
- Psychotherapy that supports youThis is one of the most common types of talk therapy that therapists use. It is designed to alleviate anxiety and other symptoms through using reassurances, reeducation, advice, and encouragement of appropriate behaviors.
- CBT is a form of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) CBT is a type of common therapy that is focused on helping you realize the effects of inaccurate or negative thinking in order to view difficult situations with greater clarity and respond to them in a more positive way. Mental Health Psychiatrist will often give clients work assignments between sessions to work on their behavior or new ways of thinking about what they’re facing.
- Psychodynamic psychotherapyIn psychodynamic therapy, Mental Health Psychiatrist as well as clients speak about their negative patterns of behavior and emotional states caused by past experiences with the aim of addressing the issues. The Mental Health Psychiatrist you have is helping you discover the ways that your subconscious thought patterns are driving your conscious thoughts and behaviors.
- DBT is a form of dialectical therapy. (DBT)DBT is heavily modelled on CBT with few distinct differences. CBT is focused on understanding the connection between emotions, thoughts, and behavior, whereas DBT emphasizes managing uncomfortable or distressing thoughts and emotions. The latter also places more an emphasis on behavioral change or developing the ability to overcome negative behavior patterns.
- exposure therapyExposure therapy is an additional subset of CBT most often used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, PTSD as well as phobias such as fear of leaving home or the fear of flying. While in treatment patients will work with a Mental Health Psychiatrist to discover their triggers and develop methods to overcome their fears , through gradual exposure to them in a controlled , controlled environment.
- Mindfulness-based therapy (MBT)MBT helps patients identify their thoughts and feelings, bodily sensations as well as their surrounding environment, with the intention of being open, mindful, inquisitive, open, and compassionate.
- Eye movement desensitization therapy and reprocessing therapy (EMDR)EMDR is used to treat PTSD Research suggests it can significantly reduce the emotional trauma that results from traumatic memories.
- Family or couples therapyFamily therapy is a method of counseling that can help family members improve their communication skills and resolve conflicts. It’s usually short-term, and is provided by a psychologist, clinical social worker or a licensed therapy.
- Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)TMS is a non-invasive treatment that makes use of magnets to activate nerve cells within the brain in order to relieve effects of depression.
Does Therapy Work? Here’s the Evidence.
The research suggests that therapy with talk for mental and emotional health can greatly assist.
In an analysis of 270 research studies that assessed the effectiveness of psychotherapy for those suffering from depression the researchers discovered that it is effective and, in some instances, better than other types of treatment.
Another massive meta-analysis of psychodynamic therapy revealed that over the long term, this type of therapy could help people who suffer from depression as well as social anxiety and social fears.
How Do I Know I Need Therapy?
The first step is to understand that therapy is employed to address mental health problems, including:
- Anxiety disorders, like PTSD, OCD and phobias. They can also be a trigger for panic disorder
- Mood disorders, such as depression or bipolar disorder
- Alcohol use disorder, other substance use disorders, and gambling disorder
- Food-related disorders, such as anorexia as well as bulimia
- Personality disorders, for example borderline personality disorder
- Schizophrenia along with other disorders that cause separation from reality
There is no need for to have a mental health diagnosis to seek for therapy. Likewise, seeking therapy doesn’t mean that you have an illness or disorder.
In addition to mental illnesses, other motives to seek treatment include:
- Insomnia, death, or grief in the family
- Job loss, financial issues or issues in the workplace
- Stress in relationships can include the pressure of trying to make a marriage work, taking care of kids or parents with adolescence and managing friendships
- The daily stressors can overwhelm you or have thrown your life out of balance
- Recovery from physical or sexual trauma or witnessing violence a traumatic event
- Cope with sexual issues, whether they’re due to a physical or psychological cause
Therapy seekers may encounter:
- Feel stronger in the face of obstacles
- Change behaviors that are holding them back
- Examine ways of thinking which affect how they feel or behave
- Let go of any pain from the past
- Develop interpersonal skills
- Establish goals
- Improve their self-confidence
- You should be able to handle emotions that are strong, such as grief, fear or anger
- Acquire problem-solving and problem-solving expertise
Therapy can be beneficial for anyone who feels that they’re struggling to deal through life’s challenges on their alone, Linde says. Therapy can be an appropriate starting point if anxiety or conflicts are causing a lot of disruption (and on a regular basis) with daily routines and activities, such as work, school or household duties. Find the best suited Mental Health Psychiatrist for you in Texas, San Antonio.