A Quick Guide to Therapy Approaches
If you have spent any time looking for a therapist, you have probably come across a whole lot of letters: CBT, DBT, IFS, EFT… and the list goes on.
These are different therapy approaches, or modalities. Essentially, they are different ways therapists understand what you are experiencing and how they might help.
There are a lot of different approaches to therapy, and this is by no means an exhaustive list. This is simply a quick guide to some approaches you may come across while looking for a therapist.
And before we get into them, one important thing: You do not need to know what type of therapy you need before starting therapy.
That’s part of what your therapist is there to help you figure out.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT focuses on the connection between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
The basic idea is that the way we think about a situation can influence how we feel and how we respond to it. CBT helps identify thought and behavior patterns that may not be working for you and develop more helpful ways of responding.
CBT tends to be fairly structured and practical and may include skills or exercises to practice outside of sessions.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
DBT is a skills-based approach that focuses heavily on learning how to manage difficult emotions and situations.
It teaches skills in areas such as mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and relationships with others.
You may also hear therapists say they use “DBT skills” or are “DBT-informed.” This means they incorporate tools and concepts from DBT into therapy, which is different from participating in a comprehensive DBT program.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
IFS is based on the idea that we all have different parts of ourselves.
You might have an anxious part, an angry part, a perfectionist part, a people-pleasing part, or a part that wants to avoid everything and hide under a blanket.
Rather than trying to get rid of these parts, IFS works to understand them, where they came from, and what they may be trying to protect you from.
The goal is to develop a more compassionate relationship with these different parts of yourself rather than constantly fighting against them.
Compassionate Inquiry
Compassionate Inquiry is an approach developed by Dr. Gabor Maté that explores what may be happening underneath our current thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and reactions.
Instead of simply asking, “How do I stop doing this?” it might also ask, “Why did I learn to do this in the first place?”
The approach explores things such as early experiences, beliefs about ourselves, emotional patterns, and the ways we learned to adapt or protect ourselves.
The goal isn’t to judge those patterns, but to understand them with curiosity and compassion so that we can begin making different choices.
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)
Solution-Focused Therapy spends less time analyzing everything that is going wrong and more time exploring where you want to go and what might help you get there.
It looks at your strengths, what is already working, times when the problem has been less intense or absent, and small changes that can move you toward your goals.
In other words: we know there’s a problem. Now, what would life look like if things were better—and how do we start moving in that direction?
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
EFT focuses on emotions, attachment, and relationships. It is commonly used with couples, although its principles can also be used in individual and family therapy.
Rather than focusing only on the argument or behavior happening on the surface, EFT looks at the emotions and attachment needs underneath it. The goal is to recognize the patterns people get stuck in and create safer, more secure ways of connecting with one another.
Narrative Therapy
Narrative Therapy looks at the stories we develop about ourselves and our lives. Over time, experiences can create powerful stories like I’m a failure, I’m difficult to love, or I’m just an anxious person. Those stories can start to feel like facts rather than interpretations shaped by our experiences.
Narrative Therapy helps separate you from the problem and explore whether the stories you’ve been carrying accurately represent the whole picture. One of the central ideas is simple: you are not the problem—the problem is the problem.
So, Which One Do I Need?
Maybe one of these immediately stood out to you. Maybe none of them did. That’s okay. You don’t need to diagnose yourself, research every therapy modality, and decide exactly how you should be treated before contacting a therapist.
There is a concept called equifinality, which is basically the clinical version of saying “all roads lead to Rome.” Different approaches can take very different paths and still lead to meaningful change.
That doesn’t mean the type of therapy doesn’t matter. Certain approaches may be particularly helpful for certain concerns, and some approaches will fit you better than others. But there isn’t one universally “best” type of therapy. What consistently matters is the therapeutic alliance—the relationship you build with your therapist. Do you feel understood? Do you trust them? Do you agree on what you’re working toward? Does the way you’re working together make sense to you?
A therapist can be highly trained in the “perfect” modality, but if you don’t feel comfortable or connected enough to actually engage in the work, that training can only take you so far. Many therapists also don’t practice exclusively from one approach. They may pull concepts and techniques from several approaches depending on the person sitting in front of them.
So instead of worrying too much about finding the perfect acronym, focus on finding a therapist whose approach makes sense to you and, most importantly, someone you feel like you can work with.
After all, there are a lot of roads to Rome.
Ready to Find an Approach That Works for You?
If you’re looking for a therapist and think Leading Heart Therapy might be a good fit, schedule a free consultation and let’s talk.