Decide What Kind Of Therapy You Want

There are so many different forms of therapy out there! How are you supposed to decide which one is best for you? Do you need to get some kind of a graduate degree in figuring out which kind of therapy would best benefit you?

Though the sheer variety can seem overwhelming, most of the therapy you'll encounter out there will be some variation on one of these three genres of clinical practice. There's talk therapy (usually psychodynamic or humanistic/Rogerian therapy), which probably looks the most like therapy that you've seen on TV — you have an ongoing conversation with your therapist, guided by the principles of whatever method they practice. Talk therapy is often good for people who have an issue they want to unpack — like a difficult childhood, or a bad relationship — and aren't sure of how it is impacting their life.

Then there's cognitive behavioral therapy, which is based on the theory that the ways we think, feel, and act are interrelated. CBT can often help people deal with phobias, compulsions, and counter-productive behavior (like constantly ruminating on negative thoughts). Family therapy addresses the family as a unit — so if you're having a problem with your partner, you'd bring your partner into the treatment process, rather than simply discussing the problem one-on-one with your therapist.

Deciphering a therapist's credentials can also prove a challenge. Licensed clinical social workers (LCSW), licensed social workers (LSW), marriage and family therapists (MFT), psychologists, and many other folks can offer talk therapy. Often, the techniques they use, the years of practice they have under their belts, and your rapport with them matter more than the specifics of their certification, but ultimately, that's a call for you to make. Just make sure that they do have a valid license to practice in your state.