What is Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy, also called talk therapy, is a treatment that helps people manage mental health conditions, emotional challenges, and behavioral issues. It involves working with a licensed therapist to explore thoughts, emotions, and behaviors and develop coping strategies.

Common types include:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – Focuses on changing negative thought patterns.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) – Helps with emotional regulation and distress tolerance.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) – A structured therapy primarily used for trauma and PTSD, using guided eye movements to help process distressing memories.

Psychodynamic Therapy – Explores past experiences and unconscious patterns.

Humanistic Therapy – Encourages self-exploration and personal growth.

Exposure Therapy – Helps with phobias and anxiety disorders

CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) focuses on changing negative thoughts to improve emotions and behaviors, helping with anxiety, depression, and OCD. DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) is a type of CBT that adds mindfulness and emotional regulation, making it useful for intense emotions, self-harm, and borderline personality disorder. CBT is problem-focused, while DBT balances acceptance and change to help manage emotions and relationships.

The duration varies depending on the individual and the type of therapy. Some people see improvement in a few sessions (short-term therapy), while others may need months or years for deeper work. EMDR treatment often takes 6-12 sessions but can vary based on the complexity of trauma.

Yes, therapy is confidential, with a few exceptions. A therapist may be required to break confidentiality if there is a risk of harm to yourself or others, in cases of child or elder abuse, or if required by law.