What Kind of Therapist Do I Need?

Updated 9/22/2021.

There are dozens of types of therapists (or psychotherapists), each with a different method, specialty, or education. If you’re thinking about getting in-person or online therapy, you first want to figure out what kind of therapist do I need? 

This guide offers all the information you need, so you can find the type of therapist who’ll be best suited to your specific challenges, lifestyle, and preferences. 

Consider the Types of Therapy Arrangements

There are many types of therapy arrangements to choose from when it comes to therapy. When answering the question of what kind of therapist do I need, it’s important to look at a variety of therapy styles and arrangements. Which one will work best depends on your needs, your personality type, and your goals for your mental health care. 

Deciding on the most effective option requires you to really look at and understand what each of the styles or arrangements entails for mental health care.

• Individual therapy – The most common type, individual therapy, is exactly what you’re picturing. One-on-one therapy where you’ll meet individually with a licensed therapist at relatively regular intervals. 
• Couples therapy – Couples therapy is, again, exactly what it sounds like. It’s therapy for couples who want to work on anything in their relationship. You can focus on communication, infidelity, parenting or trust issues, mood disorders, family issues, or anything else that’s interfering in or affecting a relationship. 
• Family therapy – Family therapy is a type of psychotherapy that allows families to work together in a safe and neutral space. Areas of focus might include improving communication skills, resolving conflict, navigating substance abuse issues, or a variety of other issues. 
• Group therapy – Group therapy can be a very effective format if you’re looking for support in addiction recovery. It’s also a great option if you’re hoping to find a support group to help you with grief, trauma, or physical or sexual abuse. 
• Life events therapy – If you’re dealing with or expecting to go through a major life event now or in the near future, you may want to find a licensed therapist who can help you. Maybe you’re seeking guidance on how to manage grief (expecting someone to pass away or you’ve recently lost someone). Maybe you’re nervous about the birth of a child. You might want help as you go through a divorce. Or, you might just be having difficulty accepting and dealing with something like infertility, chronic or serious medical issues, or a host of other life complications. 
• In-person therapy – As the name would suggest, in-person therapy is when you physically meet face-to-face with a therapist or with a mental health counselor. This is the most traditional type of therapy arrangement. 
• Online therapy – Online therapy allows you the convenience of seeking mental health help from anywhere. It’s also commonly referred to as distance therapy, e-therapy, internet therapy, teletherapy, and web therapy. Connecting with a mental health professional via the internet is safe, easy, and effective. By eliminating the additional time it takes to travel to and from appointments, it’s often the solution that many people have been looking for.   

What Are the Different Types of Therapy?

Talk therapy 

Talk therapy is also commonly referred to as psychotherapy. It can take many forms and be further broken down into several subcategories. Each is going to have specific nuances and styles that may be more effective for certain conditions. Some of the most common types of talk therapy include:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT is a form of talk therapy focused on changing thought patterns. It’s effective for a number of conditions and can have positive results in improving quality of life and the ability to function. CBT techniques are based on core principles that explain that psychological difficulties stem from negative, unhelpful ways of thinking and learned patterns of negative behavior. A final core principle notes that learning to better cope with your psychological issues will ultimately relieve symptoms and allow you to live a healthier, more fulfilling life. 

• Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT): DBT is a type of cognitive behavior therapy that uses an evidence-based approach to help you be in the moment so you can have more stable, improved relationships. It helps you develop effective coping skills and regulate your emotions. DBT can work in three ways: phone therapy, one-on-one therapy, group therapy
  
• Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT): This action-oriented therapy is another type of CBT that helps those who may be dealing with irrational behavior and beliefs. It can help you find constructive ways to manage your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in a healthy and realistic way. REBT works by helping you first recognize and then alter negative thought patterns and beliefs.
• Exposure and response prevention (ERP): ERP is yet another type of psychotherapy in the CBT category. It’s a type of exposure therapy meant to help people who have obsessive thoughts, like people who have obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). ERP works by exposing you gradually to things that may trigger you so you can become less reactive and find healthier alternatives. 
• Psychodynamic therapy: Psychoanalysis and psychodynamic therapy focus on how you can work to change any problematic thoughts and behaviors. Through the therapy structure, you work to discover your motivation for doing things, even if it may be unintentional. This type of therapy tends to work best when you have a very close working relationship with your therapist.
• Humanistic therapy: Humanistic therapy focuses on you and your individual nature. It separates your association with groups or classes of people so you can focus on being your true self. This type of therapy is built on a foundation and principle belief that you are born with individual, unique potential. With the right training or nurturing, you can learn to reach it. 

Talk therapy can be used to treat multiple conditions, including:

• Anxiety 
• Depression
• Relationship issues 
• Schizophrenia 
• Eating disorders like binge eating disorder
• Anger management 
• Grief
• Phobias
• Bipolar disorder
• And more…

Other types of therapy

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR)

EMDR therapy is a form of therapy that helps people recover from symptoms that result after experiencing major trauma. It’s often used for those who have post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 

With EMDR, a therapist asks you to recall a traumatic event or memory, and then they use what’s known as bilateral stimulation. This can be in the form of specific, intentional, rapid side-to-side eye movement, or through hand tapping. 

Holistic or integrative therapy

Holistic therapy stems from blending different approaches and elements from a number of therapy styles. A good therapist may use this approach in order to create an almost custom-tailored treatment, according to your specific needs.