THUNAICognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT):
CBT involves a variety of strategies used to identify unhealthy thought patterns, and methods to reframe them so that they are clear and accessible, and therefore changeable. This form of therapy can also be used for a variety of disorders such as anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, schizophrenia, and trauma related disorders. Please visit “CBT basics” for more information.
Dialectical Behaviour therapy (DBT):
DBT focuses on regulating emotions, being mindful, and accepting uncomfortable thoughts and feelings. A therapist uses DBT to help a person find a balance between change and acceptance. Using DBT, a therapist can teach a person new skills, such as new ways to cope with a situation and mindfulness practices. DBT can be used to treat Borderline Personality Disorder, eating disorders, PTSD, substance use disorders, etc.
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR):
This is an effective treatment for PTSD, and involves a person recalling a traumatic event while performing specific eye movements. There are 8 stages in this therapy. Visit “EMDR therapy basics” for more information.
Exposure Therapy:
This is a form of CBT, and is used to treat people with fear and anxiety disorders, obsessive- compulsive Disorder (OCD), PTSD, and phobias. The person is exposed to the triggers in a controlled environment, with the therapist, and will also learn methods to avoid ritualistic behaviours or anxiety after exposure to these triggers. For example, for a person extremely afraid of using the elevator because of feelings of panic or anxiousness, the therapist may accompany the person in riding up and down the elevator until gradually these feelings subside, and the person is able to do it independently.
Interpersonal therapy:
This focuses on the relationships with other people. The therapist evaluates a person’s social interactions and helps them to notice negative patterns. The therapist can then help the person learn ways to understand and interact positively with others.
Mentalization based therapy:
This is used to treat Bipolar disorder (BPD), and involves a technique called mentalizing. This therapy helps people with BPD to notice and understand their thoughts and feelings and those of others. Its primary aim is to give a person with BPD a sense of self and help them connect to other people.
Psychodynamic therapy:
Psychodynamic therapy is a speaking-therapy that aims to help a person combat negative patterns of behaviour that derive from past experiences.
Once a person understands how experiences have created unhelpful behaviours and feelings, they can learn to overcome them. Therapists employ this technique to treat a wide range of mental health issues and personality disorders.
Emotion- focused therapy:
Emotion-focused therapy (EFT) focuses on building awareness of emotions and regulating and resolving them. EFT encourages people to work on their emotions rather than suppressing them, and can be used to treat depression, trauma, social anxiety, eating disorders, amongst many others.
Family Therapy:
Family therapy involves working with a family unit to help an individual within the family resolve specific issues. Family therapists help a family understand and work through patterns of negative behaviour that may cause underlying problems. This type of therapy can also help people with substance abuse disorders, eating disorders, behavioural problems, OCD, etc.
Group Therapy:
Here a therapist leads the discussion, and people in the group that experience similar issues can comment or talk about their individual experiences and thoughts. This helps a person see that they are not alone, and offers people an opportunity to support each other. This type of therapy is useful for people with depression, anxiety, addiction, lifestyle issues, personality disorders, etc.
Please also see the Thunai Video that explains some of these therapies in more detail.