Types of Therapy

Types of Therapy

Find the approach that fits how you are wired

Every major therapy style in plain language: what happens in the room, who it tends to help, and how to choose without a psychology degree.

There are dozens of therapy modalities, and most explanations of them read like a textbook. Here is the honest version: they are different doors into the same house. Some work through thoughts, some through the body, some through your past, some through your relationships. The research is clear that the fit between you and your therapist matters more than the acronym on the door, but knowing the styles helps you know what to ask for.

Each page below explains the approach in plain language, and when you are ready, it can match you with a licensed therapist who actually practices it.

The foundations

The most common starting points, and what most therapists build from.

Talk TherapyThe umbrella everything else sits under. Talking to someone trained to actually hear you.How it works →Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Catch the thought, test it against reality, change what you do next. Structured and practical.How it works →Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Skills for big emotions: distress tolerance, regulation, and staying steady in conflict.How it works →Psychodynamic TherapyWhere the pattern started and why it keeps repeating. Insight-driven, deeper timeline.How it works →

Trauma and the body

For when what happened is still living in your nervous system.

EMDRProcesses stuck memories using bilateral stimulation. One of the best-studied trauma treatments.How it works →Somatic TherapyStarts with the body instead of the story. For when you cannot talk your way out of a clenched jaw.How it works →Exposure TherapyGradual, supported contact with what you avoid, until it loses its grip. Gold standard for phobias and OCD.How it works →Internal Family Systems (IFS)Treats your inner conflict as parts with jobs: the critic, the protector, the exile. Surprisingly practical.How it works →

Relationships and couples

Approaches built for two people, or for how you show up with others.

Couples TherapyA referee with a plan. For communication loops, trust repair, and deciding what happens next.How it works →Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)Maps the cycle you and your partner get stuck in, then rewires the attachment underneath it.How it works →Imago TherapyWorks on why you picked each other, and how childhood wounds choose adult partners.How it works →Premarital CounselingThe conversations to have before the vows: money, kids, conflict, expectations.How it works →Sex TherapyTalk therapy for intimacy: desire gaps, dysfunction, and the conversations couples avoid.How it works →

Depth, identity, and meaning

For questions that go further than symptom relief.

PsychoanalysisThe original deep dive. Several sessions a week, years of work, the fullest map of your inner life.How it works →Narrative TherapyYou are not the problem; the story is. Re-author the narrative you have been handed.How it works →LGBTQ+ Affirming TherapyCare that starts from acceptance, with a therapist who gets the context.How it works →Christian CounselingClinical therapy that makes room for faith instead of ignoring it.How it works →

Not sure which one you need?

You do not have to decide alone.

Find a TherapistTell us what you are dealing with and we match you with licensed therapists who actually fit, including by modality. Free.Get matched Browse by struggleSometimes it is easier to start from what hurts than from an acronym.Common struggles →All resourcesGuides, tools, and answers in one library.Browse everything →Free toolsQuizzes and interactive tools. No email gates.See the tools →

Or talk it through first

Abby can help you figure out what kind of support fits. Free to start. 2am is fine.