If you think therapy is a useless treatment, take a look at these four effective treatments that have been quite popular around the world.
Psychodynamic Therapy
If you’re picturing Tony Soprano opening up to Dr. Melfi, you’re onto something. Psychodynamic therapy is all about talking. More specifically, the patient is guided to talk about his or her thoughts and feelings and free associate (i.e. talk uninterrupted about whatever comes to mind), with the goal of bringing unconscious patterns of behavior to the fore so they can more easily be addressed and (if it would be beneficial to the patient’s health) changed.
Psychodynamic therapy is quite a popular therapy in Toronto and it is useful for depression, anxiety, anything panic-related, anyone curious about/interested in exploring his or her own mind. Therapists in Toronto take one or two sessionsa week and these sessions are unstructured. The patient is encouraged to guide the session by talking freely about whatever is on his or her mind.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Based on the idea that we can make permanent changes in the way we behave by shifting our negative patterns of thinking, Cognitive Behaviorial Therapy (CBT for short) is short-term and goal-oriented. The therapist and patient work together to identify the behaviors the patient wants to change and then come up with an action plan to do so.
This treatment works well for issues like depression, anxiety, eating disorders, mood disorders, phobias. Sessions are structured and the relationship with the therapist can be more “business-like” than in other kinds of therapy. In other words, the patient and therapist will work together to identify and change problematic patterns of thinking and behaving. The patient is given “homework,” which consists of keeping a record of his or her thoughts, feelings, and behaviors between sessions.
Family Therapy
Families are so much more than the sum of their parts, and can experience struggle and conflict singular enough to warrant a pop culture genre. Luckily, family therapy considers the family unit to be a system with its own unique dynamics (rather than just a collection of individuals who happen to be related). It may address specific problems like an addiction in the family or focus more generally on communication and members’ relationships with each other.
This therapy is effective for families dealing with substance abuse, mental illness, eating disorders, abuse, financial worries, and other problems. Typically the family is treated together, but members may also see the therapist Torontoon their own.
Group Therapy
The more the merrier, right? Group therapy is useful for anyone who wants to explore the challenges and conflicts he or she is experiencing in relationships, work, life, etc., and do so in a supportive group setting with other people who are struggling with the same or similar things.
This therapy is best for people who are struggling with anything from depression and anxiety to loss or trauma and want to work through these issues in the company of others. The therapist will put together a group of five to 10 people who share the same problem or conflict. The group meets for 75 to 90 minutes for a conversation guided by the therapist.