Choosing the Right Form of Therapy: CBT vs DBT and More 

If you’ve struggled with mental health problems, you’ve probably heard the advice “go to therapy” more than once. When faced with such challenges, many people just Google “counseling near me” and see one of the first providers suggested. But did you know that many forms of therapy exist, and not all forms will be equally good at treating you? In this article, we’ll go through several forms of therapy, comparing CBT vs DBT and more.

Why Are There Different Forms of Therapy?

The different forms of therapy have a long and storied history. They began with Sigmund Freud, an Austrian psychiatrist whose psychoanalytic theories crafted the basis for modern counseling. Freud treated his clients on the basis that everyone has an id (unconscious), ego (conscious), and superego (conscious and unconscious) mind. Lying down on a couch (that’s where the stereotype comes from!), his clients would explore their memories and dreams.

At the time, Freud’s ideas were so revolutionary that he gained mentees. Eventually, some of these proteges, including Carl Jung and Alfred Adler, came to disagree with Freud. Freud didn’t take kindly to disagreements, so Jung and Adler split off from Freud. Instead, they formed their own theories about psychotherapy.

In the early part of the 20th century, Jung, Adler, and Freud’s theories reigned supreme in the realm of therapy. As the century progressed, more psychologists and psychiatrists began testing out their own theories. Viktor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor, borrowed from existentialist philosophers to popularize existential therapy. Carl Rogers centered the experience and knowledge of the client in his person-centered practices.

Finally, Aaron T. Beck formed cognitive therapy, which later integrated with behavioral theories to create cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).

As these theories came about, research increased. Nowadays, most of Freud’s theories have been discredited and are no longer in use (although, some counselors practice transactional analysis, a descendent of Freud’s psychoanalysis). Instead, therapists fall all over the spectrum regarding which therapies they practice.

However, you should be aware that only a few therapists can prescribe medication. After all, only medical doctors and nurse practitioners possess the knowledge necessary to write prescriptions. Usually, people go to psychiatrists to get medication.

If you want to get medication easily, take a look at PlushCare. This platform matches you with doctors and mental health professionals who can provide you with the types of treatment.

And, if you want medication, you should see if Ro works well for you! This innovative service allows you to get prescription medication for a variety of issues.

Different Types of Therapy – CBT vs DBT and Beyond

Not every therapist or theory will serve each client equally well. Below, we’ll get into some of the most popular forms of therapy, including CBT vs DBT. Then, we’ll let you know what they treat.

If you see a form of therapy you’d like to undergo, you’ll need to match with someone who provides it. Talkspace provides you with a perfect opportunity to do so. After filling out a short information questionnaire on their website, you’ll get matched with a licensed therapist. Then, you can review that person’s credentials.

Counselors often advertise their therapy methods, so you can find one that offers the treatment you want.

Keep in mind that this list is not exhaustive. More types of therapy exist than we can include in one article, but we’ve written about some of the most popular ones!

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

As mentioned above, CBT came about when therapists began to realize that the wildly successful cognitive therapy could be combined with the equally successful behavioral therapy. Even Beck, a man dedicated to the unbiased research of this theory, eventually agreed that CBT was a better form of therapy.

Essentially, CBT teaches the client about the triangle of thought. A circumstance precedes the thought, the thought occurs, and then a behavior or emotion happens. For example, a mother might look away from her child just for a second, then the child injures themself. The mother thinks “I’m a bad mother,” and then experiences feelings of sadness and failure.

In this example, the CBT therapist would call the mother’s self-deprecating thought a “faulty cognition.” In simpler terms, faulty cognitions refer to any thought that is not true. We all have faulty cognitions, but the degree to which they interfere with our lives varies. Faulty cognitions only require therapeutic intervention when they start causing problems in our daily lives or give us distress.

A CBT therapist employs a variety of techniques to help the client challenge their thoughts. The therapist may ask the client to look for evidence regarding the truth of the thought. In addition, they might ask the client to replace their negative thoughts with positive ones.

Research supports therapists using CBT to treat depression, substance abuse disorders, marital issues, anxiety, and other forms of mental illness.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

People often get CBT vs DBT confused, and for good reason. DBT came from CBT, but therapists specifically designed DBT to treat people who experience intense emotions.

Many DBT treatment plans focus on keeping the client from hurting themselves (if applicable) and teaching coping skills for when emotions flare up. As such, a lot of clients see improvement in their distress tolerance, personal relationships, and emotional regulation.

DBT takes place in a variety of settings, including individual and group sessions.

People who benefit from DBT include those diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD), PTSD, suicidal ideations or behavior, depression, and anxiety disorders.

Person-Centered Therapy

Person-centered therapy changed the course of the counseling world by putting more power in the hands of the client. A person-centered practitioner believes in the client’s drive to solve their problems on their own and experience growth. As such, the therapist designs a safe space for the client to talk and explore. Then, the counselor allows the client to direct the session.

As the client talks, the therapist practices active listening and unconditional positive regard (UPR). Active listening involves the therapist making statements that show the client they have been heard and understood. UPR sometimes proves a bit more difficult. After all, it includes the therapist demonstrating that they view the client positively regardless of what they learn about the person.

Likewise, the counselor demonstrates empathy and congruence. Counselors become “congruent” when they show up as their genuine selves in the session. This doesn’t mean they’re unprofessional, though!

Person-centered therapy helps clients identify their values and reorder their thoughts so that they can have healthy, happy lives.

Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT)

SFT offers one of the quickest approaches to therapeutic treatment on the market. The true SFT therapist believes the past is of little relevance to the treatment process. Instead, they focus on the present issue as the client experiences it.

Once the client has stated their issue, the therapist tries to identify exceptions to the problem. They may ask, “When was this problem not an issue for you? What was happening at that time?” That way, the client gets an idea of the circumstances that might need to change to solve the problem.

In addition, SFT therapists might use the Miracle Question to identify what the client looks for in a solution. The Miracle Question goes like this:

“Suppose you went to sleep tonight, and while you were unconscious, a miracle occurred, and your problem was solved. What would be the first thing you would notice when you wake up in the morning that would indicate the problem was gone?”

The client might then give an answer along the lines of “My wife and I would have a pleasant conversation.” The therapist then instructs the client to try out whatever their answer is in real-life and see if it helps the problem get solved.

SFT is effective in treating minor depression, anxiety, family issues, and children who experience issues with their behavior.

Finding the Form of Therapy That Works for You

So, now that you know the differences between CBT vs DBT and more, you have the ability to select a type of therapy that might work best for you.

Still, you might need to look a little bit before you find a therapist with whom you work well. When finding a good therapist, you need to consider how you feel about sharing vulnerable details with them. A good therapist, regardless of their theory, will listen to you non-judgmentally and show empathy. Also, they’ll ask questions designed to get you on the path to healing.

To find therapists who work well for you without making you leave your house, Cerebral might serve as the key to getting you the help you need. Like Talkspace, Cerebral matches you with therapists and gives you the chance to find someone you like!