Psychotherapy (‘talk therapy’) centres on talking about things that bother you to find clarity and fresh perspective on them. “It involves opening up to a trained professional about your thoughts, feelings and behaviour in a safe, non-judgmental space, and learning coping skills to manage them,” says Durban counselling psychologist Rakhi Beekrum. Among the many types of psychotherapy on offer, these are the most common.
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
CBT helps you explore how your thought patterns can contribute to painful feelings through the likes of catastrophising (expecting the worse to happen), overgeneralising (turning a few instances into a rule), or magnifying or minimising incidents to support a negative interpretation of your experiences. “It teaches you to modify those thoughts, which will in turn decrease negative feelings and behaviour, and develop constructive ways of thinking,” Beekrum says.
Useful for: Anxiety, depression, eating disorders, insomnia, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and schizophrenia.
Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT)
DBT is like CBT but focuses on helping you regulate your emotions by being mindful and learning to accept thoughts and feelings that are uncomfortable. It also teaches ways to cope.
Useful for: Borderline personality disorder, emotion regulation, depression, bipolar disorder, suicidal ideation and self-destructive behaviours.
Exposure therapy
This aims to help if you suffer from anxiety, exploring what triggers it, and working with you to sit with it until it naturally decreases, rather than attempting to avoid it.
Useful for: Phobias, PTSD, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR helps you reprocess traumatic memories by recalling the traumatic event while performing specific eye movements. These are designed to help your brain process the ‘stuck’ memories, reducing distress and helping shift negative self-believes.
Useful for: PTSD.
Interpersonal therapy
This aims to ease difficult interactions with family, friends and loved ones. The therapist assesses your social interactions and helps you to notice negative patterns, understand them, and interact more positively.
Useful for: Relationship problems, depression.
Psychodynamic therapy
This looks at patterns of behaviour rooted in your attachment relationships with parents, caregivers or others close to you when you were young. It explores how these relationships may have shaped your behaviour and development and created unhelpful feelings and behaviour, and it teaches more healthy ways of interacting.
Useful for: A range of mental health issues, including depression and some personality disorders.
Family therapy
This works with the family unit to improve communication, resolve conflicts and strengthen the relationships between members. It addresses issues within the unit, rather than just treating an individual, to repair damaged relationships, set boundaries and create healthier, more supportive dynamics.
Useful for: Substance abuse disorders, eating disorders, behaviour problems, anxiety, and coping with medical issues.
Group therapy
This brings you together with other people experiencing similar issues to resolve them. The therapist leads a discussion, and you and the others can comment and share your thoughts and experiences.
Useful for: Anxiety, depression, emotional trauma, PTSD and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Mindfulness therapy
This centres on learning to feel present in the moment, encouraging you to observe and accept your surroundings, situations and feelings without judgment. “Meditation is often a large part of practising mindfulness,” Beekrum says.
Useful for: Depression, anxiety, stress, pain conditions, addictive disorders.
Get support: SAFMH (www.safmh.org, 011 781 1852), SADAG (www.sadag.org, 0800 567 567, SMS 32312), and HEAL-SA (heal-sa.org.za, 010 880 3334, WhatsApp 066 323 6869). If you’re in immediate distress, seek urgent medical help.
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