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What Are the Types of Therapy for Mental Health Disorders?

Learn about the various types of mental health therapy and how to get access to quality treatment at Anew.

What is Mental Health Therapy?

Mental health disorders are relatively common and can run in some families. Therefore, choosing the best fit for an individual's needs can be challenging with the many different treatment options available. In addition, various mental health therapy methods yield varying results when applied to specific conditions. Hence, knowledge of the different forms of therapy is essential to making the right choice.1
Mental health therapy, also known as psychotherapy, involves working with a trained mental health professional to treat a specific mental health condition. The treatment will often include discussions with the patient to help understand, eliminate, and deal with behavioral and emotional issues.2

Mental Health Therapy vs. Mental Health Counseling

While the terms therapy and counseling have similar meanings and are often used to refer to the same things, there are some fundamental differences between them. The significant difference between therapy and counseling is the issues they tackle. Counseling involves taking care of a specific problem and often only lasts for a short while. At the same time, therapy focuses on the individual and is usually much more long-term. While a psychotherapist can offer mental health counseling, therapy requires special training and experience as well.3

What is Mental Health Therapy Used For? 

Mental health therapy can help treat various mental health disorders, including:

Benefits of Mental Health Therapy

Mental health therapy offers several benefits to mental health patients. Psychotherapists can understand the behaviors and emotions of their patients and thereby develop viable, healthy, and sustainable coping methods for them. 

Mental health therapy also helps psychotherapists understand the life events that have contributed to the deterioration of their patient's mental health. This allows them to conduct counseling to address these specific issues, improving their patient's conditions.4
Mental Health Therapy

Mental Health Therapy

Mental Health Therapy Formats

There are different approaches to mental health therapy, each with pros and cons.

 
Individual therapy is a form of treatment that involves one-on-one sessions between a mental health therapist and a patient. Group therapy, on the other hand, allows individuals with similar issues to interact with and support each other. This helps individuals realize that their problems are not specific to just them, and that others face the same issues. Although group therapy can be beneficial, it can also be counterproductive for some, as some patients may not be comfortable sharing their experiences in the presence of other people.

Marital or couple’s therapy helps those whose loved ones have mental disorders understand their spouse's condition, including the challenges they will face and how to manage them. This can also be used for couples who are going through difficult times and want to learn how to face them together.

Family therapy helps the members of a patient's family better understand their mental health disorder and how to offer support and care properly.

Types of Therapy for Mental Health

Psychotherapists take different approaches to mental health therapy. However, the most common types of therapy for mental health conditions are outlined below.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

As is indicated by its name, CBT aims to address the thought patterns of a mental health patient. CBT helps patients to develop a positive outlook toward life and themselves. Mental health disorders can distort a person's view of life, and this type of mental therapy seeks to help with that. CBT focuses more on a patient's present self than past events and situations.

Dialectical-Behavior Therapy (DBT)

DBT is a subset of CBT and focuses on helping mental health patients change unhealthy habits. Although DBT was initially meant to treat patients with suicidal and self-harming tendencies, it has been retrofitted to help patients with other mental health issues as well. Patients undergoing DBT are supported to manage intense emotions and build awareness of themselves and others.5

Interpersonal Therapy

Interpersonal therapy aims to build up a patient's self-esteem and social interaction skills. This treatment method is especially effective for the treatment of depression. Its primary focus is improving a patient’s interaction skills with others.

Psychodynamic Therapy

Psychodynamic therapy focuses on the effects of past experiences on a patient's behavior and emotions. It will often involve sessions with the psychotherapist where the patient is required to share their experiences to help determine the roots of unhealthy habits and behaviors.

Psychoanalysis

Psychoanalysis is a more rigorous form of psychodynamic therapy, with sessions taking place over several years.6

Supportive Therapy

Supportive therapy helps patients build self-esteem by teaching them to manage negative thoughts and anxiety independently.

Additional Types of Therapy for Mental Health

Besides the major types of mental health therapy, the following complimentary treatment methods are helpful for the treatment of mental health conditions.

  • Mental health occupational therapy
  • Animal-assisted therapy
  • Mental health art therapy
  • Play therapy

Six Tips for Effective Mental Health Therapy

While receiving therapy for mental health conditions, the following tips can help individuals and their families to reap the most benefits.

  • Discuss personal treatment goals with a psychotherapist. This helps make sure both parties are on the same track. The therapist can then set up a treatment plan to help the patient achieve these goals.
  • Being honest and open. Therapy is highly effective when all parties involved are open and do not hide things from one another. This is the only way for patients to reap the maximum benefits of mental health therapy sessions.
  • Each psychotherapy session is set up for a reason. Prompt attendance and adherence to a set schedule are crucial to a successful recovery.
  • Set priorities and goals based on realistic expectations of the initiated mental health therapy program.
  • Do not hesitate to ask the psychotherapist questions; try to communicate effectively as often as possible.
  • Keep a positive outlook on life. While negative thoughts are normal, try to counter them with positive statements. Your therapist will be able to help you with this as well.

Mental Health Therapy Services at Anew Treatment Center

Mental Health Therapy

Mental Health Therapy

At Anew Chemical Health Services in St Paul, MN, our inpatient and outpatient treatment programs are tailored to assist individuals in overcoming their addictions and any other mental health challenges. Our team of experts have a wealth of experience in offering trauma-informed treatment, which helps make the recovery process a lot easier.

Inpatient Mental Health Therapy Services

Our residential mental health therapy programs take on a holistic mental, physical, and spiritual healing approach. Treatment services are tailored to each client's specific needs and include a variety of groups and treatment activities.

Outpatient Mental Health Therapy Services

Our outpatient program aims to help individuals reclaim their independence and stability. We value reintegration into society while being committed to long-term health and wellness. We offer outpatient sober living for individuals who have completed residential treatment or have been free of mood-altering substances for at least thirty days.

Getting Help

Getting help at Anew means you can work with a trained mental health therapy expert. For each visit, what you'll do is determined by your therapist's chosen approaches and the topics you or a loved one want to address.


You can anticipate spending time going through emotions and how specific actions affect your life. This will almost certainly entail working through some traumatic experiences or thoughts. But, although it may be challenging, the final effect is usually a happier, more meaningful life. Contact us today to get the mental health support you or a loved one might need. 

Learn More About Our Treatment Programs

Our team is ready to talk and determine how we can help. Rest assured your call is confidential. We're here for you.