What Is Problem-Solving Therapy? Problem-solving therapy is a structured, skills-based psychotherapy that teaches a systematic approach to identifying, analyzing, and resolving life problems, based on the understanding that difficulty coping with problems can contribute to depression and distress. How It Works Problem-solving therapy is grounded in the idea that depression and distress can arise or …
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Behavioral Activation
What Is Behavioral Activation? Behavioral activation is a structured, relatively brief psychotherapy for depression that focuses specifically on helping people increase engagement in meaningful and rewarding activities, based on the understanding that withdrawal and inactivity can maintain and worsen depressive symptoms. How It Works Behavioral activation is grounded in the idea that depression often creates …
Cognitive Therapy
What Is Cognitive Therapy? Cognitive therapy is a structured psychotherapy focused specifically on identifying and modifying distorted or unhelpful thinking patterns believed to contribute to emotional distress. It forms the cognitive component of the broader cognitive behavioral therapy family and places relatively more emphasis on thought content than behavioral change. How It Works Cognitive therapy …
Behavioral Therapy
What Is Behavioral Therapy? Behavioral therapy is a psychotherapy approach focused on changing specific, observable patterns of behavior using principles of learning theory, such as reinforcement, conditioning, and skills practice, generally with less emphasis on directly examining thought content compared to cognitive therapy. How It Works Behavioral therapy is based on the principle that behaviors …
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
What Is Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)? Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is a structured, typically group-based program that combines mindfulness meditation practices with elements of cognitive therapy, developed primarily to help prevent relapse in people with a history of recurrent depression. How It Works MBCT is based on the idea that mindfulness practice can help people …
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Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
What Is Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)? Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is a specialized behavioral therapy developed specifically for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It combines exposure to obsession-triggering situations or thoughts with deliberately preventing the compulsive behaviors normally used to reduce the resulting distress. How It Works ERP is based on the understanding that compulsions …
Exposure Therapy
What Is Exposure Therapy? Exposure therapy is a behavioral treatment approach that involves systematically and gradually confronting feared objects, situations, thoughts, or memories in a safe, structured way, in order to reduce avoidance and fear responses over time. It underlies several specialized therapies, including exposure and response prevention and prolonged exposure therapy. How It Works …
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
What Is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)? Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a form of psychotherapy that encourages psychological flexibility by helping people accept difficult thoughts and feelings rather than struggling against them, while committing to actions aligned with their personal values. It differs from therapies focused primarily on directly changing thought content by …
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
What Is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)? Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a structured, skills-based psychotherapy originally developed for chronic suicidality and borderline personality disorder. It combines standard cognitive behavioral techniques with concepts of mindfulness, acceptance, and distress tolerance, balancing the goals of accepting oneself as one is while working toward meaningful change. How It Works …
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)? Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a structured, present-focused form of psychotherapy based on the idea that thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected, and that changing unhelpful thinking patterns and behaviors can improve emotional wellbeing. It differs from open-ended talk therapies by using specific, goal-oriented techniques within a defined time …