CBT, DBT, ACT, MI, ERP, EFT, IFS, EMDR and so many more. What do all these acronyms mean and how can they be used in your therapy sessions?

The following is not an extensive list of the different types of therapy by any means. The therapeutic treatments, styles, or modalities listed below are some of the most commonly practiced. If you’re new to therapy and not sure where to start, this list may be helpful in identifying a clinician or practice that you might like to work with.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) involves looking at concerns or stresses in your life and reframing how you think about those issues. CBT is broken up into three different stages: cognitive challenging, cognitive refocusing, and cognitive reframing. Throughout your sessions, your therapist will have you identify thoughts and patterns. Once you’ve identified thoughts, together you can think about whether or not the thought is helpful. From there you will work to “reframe” or rethink the unhelpful thoughts. For example, a thought could be “I’m not worthy and I don’t deserve my friends.” And a reframe could be “I am a valuable person and my friends love and care about me.”

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

The development of Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, used CBT as a base and then expanded and added acceptance and change skills. Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) was the original diagnosis DBT sought to treat, but it has also been proven to be successful in treating eating disorders, substance use disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicidal ideation, and self-harming behaviors. There are four key interventions that make up DBT: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. Your therapist may guide you through different activities during your sessions together. For more information on DBT read our DBT Overview blog post.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Contrary to CBT, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) teaches us to accept our thoughts as they are and practice mindfulness. The six key principles of ACT are Contact With the Present Moment, Values, Committed Action, Self-As-Context, Defusion, and Acceptance. ACT describes almost every psychological problem as getting “hooked” in difficult thoughts and feelings. And through “diffusion” ACT asks us to be open to the present and “become comfortable with the uncomfortable.” A popular ACT mindfulness activity is Leaves on the Stream.

Motivational Interviewing

Motivational Interviewing involves finding motivation within yourself in order to change yourself. Often used to support substance use, motivational interviewing operates on the belief that you already have the power within yourself to make changes in your life. While you may not be ready to commit to change, throughout your sessions your therapist will help guide you to find the motivation. Your therapist will spend lots of time listening and reflecting back on what they hear you saying.

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Something to keep in mind during therapy is that your therapist may not stick to one approach for the entire time you are together. Different symptoms that present themselves throughout your journey in therapy may require different approaches. Additionally, you may not spend each session engaging in activities or interventions. Therapy is a different experience for everyone and there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Most therapists will walk you through these techniques and activities with the intent that you will continue to practice the skills outside of therapy and incorporate them into your daily life.

Not sure what therapy even looks like? Read more here: What to Expect in Therapy

Sources:
Beck, J. S. (2021). Cognitive behavior therapy: Basics and beyond (Third edition). The Guilford Press.
Harris, R. (2019). ACT made simple: An easy-to-read primer on acceptance and commitment therapy (Second edition). New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
Linehan, M. (2015). DBT skills training manual (Second edition). The Guilford Press.
Understanding Motivational Interviewing | Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT). (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2023, from https://motivationalinterviewing.org/understanding-motivational-interviewing