A Guide to Therapy Approaches

Therapists often will combine different therapy modalities during sessions. Just like a physical therapist will use heat and ice, specific exercises with weights, or different kinds of stretches depending on a patient’s injury, a behavioral therapist will use certain therapy modalities to treat specific diagnoses.

Understanding Therapy Modalities and why they matter and choosing a therapist can feel overwhelming when you see terms like CBT, DBT, EMDR, or ACT. You don’t need to know all the details to start therapy, but understanding the basics can help you feel more confident and informed about your care.

Below, you’ll find the most common modalities our therapists use, what they’re designed to help with, and what they may feel like in session.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

ACT is a therapy approach that focuses on behaving more consistently with your own values, applying mindfulness skills, and leveraging acceptance skills. These skills ultimately develop psychological flexibility, which allows you to accept your thoughts and emotions without judgment and act on long-term values rather than short-term impulses.

A common treatment for: Addiction, Anxiety Disorders, Depression, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Substance Use

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

One of the most popular and well-studied therapy modalities, CBT, is the foundation for many other therapy modalities due to its evidence-based principles, emphasis on understanding the relationship between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, and its adaptability to address various mental health conditions and challenges. CBT aims to question and change negative thought patterns, apply emotional regulation techniques, and develop effective coping strategies.

A common treatment for: Addiction, Anxiety Disorders, Depression, Eating Disorders, Relationship Issues

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)

CPT is a cognitive-based therapy modality that helps people process and work through traumatic events and memories. Just like in CBT, CPT helps challenge and alter maladaptive thoughts and beliefs but is specifically focused on thoughts and memories related to past trauma. Common techniques of CPT include exposure therapy and cognitive reappraisal.

A common treatment for: Trauma, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Complex PTSD

Dance/movement therapy (DMT)

DMT is the psychotherapeutic use of movement to promote emotional, social, cognitive, and physical integration. Led by licensed therapists, it is based on the premise that mind, body, and spirit are interconnected, allowing individuals to process trauma, release stress, and express emotions nonverbally.

A common treatment for: Trauma, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Complex PTSD, Depression, Anxiety, Life transitions, Grief, Eating disorders and body image concerns

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

EMDR is slightly different from the other therapy modalitiesies described because it is not a form of talk-therapy. It’s a therapeutic approach where the client focuses on a traumatic memory and the therapist uses bilateral stimulation — typically eye movements, but also sounds and tapping — to reduce the vividness of the traumatic experience. Because of the way the brain stores traumatic memories, EMDR aims to help your brain reprocess the memory and “repair” the mental injury.

A common treatment for: Eating disorders, Trauma, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Complex PTSD, and Phobias

Play Therapy

Play therapy is an evidence-based, 70-year-old mental health treatment, typically for children aged 3–12, that uses play as a natural language to process emotions, trauma, and behavioral challenges. It helps children build coping skills, improve communication, and gain emotional regulation in a safe environment, often utilizing specialized toys to act out feelings.

A common treatment for: Developmental Support, Life Changes, Emotional & Behavioral Issues

Somatic Therapy

Somatic therapy uses body awareness, breathwork and movement exercises to be more aware of bodily sensations and release stored emotions.

A common treatment for: Trauma, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Complex PTSD, Anxiety, Depression and Chronic Pain