If this is your first time trying therapy, or you simply want to look into the different types of therapy to make a choice, you are at the right place.
You may have noticed that there are several types of therapy available. Some approaches may work best for specific mental health issues, while others could help with multiple disorders at once.
For example, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) has been proven successful in treating specific conditions such as Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), in contrast, could help with multiple issues such as depression, social anxiety, low self-esteem, etc.
Here’s a look at the five most common types of therapy and a quick guide on how to choose the right type of therapy. The information provided about the approaches can help you make a choice that best fits your needs!
The psychodynamic approach is a type of therapy that helps you understand how your past experiences may have influenced your current thoughts and behaviours.
During sessions, you may talk and explore your feelings with a therapist in Singapore. Your Therapist may ask you several questions to help you learn more about yourself.
Psychodynamic therapy can help you with issues such as:
The psychodynamic approach aims to bring your unconscious or subconscious (ie thoughts hidden in your mind) feelings to the surface.
For example, if you struggle with making new friends, a therapist may help you see that this could be due to a fear of intimacy that may have started in your childhood.
Rather than focusing only on the problem, this type of therapy may help you dig deep into the root causes of the issues and make big changes in how you function.
Ana is a perfectionist who wants to be ‘capable’ of doing everything. Through psychodynamic therapy in Singapore, her therapist helps her understand that her perfectionism may be a reflection of her relationship with her father.
Ana reveals that she grew up seeing her father do ‘everything’ for the family. She realises that she thus views him as the ‘ideal’ or ’perfect’ human being.
Ana’s therapist helps her map how she may be unconsciously comparing herself to her father, equating anything less than what he did to be imperfect.
However, it may not be the right type of therapy if you’re looking for something relatively short-term. Psychodynamic therapy is a long-term process and can take months and even years of work, depending on your issues and therapy goals.
CBT is one of the most widely used types of therapy that helps you address two elements: cognition and behaviour.
Your therapist may help you replace unwanted or negative thoughts and actions with productive ones. In other words, your thoughts and behaviours are interconnected.
For example, if a person believes they are not smart, they may avoid engaging in complex tasks, which may then reinforce the negative belief.
However, a therapist may use skills like cognitive reframing to change the belief.
What proof does the person have for believing they are not smart? Where can they look for the proof?
The person may learn to break the negative cycle through introspective questions such as the above.
CBT can help with issues such as:
Sam is a college student who is struggling with social anxiety and self-esteem issues. During one of their therapy sessions, Sam brings up something that has been on their mind recently.
‘I hate how I’m never able to do a presentation well. I mess up every time. Everyone must think I’m such a loser. You know, my classmate Jean? She always does it perfectly.’
Sam and their therapist in Singapore have been working on CBT for the past month. Their therapist gently poses the following question, ‘Shall we take a step back and try to identify the cognitive distortions present in that line of thought?’
What cognitive distortions do you think Sam engaged in here? Let’s take a quick look at them below:
Overgeneralisation: By using words such as ‘never’, ‘every time’ and ‘always’, Sam is overgeneralising.
Disqualifying the positive: They are also disqualifying the positive by looking at only the mess-up and discrediting the fact that they made a presentation despite their social anxiety and self-esteem issues.
Magnification (catastrophising) and minimisation: By viewing their one mistake as ‘always messing up’ and their friend’s presentation skills as ‘always perfect’, Sam is engaging in both magnification and minimisation.
Jumping to conclusions (mind reading): Sam is also jumping to the conclusion that their classmates must think they are a ‘loser’ because the presentation didn’t go as well as they expected.
DBT is a type of therapy that can help you manage and control your emotions better.
Scientists first developed DBT to specifically help with the symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). However, the approach has evolved over time to address several other concerns with just as much effectiveness.
DBT therapists may focus on helping you accept your feelings and learn coping skills to manage highly distressing situations.
The term ‘dialectical’ means working with opposing forces. Hence, in addition to accepting yourself, you may also learn the power of changing negative qualities.
DBT teaches you several key skills, such as:
People often choose DBT to receive support for:
Humanistic therapy is one of the best types of therapy for someone working towards personal growth.
Also known as person-centred or client-centred therapy, it is a form of therapy where the therapeutic approach is completely tailored to the person.
Humanistic therapists don’t position themselves as experts but rather as collaborators or agents in your healing journey. They are simply here to help guide you in accessing your own innate wisdom to achieve your goals.
Unlike other types of therapy where therapists may offer some strategy or technique, person-centred therapists in Singapore usually pose questions to bring out the client’s own answers and strategies that feel right to them.
There are several subtypes in humanistic therapy, including but not limited to:
Humanist therapy can help with issues such as:
Rohan is a 30-year-old techie who has been struggling with work stress for a few years. In one of his narrative therapy sessions in Singapore, he brings up how he has been feeling ‘dissatisfied at work’. Here’s a brief snippet of the conversation:
Therapist: “Rohan, what does satisfaction at work mean to you?”
Rohan: “Well, I think I’d say I’m satisfied with work if I feel content logging out after a long day’s work. Right now, I work so much, but I end up feeling empty.”
Therapist: “Can you describe ‘feeling empty’ for me?”
Rohan: “It’s when I feel drained and exhausted, and I don’t feel connected to the work I do”.
Therapist: “Okay. Can you tell me what you think needs to be different for you to feel satisfied with work?”
Rohan: “I guess I’d feel better if I was doing something I’m passionate about or if I got the necessary recognition for the work that I do.”
Therapist: “What is something that you’re passionate about and that you feel thrilled at the prospect of doing, Rohan?”
Rohan: “I’ve always wanted to explore my love for art. I wish I could turn it into a full-time career.”
Therapist: “And what do you think is stopping you from doing that?”
Rohan: “I guess I’m scared of the risks involved. Oh, and also about what people might say about me leaving a six-figure corporate job to go paint the sunset.”
If you answered yes to the above questions, humanistic therapy may be your cup of tea.
Eclectic psychotherapy combines aspects, techniques and strategies from different types of therapy.
Most modern therapists in Singapore practice some level of eclectic therapy.
Eclectic therapy offers greater flexibility and freedom for your therapist to tailor your therapeutic approach based on your unique needs and goals.
Eclectic therapy may be the best choice for you if:
It can be hard to predict or foresee how an eclectic therapist may work. Not only do each eclectic therapist work differently, but they may also choose different approaches for different clients and even different sessions with the same client.
This is why, as you may have noticed, we have not included a ‘How it works’ section for eclectic therapy.
Due to the same reason, eclectic therapy may not be the right choice for someone who craves structure and consistency.
Choosing the right type of therapy can be tricky, as there are several options to choose from.
Ask yourself some questions to reflect on what kind of therapy can help you best. For example:
Firstly, try to think about what you need help with, what your therapy goals are. For example, CBT can help if you want to change your thinking patterns or how you view the world.
Psychodynamic therapy may be helpful if you want to understand your feelings better or explore deeper issues.
Secondly, reflect on what makes you feel comfortable. Some people may prefer having clear steps to follow, which CBT offers.
Others may prefer a flexible and exploratory approach, which humanistic or psychodynamic therapy could offer.
Remember that your therapist will work with you to decide on an approach. Hence, try to be open to suggestions!
If you start with one therapist or type of therapy and it does not feel right, it is okay to look for a different professional. Finding the right fit means finding someone who makes you feel safe and understood.
There is no single type of therapy that may work for everyone. In addition to the approaches discussed above, there are various other types of therapy that you can explore.
The right approach and the right therapist depend on a variety of factors, including but not limited to:
Your goals for therapy – what are you looking to achieve/address, and
Your preferences – what you feel comfortable with
Here’s a quick roadmap that you may use to find the right fit:
Research and analyse the benefits of different types of therapy
Shortlist the approaches that resonate with you
Talk to a therapist specialising in these approaches
Make the choice!
At the end of the day, the most important thing is that you find a therapist you trust and feel comfortable with.
When you’re ready to start therapy, Therapists at TYHO are here to help you get started on your self–growth journey!
The best types of therapy for anxiety are:
Family therapy is one of the many types of therapy that help members of a family cope with challenges and improve family dynamics. It can be sought by:
Meanwhile, individual therapy caters to the mental health needs of individuals. Whereas family therapy is attended by multiple people and works on the relationship between them, individual therapy helps with personal growth, burnout, individual mental health issues and more.
Below are the different types of CBT therapy:
If you are in crisis, or another person may be in danger, do not use this site. Please refer to these resources instead.
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