What Is ‘Talking Therapy’And What Conditions Can It Treat?
The term ‘talking therapy’ refers not to one specific therapy but to a category of therapies. As the phrase strongly implies, ‘talking therapies’ involve a client talking to a therapist with the aim of ameliorating their particular psychological difficulty (e.g. depression, anger, addiction, eating disorders, phobias, childhood trauma, relationship problems and family problems). Studies show that in many cases ‘talking therapies’ can be at least as effective, and, frequently, more effective, than medications for the treatment of a wide range of psychological problems.
Examples Of ‘Talking Therapies’:
As stated above, there are a variety of ‘talking therapies’ from which to choose. These include the following :
- cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- counselling
- psychodynamic psychotherapy
- behavioral activation
- mindfulness-based therapies
- family therapy
- interpersonal therapy
- dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
(NB The above list is not exhaustive).
Let’s briefly look at each of these eight examples of ‘talking therapy’ in turn :
Cognitive behavioral therapy :
This type of therapy is currently widely used to help individuals with psychological difficulties and is evidence-based (i.e. supported by empirical research findings). It is a short-term therapy within which the therapist and client
