The world of psychotherapy and recovery can be complex and there are many different approaches that are available for people that need to quit an addiction. Not every treatment center will have the same options for therapy but people that are interested in specific therapy methods can find a program that offers what they need. Looking into different treatment methods can give you a better idea of what options are out there for recovery from addiction or mental illness.

Psychotherapy can fall into many different categories as far as the method that the therapist uses to approach various issues that the patient may be facing. Therapists may employ one specific approach or incorporate a few different methods based on the individual needs of the patient. Higher end treatment centers may have more modern therapy methods that are different than traditional talk therapy.

Therapy methods can include options like eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), emotional freedom techniques (EFT) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Treatment centers may offer a few of these methods to treat their patients for mental health problems such as depression or anxiety and substance abuse issues. Understanding more about these different methods can help you better prepare for treatment and find an approach that you think will work best for you.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

EMDR is a relatively new method of treatment that focuses mainly on alleviating some of the issues associated with trauma. People often experience trauma early on in life when they experience something stressful that remains in their body and mind for years. The concept behind EMDR is that certain distressing experiences can be stored in the memory and continue to affect a person later in life.

As a treatment method EMDR targets a person’s eye movements and the way that they are associated with their anxiety and traumatic memories. Our eyes tend to move involuntarily when we are recalling a traumatic or stressful event. Patients are taught how to have voluntary control over their eye movements when thinking of a traumatic thought which can dramatically reduce anxiety.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Another treatment method that can be common in recovery centers is the use of dialectical behavior therapy or DBT. It is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy that can be helpful for all kinds of issues related to substance abuse and mental health. It focuses on important therapeutic skills including mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation and interpersonal effectiveness.

Mindfulness can be effective in therapy because it teaches a patient how to be more accepting of their emotions and more present in the moment. People who try to escape their emotions through self-medication or other behaviors need to work on mindfulness and distress tolerance which can help them be more accepting of negative emotion as a part of life. Emotional regulation can help patients develop strategies to manage intense feelings interpersonal effectiveness can help them improve communication with other and strengthen relationships.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

A less common type of therapy that is not necessarily a type of psychotherapy is transcranial magnetic stimulation. This is a method that uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in the brain to improve symptoms of depression. It is a noninvasive procedure that is typically only used when other depression treatment methods haven’t been effective.

In a TMS session an electromagnetic coil is placed directly on the patient’s scalp that delivers a painless magnetic pulse to stimulate the brain. It can help to activate areas of the brain that may have decreased activity in people suffering from depression. By stimulating regions of the brain involved in mood control it can ease symptoms and prove the overall mood of the patient.

Emotional Freedom Techniques

A different therapy method that combines alternative medicine and counseling involves the use of emotional freedom techniques. It involves ideas such as “energy psychology” and the Chinese philosophy of chi or life force that flows throughout the body. EFT is a method that attempts to clear negative energy and emotional issues from a person’s body and mind.

During an EFT session a patient will be asked to focus on a specific issue while tapping on end points of the body’s energy meridians. There may also be other actions such as eye movements incorporated to help improve psychological problems. Although many in the field of psychology consider EFT a pseudoscience, it is thought to help patients through relaxation and the placebo effect which can help them let go of negative thoughts and memories that may be affecting their health.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Probably the most traditional and commonly used therapy method in treatment centers is cognitive behavioral therapy. Most counselors and therapists employ cognitive behavioral therapy methods in their sessions and incorporate it into their treatment of patients with all kinds of different issues. It focuses primarily on a patient’s maladaptive thinking and how that can affect their emotions and behavior.

CBT helps to identify critical behaviors that need changing for better mental health and functioning. The patient’s behavior may be influenced by negative thoughts, anxieties and false beliefs that need to be addressed and reshaped. A therapist or counselor can help the patient combat their negative beliefs and gain a more positive perspective in a way that allows them to become more well-adjusted in life.

People who struggle with mental health or substance abuse issues can benefit from any one of these therapy methods. Treatment centers may offer different combinations of these or other unique methods to help patients recover from their individual problems. Using more than one type of therapy can help ensure that each patient finds a method that works best for them and their personal needs.

It is important to be satisfied with the therapy methods that an addiction or mental health treatment program offers. If you are looking for a specific type of therapy method, contact treatment centers and find out which therapies they offer their patients.