Main directions of psychotherapy

There are currently over 400 areas of psychotherapy . They allow working with different groups and concerns: from children and teenagers to families and couples; from motivation problems to serious mental disorders. This time we will analyze methods that allow providing primarily individual psychological assistance. They can be divided into several subgroups :

Humanistic methods. They emphasize the present moment, freedom of choice, and responsibility for one's life. The therapist creates a supportive and accepting environment where the client can explore their feelings and aspirations. Such methods include client-centered therapy, Gestalt therapy, and others.

Psychodynamic methods. These methods are based on the idea that unconscious conflicts formed in childhood influence a person’s behavior and emotions in adulthood. The work is done through awareness of these deep processes, analysis of the relationship with the therapist, and interpretation of internal conflicts. Psychodynamic approaches include classical Freudian psychoanalysis, Jungian analysis, Lacanian psychoanalysis, transference-focused therapy, and others.

Behavioral methods. Originally based on learning theories, where behavior is formed through reinforcement, habits, and conditioned responses. Therapy focuses on changing unwanted behavior and developing new skills through training and behavioral experiments. More modern behavioral methods also focus on needs and their satisfaction to solve problems. Such approaches include: cognitive behavioral therapy, exposure therapy, as well as acceptance and commitment therapy, schema therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, compassion-focused therapy, and others that developed on the basis of these behavioral methods.

Let's take a closer look at the most popular methods:

Gestalt therapy focuses on the experiences of the “here and now.” It helps a person to recognize and experience their emotions, as well as to understand how past experiences influence behavior in the present. Working with bodily sensations, emotions, and dialogue with the inner parts of the personality play an important role.

The therapist does not simply analyze the client's problems, but actively interacts with them using experiments, role-playing games, and awareness techniques. For example, the client may imagine a conversation with a person for whom he has strong feelings, or express suppressed emotions through creativity.

"In this approach, the therapist is not just an expert and observer, but also an active participant in the process, because the relationship between the client and the therapist also becomes one of the focuses of therapy. The client builds a relationship with the therapist that is different from the usual one, and, having gained new experience, learns to make a conscious choice in real life." – comments Daria Frolova, a psychologist practicing the Gestalt approach.

This method of therapy is suitable, for example, for working with anxiety, emotional blocks, relationship difficulties, low self-esteem and the search for meaning.

Psychoanalysis is aimed at studying the unconscious processes that underlie the work of our psyche. This method is based on the assumption that the psyche, due to trauma, peculiarities of childhood development, suppressed desires and internal conflicts, may not be mature enough to process life events, which leads to psychological problems in adulthood. The work is carried out through free associations, dream analysis and interpretation of transference – relationships that the client unconsciously projects onto the therapist.

"Psychoanalysis does not simply eliminate symptoms, but changes the very structure of the psyche, helping a person to better adapt and function. This is why it is especially effective for personality disorders – during therapy, stable emotional and behavioral patterns are rebuilt. Instead of fighting specific manifestations, such as anxiety or depression, the deep organization of the psyche changes, due to which getting rid of symptoms becomes a side effect," describes the approach practicing psychoanalytic psychotherapist Ekaterina Fominova .

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is based on working with thoughts and behavior. It has a clear structure: at the beginning of therapy, the psychologist collects detailed information about the client’s problem and sets a goal for further work. The specialist regularly measures progress using tests or collecting feedback.

The CBT therapist also offers the client various exercises and homework: for example, gradually start doing what worries him or keep records of his thoughts. The psychologist in this method takes a more expert position – that is, guides the client and offers him techniques, naturally, relying on feedback.

CBT is used for anxiety, depression, phobias, as well as issues related to motivation, relationship problems, shyness and more .

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) recognizes that constantly trying to get rid of “symptoms” often only increases suffering. Unlike traditional symptom-focused treatments, ACT’s primary goal is to develop psychological flexibility. This is the ability to accept difficult experiences and act in accordance with one’s values, even when it is accompanied by discomfort. Where attempts to fight only increase suffering, ACT offers a path of conscious choice and value-oriented living.

"Instead of struggling with anxiety, fears and unpleasant experiences, the client learns to observe them without excessive judgment, to recognize their influence and to accept them as a natural part of human experience. An important element of therapy is working with values and meanings of life: a person determines what is really important to him and learns to act in this direction, even if he experiences fear or discomfort. The work uses mindfulness techniques, metaphors and behavioral experiments. ACT has proven its effectiveness in chronic stress, anxiety and depressive disorders, self-esteem issues, procrastination and existential crises," comments on the ACT method and CBT therapist Farhad Bulatov.