-Winnicott

‘it is a joy to be hidden and a disaster not to be found’

What is therapy?

In the context of mental health, the term ‘therapy’ is slang for ‘psychotherapy’ and commonly encompasses everything that falls under the umbrella of talking therapies.

So what are talking therapies? The term talking therapies refers to the idea that talking will help us disentangle and resolve that which ails us. Within talking therapies, there are all sorts of different approaches as to how this might look.

Therapy approaches

Though there are other types of therapies, most of the talking therapies commonly offered fall under one of three approaches:

  • Cognitive and behavioural therapies

  • Psychoanalytical and psychodynamic therapies

  • Humanistic therapies

Briefly summarised, cognitive and behavioural therapies focus on behavioural patterns and how these link to thoughts and feelings seeking to change the pattern through goal-focussed interventions.

Psychoanalytical and psychodynamic therapies seek to understand more about the individual's unconscious processes and tend to be less goal-focussed and more exploratory.

Humanistic therapies are associated with emphasising the unique potential of each individual and realising this potential by fostering a nurturing and open space for the individual to explore.