Therapy Approaches (Quick Guide)
If you’ve come across terms like CBT, DBT, ACT, it can feel confusing.
Here’s a simple breakdown.
Trauma-Informed
Focus: safety and pace
- You’re not pushed too quickly
- Your experiences are understood in context
Strengths-Based
Focus: what’s already working
- Builds on your strengths
- Moves away from “what’s wrong with you”
CBT
Focus: thoughts, feelings, behaviours
- Helps shift unhelpful thinking patterns
- Useful for anxiety and overthinking
DBT
Focus: managing intense emotions
- Emotional regulation
- Coping with overwhelm
ACT
Focus: acceptance and values
- Helps you step back from difficult thoughts
- Focuses on what matters to you
- Supports meaningful action
Mindfulness-Based (MBCT)
Focus: awareness and presence
- Noticing thoughts without getting stuck in them
- Grounding and slowing down
- Helpful for overthinking and anxiety
Motivational Interviewing
Focus: change at your pace
- Works through mixed feelings
- Supports decisions without pressure
In Practice
Therapy is usually a blend:
- Safe and trauma-informed
- Strengths-based
- Practical tools (CBT/DBT)
- Acceptance and mindfulness (ACT/MBCT)
The Key Thing
The right approach is the one that:
- Feels safe
- Makes sense to you
- Helps in real life