Therapy 101

In this episode of Therapy 101, a licensed mental health professional walks you through the most common types of therapy and how they actually work in real life. From Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to psychodynamic, humanistic, and trauma-focused approaches, this episode gives you a clear, jargon-free understanding of modern psychotherapy.

You’ll learn how different therapy styles address anxiety, depression, trauma, relationships, and emotional regulation—and how to decide which approach may be right for you. This episode also explores what therapy really is (and isn’t), what to expect in sessions, and why the therapist-client relationship matters just as much as the method itself.

Whether you're considering therapy for the first time, returning after a break, or simply curious about mental health, this episode offers grounded, expert insight to help you feel more informed and confident.

Key Topics Covered

• What therapy is and how it works
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) explained
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and emotional regulation
• Psychodynamic therapy and unconscious patterns
• Humanistic and person-centered therapy
• Trauma-focused therapies like EMDR and somatic approaches
• Couples and family therapy basics
• How to choose the right therapist and approach

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Influencing you that you're not fully aware of. Yo, welcome to the show. All about mental health and overall health. Let's get to it. I am extremely excited that you're here today because we're gonna dive into something that is foundational, something I wish more people had a clear, approachable understanding of, and that's therapy. Specifically, what therapy actually is and the different types of therapies that exist. If you've ever thought I know therapy helps, but I don't really know what kind I need, or even what do therapists actually do. This episode is for you. Shout out to the people that can think that think that they can be therapists that have no training, no educational background with psychology whatsoever. This is for you. As a mental health professional, I've seen firsthand how confusing this landscape can be. There isn't just one kind of therapy, there are many approaches, each with different philosophies, techniques, and ending goals. So today I'm breaking it all down in a way that's simply real and practical. But let's go dive back. What is therapy actually? Like what it is, what is it actually? Let's start with the basics. So therapy is at its core, basically, it is a structured collaborative process between a trained professional and a client. It's aimed to improve mental, emotional, as well as behavioral well-being. It's not just about talking, it's not all talking, it's not just talk about talking about all your problems. And if a therapist ever says, I'm gonna give you some advice, run away. Run away, we don't give advice. Therapy is about increasing awareness, it's about understanding patterns, it's about building skills, processing experiences, as well as creating change. And here's something important therapy is not one size fits all. We don't all wear a large, we don't all wear a medium, we all know we're small. Therapy is not a one size fits all. Different people need different approaches depending on their personality, depending on their goal, their history, the issue that they're dealing with, and that's why understanding the different types of therapies matters. Let's start with the most well known that is cognitive behavioral therapy, or also known as CBT, not CBT, CBT. CBT is based on simply the power of idea, your thoughts, your feelings, your behaviors, those things are all interconnected. I like to say physical reaction, but that's a whole other conversation. So if you change one of those things, thought, emotion, behavior, you can influence the other. In CBT, we focus on identifying negative thought patterns, cognitive distortions, unhelpful behaviors. For example, you may think I always mess things up. That thought leads to anxiety or shame, which leads to avoidance as well as procrastination. CBT helps to challenge that thought, replace it with something more concrete, something that's more accurate, something that's more functional. Take action in different ways, it's structured, goal-oriented, as well as short term. CBT works especially well for anxiety, depression, OCD, phobias, but it's not for everyone. Some people find it too structured or too focused on fixing thoughts rather than exploring deeper emotional experiences. Now let's shift into something deeper: psychodynamic therapy. This approach is rooted in the idea that the unconscious processes shape our behaviors. In other words, there are things influencing you that you're not fully aware of. This therapy focuses on early life experiences, attachment patterns, relationships, uh, emotional insight. Instead of asking how do we fix this thought, psychodynamic therapy asks, where do this pattern come from? Where does this pattern form? When did this start to happen? For example, if you're struggling with trust, we might explore if we're practicing psychodynamic, we may explore your earlier relationships, repeated relationship dynamics, emotional wounds that haven't been processed yet. This kind of therapy is less structured, more explorative, often long, like longer term. It's especially helpful for relationship issues, identity struggles, long standing emotional patterns. Next, we have the humanistic approach, like person-centered therapy. This type of therapy is built on core belief. People have an inherent capacity for growth. There in this in this therapist's role isn't necessarily to fix you, but to create the condition where you can grow. That includes empathy, unconditional, positive regard, apathy in a person-centered therapy. The therapist isn't directing the sessions heavily. Instead, what they're doing, what we're doing, is reflecting. We are validating. We're helping you access your own insight. This approach can feel very supportive as well as empowering. It's especially helpful for self-esteem issues, identity exploring, people who feel misunderstood or judged. Now let's talk about DBT, aka dialect behavioral therapy. DBT is actually a form of CBT, but with an added focus on emotional regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness. It was originally developed for individuals with intense emotional experience, especially those with borderline personality disorder. But today it's used much more broadly. DBT teaches very concrete skills. Skills like how to tolerate distress without making things worse, how to manage overwhelming emotions, how to communicate effectively in relationships. One of the core ideas in DBT is dalex, holding two truths at once. For example, I'm doing the best I can and I need to change. That balance is extremely powerful. Now let's talk about my favorite approaches, and that is trauma-focused therapies. These approaches are specifically designed to address trauma and its impact on the nervous system. Some examples include one of my faves, EMDR, which stands for eye movement, desensitizing and reprocessing. Another favorite, all of these are my favorite, of course. Somatic therapies, trauma focus, cognitive behavior therapy. These therapies recognize something that is more geared towards trauma. Trauma isn't just stored in the memory, but these modalities recognize that trauma is stored in the body. So, with that being said, treatment often includes processing trauma memories or processing traumatic memories, regulating the nervous system, reconnecting with the body. For people with trauma, uh traditional talk therapy alone may not be enough. These approaches are more specialized and often more structured around safety and panic. Not all therapy is individual. Couples and family therapy focuses on relationships as well as the unit of treatment. Instead of asking, what what's wrong with this person? We typically ask, What's happening in the system? This type of therapy looks at communication patterns, roles within the family, conflict cycles. It's not picking sides, that's not what it's about. It's about understanding dynamics and helping people interact in a healthy way. So, with all of these options, how do you choose what works for you? Here's the truth you don't need to have it perfectly figured out, that's not what the goal is. The truth is, a good therapist will help guide you. But here's some general pointers. If you want structure and tools, CBT or DBT, if you want deeper insight, psychodynamic, if you want a supportive, non-direct space, humanistic, if you're dealing with trauma, trauma-focused therapy, also the relationship matters more than the modality. You can have the right type of therapy with the wrong therapist, and in that case, it won't work. Therapy is not just one thing, it's a spectrum, it's a spectrum of approaches, each offering different pathways to healing as well as growth. And the most important takeaway is this there is no single correct way to do therapy. What matters is finding what works for you. Listen, if this episode has helped you clarify things or has given you a new perspective, I'm really glad that you spent the time with me to gain that. And if it's given any insight, please share this with your friends. Share this with everybody. And if you've been thinking about therapy, maybe this is a sign to explore it a little bit more. Thank you for being here. I'll see you next time.