What different therapists are there

Some high school therapists also provide testing and counseling services. Marriage and family therapists are trained in using psychotherapy and other mental health approaches to identify, diagnose, and treat mental disorders that disrupt the marriage and family environment. Not only do these therapists work with families to help them resolve issues, but they also work with individuals in the family and with couples as well.

Instead, these therapists advise their clients on dietary recommendations that will help improve their physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

Typically, nutritional therapists work with chronically ill patients, such as those with diabetes. The primary role of a school therapist is to help guide students of all ages toward making positive strides toward their goals.

This might take the form of skill building with developmentally delayed students in elementary schools, goal-setting with college-bound high schoolers, or behavioral modification with middle schoolers that have ADHD.

In other words, social therapists seek to understand issues like relationships, depression, and grief within the context of different groups i. Social work therapists are mostly involved in advocacy for marginalized groups of people. For example, social work therapists might coordinate services for a developmentally disabled individual such that that person can live as independently as possible in the community.

In other words, these therapists assist their clients in finding the resources they need to live a healthy, productive lifestyle. Trauma therapists are specially trained to help people deal with the stressors associated with specific traumas, like being abused, experiencing the death of a loved one, or living through a natural disaster.

Think of trauma therapists as the first responders of the mental health community whose job is to stabilize the client in the immediate aftermath of the trauma. Some hospitals, nursing homes, and other medical facilities use therapy pets to provide support or comfort.

NAMI indicate that therapy dogs are particularly helpful to patients with cancer , heart disease , or mental health disorders. An article in Frontiers in Psychology , researchers recommend using animal-assisted therapy, alongside music therapy, an enriched environment, and other supportive therapies, to minimize stress and trauma for hospitalized people who may require compulsory admission or seclusion.

Emotion-focused therapy EFT focuses on building awareness of emotions and regulating and resolving them. EFT encourages people to work on their emotions rather than suppressing them. According to a article , EFT can treat:. Family therapy involves working with a family unit to help an individual within the family resolve specific issues. Family therapists help a family understand and work through patterns of negative behavior that may cause underlying problems.

An article in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health states that family therapy can help families with adolescents experiencing mental health issues. Group therapy allows people experiencing similar issues to join together as a group to resolve them. In group therapy, a therapist leads the discussion, and individuals can comment or contribute personal thoughts and experiences.

Group therapy helps a person see that they are not alone, and it offers people an opportunity to support each other. However, a disadvantage of group therapy is that a person does not get the same amount of one-on-one attention as they would in a one-to-one therapy situation.

Group therapy is also less confidential, meaning some people may be reluctant to share their experiences. According to the American Group Psychotherapy Association , group therapy can benefit people with:. Mindfulness is the practice of becoming present in the moment.

Mindfulness aims to encourage a person to observe and accept things as they are and without judgment. A study found that mindfulness-based therapy helped relieve anxiety and depressions in people who had cancer.

However, the researchers indicate that the benefits of the therapy may not be long-lasting. Another study found that mindfulness-based interventions were beneficial to people with:. Meditation can be a big part of practicing mindfulness. Creative art therapy aims to engage the mind through various methods of creativity. Creative art therapy allows people to express how they are feeling through different mediums, such as art, dance, music, or poetry.

According to the American Art Therapy Association , art therapists use these sessions to:. Specialists use play therapy to help children talk about their thoughts and feelings. A psychodynamic therapist otherwise referred to as a "psychoanalyst," is a mental health professional who focused on the unconscious content of a patient's psyche.

Mental health professionals use this in-depth form of talk therapy to focus on identifying the root cause of a patient's emotional pain. The therapist helps patients spend time in self-examination and self-reflection, identifying their problem relationship patterns to help them lead healthier lives.

Find jobs. Company reviews. Find salaries. Upload your resume. Sign in. Finding a Job. Types of therapists. Marriage and family counselor. Addiction therapist. Behavioral therapist. Divorce therapist. Child therapist. Clinical therapist. Cognitive therapist.

Cognitive-behavioral therapist. Eating disorder therapist. Exercise therapist. Psychotherapy is person-to-person treatment or management of mental health problems, disorders, and general mental health upkeep.

Many people seek out a mental health professional for a specific mental health problem like anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, or addiction, but therapy can be a useful tool for anyone. There are types of therapy dedicated to relationships both familial and intimate, grief, loss, illness, break-ups, work stress, existential crises, personal development, and more.

Nearly half of U. Many people need therapy to deal with mental health problems, but many others simply want an objective professional to help them navigate some of the trickier areas of life. Some people may be looking for a therapist with advanced training and a state-approved license, while others may find great counsel in life coaches, clergy, or others. Psychiatrists are medical doctors MD or DO who can prescribe medication to their patients, in addition to practicing psychotherapy.

Psychologists are similar to psychiatrists, but are unable to prescribe medication. In a scenario where they believe a patient would benefit from medication, psychologists typically have a working relationship with other psychiatrists and doctors to facilitate that conversation. Psychologists usually have a doctoral degree Ph. D or Psy. D typically and are trained in understanding how the mind and behavior correspond.

You may see some psychologists listed as counseling psychologists and others as clinical psychologists — the primary difference is that a counseling psychologist helps patients to deal with more day-to-day problems, where clinical psychology may focus more on severe mental illness. That said, both are considered licensed psychologists and neither will prescribe medication.

Counselors like these can help people develop a better relationship with their mental health, learning strategies to cope with their emotions. LCSWs are usually referred to as clinical social workers or just social workers. All can offer helpful forms of mental health services and health care for many types of problems and mental illness.

For every type of therapist and every type of problem, there are even more types of therapy.