Although more and more people are attending therapy in this day and age, it is still an undiscovered game-changer for many people. Most people consider therapy to be something you attend when you are severely mentally ill, or have undergone a huge, devastating blow, like the death of a loved one. Similarly, there are certain types of therapy, such as ESDM therapy, designed for autistic children, which is highly specialized for individuals with certain conditions. While it is true that therapy is necessary for those situations, anyone and everyone can benefit from having a therapist. We all carry trauma, although some people carry more and others less, and we all have unhealthy habits or mentalities which would benefit from being challenged.

 If you have never considered going to therapy, here are three types of therapy which will change your life for the better. 

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1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioral therapy, also known as CBT, is a very popular form of therapy worldwide. It consists of a trained therapist having one-on-one sessions with a patient who is experiencing any kind of difficulties with their thoughts, emotions or interactions with others – such as depression, anxiety, intrusive thoughts, paranoia or guilt. This type of therapy seeks to help the patient understand what thoughts are, how they operate and how our brains can form patterns of thinking. If you are having anxious thoughts all the time, eventually your brain will automatically go down the anxiety route when anything happens. CBT seeks to help your brain un-learn all of the negative cognitive behaviors in your brain and learn fresh, rational ways of thinking. It involves making diaries and doing cognitive exercises with your therapist. 

2. EMDR Therapy 

EMDR therapy, standing for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a form of therapy which involves consciously replicating the REM stages of sleep with a therapist. When we sleep, our eyes move backwards and forwards under our lids – this is called REM, rapid eye movement, and it allows our brain to process what has happened over the day. 

If we go through a particularly traumatic experience, our brains can’t process it properly using REM. So instead it gets stored away unprocessed, and can return to us in the form of PTSD, post traumatic stress disorder, which can involve flashbacks and panic attacks. EMDR therapy involves thinking about the experience, bringing it to the front of your mind, and moving your eyes back and forth as if you were in the REM stages of sleep. It helps us process traumatic events. 

3. Talk Therapy

Sometimes the best way to deal with a difficult event is through talking. If you are going through the death of a loved one or another emotional event, talking therapy can allow you to gush out all your feelings that have been bottled up, with a licensed therapist who can help you rationalize and process the feelings. This can help alleviate anxiety, stress and feelings of guilt you have held inside, and allow you to heal and move on more quickly. 

•Have you tried any of these methods of therapy? I swear by EMDR!

Thank you for reading!