Therapy Basics

Therapy Basics & Finding A Counselor

If you’re thinking about therapy but have never sought the help of a therapist, or even know the right therapist to reach out to, AccessTherapyNow.com has the resources, information, and support you need. Browse through our reference material on topics such as types of therapists, types of counseling, situations in which therapy and counseling can be beneficial. Take the first step with AccessTherapyNow.com.

Types of Therapists

Licensed Clinical Social Workers
Clinical social workers are a master’s level (masters of social work, MSW) mental health therapist. They work with individual, couples, families and groups to help work through a variety of issues and help improve overall daily living and function. Some social workers may work for the state government while others work as therapists, in a private practice.

Licensed Professional Counselors
A counselor, Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) or Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) is a master’s level (Masters in counseling or psychology) mental health therapist. Counselors’ education and training are client centered, which is intended to encourage individual growth and well-being for a client.

Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs)
Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs) are a similar type of therapist to a LPC in that they offer a variety of dynamics to psychotherapy, including talk, analysis and solutions. Marriage and Family Therapists focus on the dynamics of marriage between both parties, and the larger dynamic of family relationships. Oftentimes, sessions with a Marriage and Family Therapist will consist of a gathering inclusive to all parties involved - both married and unmarried partners, or the entire family. During other sessions, the therapist may choose to have one-on-one session time with each individual, working toward better communication skills or an open environment within the family dynamic.

Psychiatrists
The most distinguishing characteristic of a psychiatrist is that of a medical degree. A psychiatrist is a physician specializing in mental health, therapy and possessing the ability to prescribe mental health medication. Many psychiatrists specialize in a certain field of study upon completing their medical and residential studies. Upon completing one education, many psychiatrists pursue the education of a related subfield. Although many psychiatrists will do full length talk therapy sessions, many will often just do medication evaluation and refer to outside therapists for full talk therapy.   

Psychologists
A psychologist is a doctoral level (PhD or PsyD) therapist with a degree in clinical or counseling psychology. Doctorate programs typically take five to seven years to complete. Most states also require psychologists to conduct an internship for up two years. Psychologist is a professional title granted by law, and based on a specific, accredited education in the study of the mind and human behaviors. Psychologists work with individuals, couples, families and groups.

Rehabilitation Counselors
Rehabilitation counselors is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who help people deal with the intense emotional and social effects that come from dealing with a disability. They help you overcome your issues by working you through your troubles

Types of Counseling

There are various types of counseling for many life issues, from marriage counseling to depression, anxiety and even grief counseling, there’s a support option for just about everything. Find out the types of counseling available and discover which one will work for you. Here are just a few types:

Marriage Counseling
It’s natural for conflicts to occur in a healthy marriage. However, when the two spouses have never learned effective ways of resolving these conflicts, the marriage can be in danger. Marriage counseling helps couples explore the ways in which they get stuck in their conflicts, and how to break out of those negative cycles.

Grief Counseling
Loss is extremely difficult for almost everyone, especially the loss of a parent, spouse or child. Unfortunately, in an increasingly more isolated society, many people grow up without the coping mechanisms to grieve effectively. Grief counseling is a process in which a Licensed Mental Health Counselor can help an individual work through this difficult time.

Christian Counseling
One of the newer types of counseling that many find very helpful is Christian counseling. Years ago, a Christian in need of psychological guidance would be sent to a Priest, but seminary training did not always cover the scope of psychic damage that people can experience. A Christian counselor has both religious and therapeutic training, and has integrated these disciplines to provide a more healing experience for the patient.

Family Counseling
Family units have different group pathologies than individuals, which require different types of counseling. A family counselor is trained in the types of negative family dynamics that can occur and how it can affect each individual family member. This Licensed Mental Health Counselor can then teach family members how to work, live and love together in a more positive way.

Relationship Counseling
Marriage is not the only type of relationship that may require healing. Boyfriends and girlfriends, brothers and sisters, even business partners may need help developing coping methods that will enable them to interact effectively.
 
Group Counseling
In group counseling, a single therapist works with multiple patients in order to help them resolve troubling issues. Group counseling can be effective for people who are not comfortable in a one-on-one setting, who have social anxiety issues, or who do not find it financially feasible to pursue individual counseling.

Substance Abuse Counseling
People who are in the grips of an alcohol or drug addiction need a special type of counseling. Substance abuse counseling uses professionals who are trained in understanding the workings and pathology of addiction and helping patients learn how to manage their addictions.

Teen Counseling
Teenagers are in a different stage of development than their parents, and hence need a different style of counseling. Teen counseling helps teens deal with issues such as understanding their sexuality, dealing with the temptations of drugs and alcohol and relating to their parents.

Divorce Counseling
Not every divorce needs to end in ruin and chaos. People separate for all kinds of legitimate reasons, and a divorce counselor can help make sure that break is clean. Some counselors specializing in divorce can even mediate the separation so that the process does not stretch out unnecessarily and cost both parties excessive amounts of money.

Individual Counseling
Individual counseling is a direct, active and personal approach that focuses on increasing your individual self-awareness, understanding, and adjustment. Individual counseling can help you identify the most effective ways for you personally to achieve your desired goals for this stage in life, as well as provide you with the tools to cope with difficult circumstances that may arise along the way.

Types of Issues

There are different ways to deal with troubles in our lives. Therapy is one of them, and in many cases the healthiest option. If you’re having trouble with depression or anger management, therapy is solution. If you’re going through a tough time and curious whether there’s a therapeutic solution, check out the various issues that therapy is known to help.

Anger Management
Excessive, uncontrollable anger can lead to relationship difficulties and problems with the law. Anger management therapy helps individuals learn to cope with negative feelings and find effective ways to express their feelings without resorting to anger. Most anger management therapists’ help their clients find more effective ways to communicate with others. This often requires cognitive restructuring to change thoughts that feed anger and relaxation techniques that make it possible for the person to distance himself or herself from the anger and approach situations from a calm standpoint.

Anxiety
Anxiety disorders including obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and phobias can cause symptoms such as panic attacks, heat palpitations, stomach distress, sweating, and feelings of dread. Cognitive-behavioral and drug therapies have high success rates for patients experiencing these problems. Many therapists also encourage their clients to expose themselves to anxiety-producing stimuli to show them that feelings of extreme danger and distress are unfounded.

Depression
Depression is marked by a persistent sadness that often interferes with daily activities and quality of life. Some symptoms include loss of energy, suicidal thoughts, irritability, anxiety, and difficulty concentrating. Most counselors prefer using cognitive-behavioral therapy to help their clients learn thoughts and behaviors that help them cope with negative perspectives that often create depression. They might also recommend drug therapy in combination with psychotherapy.

Divorce
Divorce can undermine the self-worth of every family member, which often results in a litany of problems such as substance abuse, depression, and anxiety. Divorce recovery uses individual and group therapy to help individuals adjust to the changes in their lives by learning effective ways to challenge negative thoughts and healthy behaviors that encourage them to cope with difficult feelings. Interpersonal and cognitive-behavioral therapies are often used to address the concerns of divorced, or divorcing, couples and other family members that such a life change affects.

Emotional Issues
Regardless of when it occurred, a traumatic experience can leave emotional issues and memories that will follow you for years. The good news is that you can heal, move on, and regain control of your life.

Life Transitions
Life is made up of a series of changes, transformations, and movements. These changes are what force us to develop and grow as individuals. But even when we know that these life transitions are for our own benefit, can they can stiff be very difficult to deal with emotionally.

Marriage Issues
The heart of many marriages issues lies in poor communication, so counselors often use communication therapy to help their clients learn effective ways to talk to each other and understand what their partners are saying. Active listening is the most popular technique in marriage counseling. Marriage issues can include financial problems, infidelity, substance abuse, and sexual difficulties. Couples therapy gives individuals in a relationship the opportunity to speak freely in a safe environment. Depending on the specific issues involved, some counselors will also encourage couples to receive individual therapy to address behaviors that cause problems in the relationship.

Self Improvement
Self-improvement is a self-guided effort to improve and empower yourself. Whether that means intellectually, emotionally, financially, physically (or a combination thereof) is completely up to you.

Stress Management
We all experience stress at some point in our lives. Some experience it more than others. When stress becomes too much, it can interfere with your life. There are ways to control and manage your stress through therapy. Teen Issues Many teenagers face complicated issues in their lives such as depression, eating disorders, low self-confidence, and substance abuse. Different types of therapy are designed to address specific teen issues. Since many teen issues like depression and substance abuse occur simultaneously, counselors often use a variety of techniques to help teens cope with life situations and their changing roles in the world.