When you think about therapy, what do you picture? Many see someone sitting on a couch talking about their life and emotions while a therapist sits across from them with a clipboard. While this is often true of talk therapy, there are a lot of different types of therapy that some people may find more affective. If you’ve ever been referred to a therapist or considered going to see one all on your own but been deterred by the idea of talk therapy, there may a different type that can really help you.
Even if you don’t have a mental health disorder or you feel like you can work through things on your own, the right kind of therapy could help you overcome the things that might be holding you back or weighing you down. These are just a small sampling of therapies that are a departure from simple talk therapy.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy hones in on the things that have negative impacts on your mental well-being. With your therapist, you come up with statements about the thoughts and situations that you have trouble with and how they affect you. Then, you come up with statements that help negate these impacts. Your therapist will teach you other coping methods which may include simple statements, actions, or a combination of the two.
Art Therapy
For many, art is a relaxing activity no matter their skill level and chosen medium. Art therapy usually involves working on a piece of art while talking about the things you’re having trouble with emotionally.
Play Therapy
Like art therapy, play therapy is exactly what it sounds like: playing while you talk through your mental struggles. This could mean playing a board game with your therapist, playing with dolls while you talk, building with Legos, and similar activities. This type of therapy is often used for children, but some adults may find it helpful as well.
Neurofeedback Therapy
For neurofeedback therapy, electrodes are placed on the ear and various possible locations on the scalp, depending what it is you are working on. The electrodes are wired to a machine, which monitors your brain waves and rewards you based on the waves it detects. In my experience, this reward is visual, in the form of a looping video that takes you through a chosen environment. Neurofeedback is typically paired with some kind of talk therapy; for me, it’s cognitive behavioral therapy.
Of course, there are many other types of therapy besides the ones discussed above; these are just the ones I personally am most familiar with that are significantly different from simply sitting down and discussing your problems. Therapy isn’t one-size-fits-all, so take the time to evaluate what would work best for you and your needs!