What Types of Therapy Are Used in Mental Health Treatment?
When a loved one enters mental health treatment, families often have limited visibility into what actually happens in therapy. "They go to sessions" is about as much as most families know — and that lack of information can be its own source of anxiety. Understanding the main types of therapy used in mental health treatment, what they involve, and what they are designed to accomplish helps families make sense of the treatment process, ask better questions, and support their loved one's work outside of sessions.
Medically Reviewed by:
Dr. Darrin Mangiacarne
Chief Medical Officer
At Banyan Treatment Centers, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Darrin Mangiacarne leads our nationwide clinical team with over a decade of addiction medicine experience, helping ensure evidence-based, compassionate care across every level of treatment.
Author / Written by: Banyan Editorial Staff
Medically reviewed by: Dr. Darrin Mangiacarne, CMO
Updated on: June 2026
Family Resources Hub › Mental Health Resources › Mental Health Treatment Options
Not All Therapy Is the Same — and the Difference Matters
One of the most common misconceptions about mental health treatment is that "therapy" is a single thing — a person talking to a professional who listens and offers perspective. In reality, there are dozens of distinct psychotherapy approaches, each with its own theoretical basis, techniques, evidence base, and target conditions. The difference between an approach that is well-matched to a specific condition and one that is not can be significant in terms of outcomes.
The most important thing families should know is that evidence-based therapies — those with research support from clinical trials — exist for most common mental health conditions, and that asking whether a therapist or program uses evidence-based approaches is a reasonable and important question. The therapies below are among the most widely used and most thoroughly researched in modern mental health care.
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Evidence-Based Therapies Used in Mental Health Treatment
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
The most extensively researched psychotherapy in the world, with a robust evidence base across depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD, OCD, eating disorders, and many other conditions. CBT works by identifying and changing the dysfunctional thought patterns and behaviors that maintain mental health conditions. It is structured, present-focused, skills-based, and typically time-limited (12–20 sessions). See our dedicated guide on CBT for a more detailed explanation.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan at the University of Washington, DBT was originally designed for Borderline Personality Disorder but is now widely used for any presentation involving emotional dysregulation — including severe depression, self-harm, suicidal behavior, and eating disorders. DBT combines individual therapy, group skills training, phone coaching, and therapist consultation. It teaches four core skill sets: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.
EMDR — Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
An evidence-based treatment for PTSD and trauma that uses bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements) to help the brain reprocess traumatic memories that have become 'stuck' in a way that produces ongoing symptoms. Endorsed by NIMH, the VA, and the American Psychological Association for PTSD. EMDR does not require the person to describe the traumatic event in detail, which makes it particularly useful for people who find verbal processing of trauma intolerable.
Interpersonal Therapy (IPT)
A time-limited therapy with strong evidence for depression that focuses on improving interpersonal relationships and communication patterns. IPT is particularly effective when the depression is closely linked to relationship difficulties, grief, role transitions, or interpersonal conflict. Rather than focusing on thought patterns (CBT's primary target), IPT focuses on the social and relational context of the person's emotional experience.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
A third-wave CBT approach that uses mindfulness and acceptance strategies alongside behavioral change techniques. Rather than trying to eliminate or change difficult thoughts and feelings, ACT focuses on changing the person's relationship to those experiences — reducing their behavioral impact and building a life based on the person's core values. Effective for anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and OCD.
Psychodynamic and Psychoanalytic Therapy
Longer-term therapeutic approaches that focus on how unconscious processes, early experiences, and relationship patterns shape current emotional functioning. Less structured than CBT but effective for complex presentations, chronic relationship difficulties, and conditions where the roots of distress lie in developmental history. Evidence-based short-term psychodynamic therapy is now well-supported for depression and some anxiety conditions.
Individual, Group, and Family Therapy — What Each Offers
Individual Therapy
One-on-one sessions between your loved one and a licensed therapist. The most private and personalized format — allows the therapist to tailor the approach precisely to the individual's presentation. The therapeutic relationship itself is a clinical tool: research consistently shows that the quality of the therapeutic alliance is one of the strongest predictors of outcomes across all therapy types.
Group Therapy
Structured therapeutic sessions with multiple participants, facilitated by one or two licensed therapists. Not to be confused with peer support groups — group therapy is clinical treatment, with therapeutic goals, structured content, and professional facilitation. Particularly effective for interpersonal difficulties, social anxiety, and conditions where shared experience is therapeutically valuable. Often used alongside individual therapy in intensive programs.
Family Therapy
Structured sessions involving the person in treatment and one or more family members, facilitated by a licensed therapist. Family therapy addresses the relational dynamics, communication patterns, and family system factors that maintain or exacerbate mental health conditions. It is not a forum for grievances — it is a clinical tool for improving the environment in which recovery takes place.
Telehealth and Online Therapy
Video-based individual or group therapy that has become a significant component of mental health care, particularly for step-down and continuing care. Evidence supports comparable effectiveness to in-person therapy for many conditions. Particularly important for access in rural areas or for people with mobility or scheduling limitations.
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You Don't Have to Figure This Out Alone
Banyan's Family Program
Understanding what your loved one is working on in therapy helps families support that work in the home environment. Banyan's Family Program provides education about the specific therapeutic approaches your loved one is receiving, family therapy sessions with the clinical team, and direct guidance on how to communicate in ways that reinforce rather than undermine the therapeutic work.
Evidence-Based Therapy at Every Level of Care
Banyan's clinical programs use evidence-based therapeutic approaches across all levels of care — residential, PHP, and IOP. Our clinical team includes therapists trained in CBT, DBT, trauma-focused approaches, and other modalities matched to the conditions being treated. Call us to learn what the therapeutic approach looks like for a specific presentation.
Call to Ask About Therapy
If you have questions about what therapy your loved one is receiving, what approach is being used, or whether it is evidence-based for their specific condition, call our clinical team at 855-722-6926. That conversation is free.
Related Guides
What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?
A deep dive into the most widely used evidence-based therapy in mental health treatment.
Read the guide →When Is Inpatient Psychiatric Treatment Necessary?
Understanding when outpatient care is not enough and what hospitalization involves.
Read the guide →How Do Psychiatric Medications Work?
What different medication classes do and what families should know.
Read the guide →What Is a Partial Hospitalization Program for Mental Health?
PHP as a step-down from inpatient or intensive outpatient alternative.
Read the guide →Family Programs
How Banyan's family program keeps you informed and involved throughout treatment.
Read the guide →How Do I Know If My Loved One Needs Mental Health Treatment?
Understanding when to take the first step toward professional care.
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