Demystifying the Different Types of Counselling

By: Kristen Sohlman, MACP, RP

There are a number of different modalities or types of counselling and therapy. Here is information on some common types.  

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

​CBT is a type of talk therapy that is short-term having only a limited number of sessions that helps people to look at their thoughts, thought patterns, behaviour, and actions. Therapists help clients to find new and healthier ways to think and act in order to cope with difficult situations.  

Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)

​DBT is a type of talk therapy that uses a cognitive behavioural approach (CBT) with an emphasis on introducing people to behavioural skills to cope with difficult situations.  There are four parts of DBT including mindfulness (to observe, describe, and participate in the present moment), interpersonal effectiveness (how you interact with the people around you), distress tolerance (increasing your ability to tolerate and get through stressful experiences), and emotional regulation (learning to identify and cope with feelings and emotions). 

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR)

EMDR is a type of therapy that uses a person’s own rapid and rhythmic eye movements to reprocess difficult experiences.  It is often used when working with trauma and works by connecting traumatic memories with new information.  This helps any distressing thoughts and emotions to become blended with new positive thoughts and emotions allowing people to resolve blocks or stuck points through activating the person’s natural healing processes.

Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT)

​EFT is a type of talk therapy that focuses on becoming aware of feelings and emotions, to provide effective and healthy coping strategies, as well as to regulate and transform their emotions and emotional experiences into healthier ones.  EFT also looks at the importance of attachment, or the emotional bond, that connects you to other people in order to create more secure bonds and trust within relationships.  

Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT

SFBT is a form of talk therapy that is short term only having a limited number of sessions that focuses on a person’s present and future experiences. SFBT does not focus a lot on past experiences. This form of therapy is goal oriented and focuses on healthy change. 

Nature and Forest Therapy

Nature & Forest Therapy is an Evidence-Based Practice that is about grounding yourself in a natural and peaceful setting. One of the roots of Forest Therapy, is mobilizing the health benefits that people experience when they spend high-quality connective time in forest environments. It engages all 5 senses through nature. Invitations are used to connect or reconnect oneself with the world beyond one’s own day-to-day reality. This journey is specifically designed to your needs, away from your busy life and technology. This is a walk, not a hike. It is not about endurance or strength.

If you would like to start your wellness journey, please contact our office for more information.