What Is Individual Psychotherapy?

    Individual psychotherapy is the one-on-one work between a therapist and a client. There are many different styles of therapy, but all of them center around helping the client reach his or her goals. This is a unique relationship, in that it is strictly confidential and provides you an opportunity to be completely honest with yourself and another person. It is almost inevitable for a new client to fear judgment or rejection, particularly when you are being so open, but it’s not the role of the therapist to criticize or lecture you. Therapists are there to support you and help you reach your goals. Individual therapy has been shown to improve mood and self-esteem. In fact, studies show that talk therapy, the process of developing a relationship with a licensed mental health professional to work through emotions, thoughts, disappointments, and experiences can be even more effective than medication in treating depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem.
    Therapy For Adults
    Adult Intensive Outpatient Treatment Program (IOP)

    Who needs individual therapy?

    Individual therapy is the most common form of therapy that is provided for anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and many other mental health and behavioral health issues.

    Couples therapy, family therapy, and group therapy are other ways therapy can be provided. These too can be effective for various issues including depression, anxiety disorders, and substance misuse.

    With that said, most studies showing that therapy effectively treats anxiety issues like Panic Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, or eating disorders have been done using individual therapy.

    Some people prefer individual therapy because therapy involves discussing emotions and beliefs. Sharing that kind of information in a group format, like group therapy, can be very uncomfortable for some people. Some times that can be therapeutic, but it can also be more than someone wants to do, especially starting out.

    Is individual psychotherapy effective?

    There are many scientific studies that demonstrate certain kinds of individual psychotherapy are effective in the treatment of specific mental health disorders. But, it is important to keep in mind that even the best treatments do not provide positive results for everyone.

    Some examples of types of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) that have been shown to be effective include Cognitive Therapy, Behavior Therapy (like prolonged exposure, exposure plus response prevention, and ABA), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Problem Solving Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Interpersonal Therapy have also been shown to be effective for certain issues.

    Therapy For Adults