Types Of Behavioral Therapy To Try After A Major Life Change-💜

Key Takeaways

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy usually requires patients to attend between 5 to 20 sessions. It can assist with many issues including anxiety, depression, PTSD, OCD, bipolar disorder, and substance use.
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy is a therapy method used for mood disorders, borderline personality disorder, suicidal and self-harming tendencies, as well as substance abuse. Most DBT patients spend about six months focusing on mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and creating better relationships.
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy leverages mindfulness-based strategies to help you manage your emotions. This method is effective for those struggling with depression, anxiety disorders, OCD, psychosis, or chronic pain.
• CBT helps kids dealing with anxiety or ADHD by using play therapy or art therapy. Clinical reviews have discovered that CBT also improves symptoms related to panic disorder and emotional problems that stem from chronic pain.
• CBT, DBT, ACT all provide patients with practical coping strategies and tools they can use after experiencing a major life event. Each type of therapy supports mental health recovery by providing new ways to manage stressors as they appear.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, also known as CBT, is a type of psychotherapy that helps individuals alter unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. Mental health professionals apply this therapy often for conditions like anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, substance use disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, borderline personality disorder, and a number of other mental health issues.

Most patients go through somewhere between 5 to 20 therapy sessions before benefiting from results. A CBT therapist will challenge you to disrupt any negative thinking patterns and alter how they impact your feelings and actions. This strategy leverages practical problem-solving skills so you can better manage situations in your daily life.

For kids who are struggling with ongoing anxiety or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, cognitive behavioral play therapy teaches them to use simple exercises like drawing or storytelling during their treatment sessions to develop social skills.

Clinical reviews published as recently as 2023 have revealed that CBT can also reduce common symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder, and has the ability to improve emotional regulation for individuals struggling with chronic pain or panic disorder.

Behavioral therapists are often combining cognitive training techniques such as relaxation responses with various exposure strategies like response prevention to treat disruptive behaviors. As time goes on, patients will begin to develop helpful coping mechanisms to reduce distress and improve their general mood.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Dialectical Behavior Therapy, also called DBT, is a type of behavioral therapy that was orignially developed to treat complex mental health issues like borderline personality disorder. In current times, this form of CBT is used to help patients manage mood disorders, PTSD, suicidal or self-harming behaviors, as well as substance abuse.

This therapeutic approach can be helpful for those dealing with extreme mood swings or who are feeling overwhelmed during major life changes. DBT helps people accept their thoughts and behaviors while simultaneously guiding them through strategies that promote positive behavior change.

With DBT, you will focus on building up four skills: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.

Practicing mindfulness teaches you how to remain present instead of getting lost in your negative thoughts.

Distress tolerance training will build up your coping skills so that you get through difficult situations without backsliding into problematic behaviors; for example, self-harm or substance abuse.

The skill of emotion regulation provides practical tools for managing any strong feelings or moods caused by depression or anxiety disorders.

Last but not least, interpersonal effectiveness creates and strengthens healthy relationship patterns. This is achieved by teaching patients how to communicate assertively and to resolve conflict. This skill is often practiced in a group therapy setting led by licensed social workers or therapists who are trained in dialectical behavioral therapy techniques.

Studies have shown that individuals who participate in a 6-month DBT program experience lower depression rates and have improved connection with others. Local Detroit residents can learn more and access DBT therapy by connecting with CNS Healthcare.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

ACT is another type of behavioral therapy that uses mindfulness-based techniques to help you live in the moment and be present, even as you manage difficult thoughts or feelings. Through mindfulness exercises, you will learn to notice, accept, and release emotions that cause distress instead of fighting them.

Therapists usually apply ACT for those with depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, psychosis, or chronic pain. Research has shown it is effective for people who struggle with persistent psychological distress.

This form of psychotherapy primarily focuses on acceptance and commitment strategies. These guide individuals to move forward taking positive action, even while dealing with challenging situations. Many treatment plans for ACT include mindfulness exercises that emphasize staying present, as well as practical skills training, like relaxation techniques.

Experts usually recommend Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy combined with ACT to encourage lasting behavior change. If you're experiencing negative behavior patterns that are making your daily life difficult after a major life event, ACT can provide an effective way for local Michigan residents like you to overcome it by learning new coping skills.

Help Is Available For You

There are various types of behavioral therapy that can make a significant improvement in your life after going through a major life change. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy can give you practical frameworks to manage conditions including anxiety and depression, as well as challenges with relationships.



Acceptance and Commitment Therapy encourages you to align with your values while managing your emotions. Each approach has its own unique way of offering actionable steps for improving mental health.

If you feel as if you could benefit from online resources or local therapists who practice this type of effective treatment, reach out to us at CNS Healthcare to find out how we can support you through your difficult moments.

FAQs