What type of therapy do I need?
What type of therapy do I need?
If you are thinking about starting therapy, it is normal to feel unsure about what kind of support might suit you best.
You might have seen words like counselling, psychotherapy, CBT, EMDR, integrative therapy, psychodynamic therapy or person-centred counselling, and found yourself wondering where to begin. You might know what you are struggling with, but not know which approach would help. Or you might simply know that something feels difficult, and want to speak to the right person who can help you make sense of it.
You do not need to understand every type of therapy before you start.
A good therapist will help you explore what is going on, what you hope might change, and whether their way of working feels like the right fit for you. The type of therapy can matter, but the relationship you build with your therapist is matters most.
You don't need to choose alone
Many people feel pressure to choose the “right” kind of therapy before they have even spoken to a therapist. But you are not expected to arrive with a perfect understanding of what you need.
It may be enough to start with:
“I feel anxious all the time.”
“I keep repeating the same patterns.”
“I feel stuck.”
“I do not feel like myself.”
“I know I need support, but I do not know where to begin.”
From there, therapy can help you understand what might be going on underneath the surface, and what kind of support could be most helpful.
At The Clearing, you can explore the different areas we support with, read therapist profiles, and get a feel for each therapist’s approach before deciding who feels right for you.
Not sure where to start?
You do not need to know the exact type of therapy you need before reaching out. You can explore what we can help with, or meet our therapists to see who feels like the right fit.
What is the difference between counselling and psychotherapy?
The words counselling and psychotherapy are often used interchangeably. Sometimes psychotherapy is used to indicate a deeper therapeutic approach that seeks to unearth the roots of a problem. This can make things confusing when you are trying to find the right support.
In general, counselling may be shorter-term and focused on a specific difficulty, life event or emotional challenge. Psychotherapy may involve deeper or longer-term work, often exploring psychological patterns, relationships, early experiences and the ways the past may still be affecting the present.
The difference is not always fixed.
Many therapists work in a way that brings together both supportive counselling and deeper psychotherapeutic exploration.
Rather than worrying too much about the title, it can be more helpful to ask:
- What do I want support with?
- Do I want practical coping strategies, deeper understanding, or both?
- Do I want short-term support or space for longer-term exploration?
- Does this therapist’s way of working feel right for me?
What are some different types of therapy?
There are many different therapy approaches. Some focus more on thoughts and behaviours, some focus on emotions and relationships, others explore deeper patterns and past experiences.
Here are some of the approaches you may come across.
Person-centred therapy
Person-centred therapy is built around the belief that you are the expert in your own experience.
The therapist offers a warm, accepting and non-judgemental space where you can explore your feelings at your own pace. This approach can be helpful if you want to feel heard, understood and supported without being pushed.
CBT
CBT, or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, focuses on the links between thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
Some therapists may use CBT-informed tools to help you understand patterns, manage anxiety, develop coping strategies or approach difficult situations in new ways. This may be used alongside other therapeutic approaches.
Psychodynamic therapy
Psychodynamic therapy explores how past experiences, relationships and unconscious patterns may be affecting how you feel and relate now.
It can be helpful if you notice recurring patterns in your life, relationships or emotions, and want to understand them more deeply rather than only managing surface symptoms.
Integrative therapy
Integrative therapy means the therapist draws on more than one approach, depending on what may be helpful for you.
This can be useful if you do not fit neatly into one type of difficulty, or if you want therapy that can adapt as the work develops. An integrative therapist may combine emotional exploration, practical tools, relational work and deeper reflection.
Transactional Analysis
Transactional Analysis, often called TA, looks at patterns in how we relate to ourselves and others.
It can help you understand communication, relationship dynamics, emotional responses and the beliefs or patterns you may have developed over time. TA can be particularly useful for people who want to understand themselves and their relationships more clearly.
EMDR Therapy
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing. It is a structured therapy approach that can be used to help people process traumatic memories or distressing experiences.
EMDR is not always the right starting point for everyone. It should usually be considered carefully with a trained therapist, following an assessment of what you are experiencing and what support feels appropriate.
Should I choose therapy based on the issue I am struggling with?
Sometimes it helps to begin with the issue or experience that you’re looking for help with.
Looking at therapy in this way can feel more natural than starting with therapeutic approaches.
Remember all therapies have been developed to help people who are struggling with a wide range of difficulties.
Instead of asking, “Which model do I need?”, you might ask, “What am I experiencing, and who works with this?”
This can help you move towards a therapist who has experience with the kind of support you are looking for.
You may want support with:
Anxiety, worry or panic
Low mood or depression
Burnout, stress or emotional exhaustion
Grief, bereavement or loss
Trauma or difficult past experiences
Relationship difficulties or repeated patterns
People-pleasing, boundaries or self-worth
Emotional numbness, shutdown or disconnection
Neurodiversity, masking or overwhelm
Anger, emotional regulation or feeling reactive
Should I choose therapy based on the therapist?
Yes. The therapist you choose matters most.
Research and experience both suggest that the relationship between client and therapist is the most important part of therapy. Feeling safe, respected and understood makes it easier to talk openly and explore the things that are difficult, painful or unfamiliar.
When reading therapist profiles, it may help to notice:
- the issues they work with
- how they describe their approach
- whether their tone feels right for you
- whether they offer online, telephone or in-person sessions
- whether they work with individuals, couples, children or young people
- their qualifications, registrations and areas of experience
- whether you feel drawn to them or curious about working with them
Pay attention to your gut instinct which will tell you who you feel drawn to speak to.
Finding the right therapist matters
The type of therapy can be important, but the relationship you build with your therapist matters most. You can browse our therapists by their areas of focus, approach and availability, or get in touch if you would like help choosing.
Is online or in-person therapy better?
There is no single right answer. The best format depends on what feels comfortable, accessible and manageable for you.
Online therapy can be helpful if you want support from home, need flexibility, live outside the local area, or would prefer not to travel. Some people find it easier to speak openly from a familiar space.
In-person therapy may feel important if you prefer being physically present with your therapist, find it easier to connect face-to-face, or want a clearer separation between therapy and home life.
Telephone therapy can also be useful for some people, especially if video feels too intense or if you prefer speaking without being seen.
The most important thing is choosing a format that helps you feel able to engage with therapy. If you are unsure, you can ask about the options before you begin.
What if I choose the wrong type of therapy?
It is understandable to worry about making the wrong choice, especially if starting therapy already feels like a big step.
But choosing therapy is not a test you have to pass. You are not expected to know everything in advance, and you are not committing to a whole course of therapy from the first moment you get in touch.
Your first session is a chance to talk about what has brought you to therapy, ask questions, hear how the therapist works, and get a feel for whether the relationship feels right.
If something does not feel like the right fit, that does not mean therapy has failed. It may simply mean you need a different therapist, approach or format.
How do I know what feels right?
Sometimes the right starting point is not the therapy type, but your intuitive sense of what you need from the space.
You may not know this clearly at first. That is okay.
As you read through therapist profiles, notice the language they use.
Some therapists may feel more practical, some more reflective, some more relational, and some more specialist.
You may find yourself drawn to one approach before you can fully explain why.
That, in itself, is useful information.
You might want therapy that feels:
Calm and supportive
Practical and focused
Deep and reflective
Relational and exploratory
Structured and predictable
Focused on here and now coping tools
Centred on understanding patterns
Set up around trauma processing
What if I still do not know?
If you still do not know what type of therapy you need, we are here to help.
Many people begin therapy from a place of uncertainty. The first step does not have to be perfect. It just needs to be taken.
You can start by exploring the issues we support, reading through our therapist profiles, or asking a question before booking. You can also begin with one session and take things from there.
At The Clearing, therapy is not about forcing you into a fixed route. It is about helping you find the support that feels right for where you are right now.
Whether you know what kind of support you need or are still working it out, we’ll help you take the next step.
