Psychotherapy can be emotionally challenging at times, especially when exploring painful feelings or experiences. You may cry, feel upset, or even experience anger during psychotherapy sessions.

You should find Miami therapists you feel comfortable working with and trust. Effective therapy requires regular sessions. There are many types of psychotherapy, and a trained therapist will tailor the therapy to your unique needs.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of psychotherapy that helps you learn new ways to cope with your emotions and behaviors. It can be used to treat conditions such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, eating disorders, and more. CBT aims to teach you how to recognize negative thoughts or behavior patterns and replace them with healthy ones.

In CBT, you’ll learn that your thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations are interconnected. You’ll also learn how to break one at a time. You’ll practice changing your negative thinking patterns and behaviors through a series of structured sessions with a mental health professional.

You can find a CBT therapist by asking your doctor or another trusted source for a referral. You can also search online for a therapist that works in your area. Before you choose someone, make sure they are licensed and certified by a state psychological association and that they specialize in the condition or issue you’re experiencing.

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)

Developed by psychologist Marsha Linehan, DBT is a talk therapy that helps people learn to regulate intense emotions, improve relationship skills, and develop self-respect. It was originally designed to treat borderline personality disorder (BPD). Still, research has shown that it can also be effective in treating a variety of other conditions, including depression, substance use, and eating disorders. DBT consists of individual therapy, group skills training, and ongoing phone support from a trained provider.

One of the key concepts in DBT is that you must balance acceptance with change. While your therapist will validate how difficult it can be to live with your behaviors, they will also encourage you to work towards changing them. To achieve this, therapists who practice DBT will often employ dialectical thinking. This involves learning to view opposing views or perspectives as “valid” without agreeing with them.

During your DBT treatment, you will also engage in skills training sessions, which teach you to recognize and manage emotions to build healthy relationships. You will also learn how to tolerate distressful and painful feelings and to identify and manage urges to self-harm. In addition to these skills, your therapist will help you develop strategies for coping with life crises. DBT is particularly helpful for treating a range of life-threatening behaviors, such as suicidal behavior and self-injury.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

ACT is a behavioral therapy that uses mindfulness and acceptance techniques. It is effective in a wide range of mental health conditions, including anxiety and depression, chronic pain, substance use disorders, and comorbid medical problems. ACT is designed to foster greater psychological flexibility in the face of life’s challenges and optimize the committed pursuit of valued goals for long-term well-being.

During an ACT session, your therapist will help you develop a healthy sense of self separate from painful, difficult thoughts, feelings, memories, and sensations. Sessions are hands-on and involve learning skills such as cognitive defusion, practicing acceptance, and identifying a transcendent self. In addition, your therapist will teach you specific behavior change strategies that will promote engagement with a variety of life experiences (that may be unpleasant) while helping you realize behaviors that will enhance your quality of life.

Unlike other talk therapies, ACT is a transdiagnostic approach that can be used to address a variety of issues simultaneously. It is based on the fundamental premise that suffering, loss, and setbacks are an inevitable part of human life and that they cannot be eliminated or eradicated. ACT provides a powerful alternative to the conventional approach to dealing with distress by embracing it and committing to action in service of values.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness-based therapy is a relatively new form of psychological treatment that helps people recognize their internal feelings and experiences. It also teaches them to experience their emotions nonjudgmentally and accept them. This approach is an effective counter to anxiety, which tends to have a ruminative emphasis on past concerns or future worries. Studies show mindfulness meditation training improves meta-awareness, self-compassion, and emotional regulation. It has also been linked to neural changes.

Thriveworks therapists use mindfulness strategies to help their clients reduce stress and manage anxiety, as well as prevent depression relapse. The main goal is to gain more control of one’s thoughts and feelings rather than letting them rule the day. Mindfulness meditation involves becoming acutely attuned to your thoughts without getting attached. This allows you to see that your fears and worries are just thoughts that come and go like clouds in a storm.