What Is Psychotherapy—And Could It Help You Feel Better?

Understanding the Different Approaches, Benefits, and What to Expect

Reaching out for help isn’t always easy—especially when you're not sure what therapy actually involves. You might be wondering: What does a therapist do? Will it really help me? What if I don’t know where to start?

These are valid questions. And the good news is, you don’t need to have all the answers before you begin.

Psychotherapy—often just called “therapy”—is a supportive, professional setting where you can explore your thoughts, feelings, and experiences with the trained therapist. Whether you’re struggling with anxiety, feeling overwhelmed by life, working through past pain, or simply wanting to understand yourself better, therapy offers tools, insight, and compassion to help you move forward.

Let’s explore the most common types of therapy (like CBT, ACT, and mindfulness-based approaches), and help you get a sense of what might be right for you.

We will start with the basics.

What Is Psychotherapy?

At its core, psychotherapy is a form of talk therapy that helps people navigate emotional challenges, mental health conditions, and life transitions. It’s a collaborative process between you and a licensed therapist, where the goal is to improve your well-being by increasing self-understanding, processing difficult experiences, and developing new ways of thinking or coping.

Therapy isn’t just for people in crisis—it can also support personal growth, healthier relationships, and greater emotional resilience. Some people come to therapy with a clear goal, while others just know they don’t feel quite like themselves. Either way, psychotherapy offers a safe, confidential space to explore what’s going on inside—and what might help you feel better.

No matter what brings you in, therapy meets you where you are. There’s no “right” reason to start—it’s enough that you’re curious, or that something inside you is asking for change.

Different Types of Psychotherapy: Finding What Works for You

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to therapy. Just like every person is unique, so is every path toward healing and growth. Therapists often draw from different techniques depending on what you’re going through and what feels most helpful. Here are some of the most widely used approaches:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT is a structured, goal-oriented approach that focuses on how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are connected. It’s especially helpful if you tend to get stuck in negative thinking loops or feel overwhelmed by anxiety or self-doubt.

• Goal: To help you identify unhelpful thought patterns and replace them with more balanced, constructive ones.
• Techniques: CBT often includes journaling, tracking thought patterns, challenging automatic thoughts, and experimenting with new behaviors to build confidence and reduce distress.

Psychodynamic Therapy

Psychodynamic therapy invites you to look beneath the surface—to understand how your past experiences, especially early relationships, may be influencing your present emotions and choices. It’s a reflective process that encourages long-term insight and emotional growth.

• Goal: To uncover unconscious patterns and deepen your understanding of yourself, your relationships, and your emotional life.
• Techniques: Through open-ended conversation, your therapist may help you explore recurring themes, unresolved feelings, and internal conflicts that shape your current struggles.

Humanistic Therapy

This approach is grounded in the belief that every person has an inner capacity for growth, healing, and self-understanding. Humanistic therapy emphasizes the here and now, helping you connect with your authentic self in a supportive, non-judgmental environment.

• Goal: To foster self-awareness, acceptance, and a greater sense of personal meaning and fulfillment.
• Techniques: Humanistic therapists often use techniques like active listening, reflection, and empathy to create a space where you can safely explore your feelings, values, and life direction.

Mindfulness-Based Therapies

Mindfulness-based approaches teach you how to stay present with your thoughts and emotions without judgment. This kind of therapy is especially helpful if you feel overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, or chronic emotional pain.

• Goal: To help you become more aware of your internal experience, reduce reactivity, and build emotional resilience.
• Techniques: Common practices include breathing exercises, meditation, body scans, and mindful observation of thoughts, all aimed at helping you respond to life with greater calm and clarity.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

ACT helps you make peace with the things you can’t control while taking action toward what truly matters to you. Instead of trying to “fix” or get rid of painful thoughts and feelings, ACT teaches you how to live with them in a more flexible, compassionate way.

• Goal: To increase psychological flexibility by helping you accept difficult emotions and commit to actions aligned with your core values.
• Techniques: You may explore your values, practice mindfulness, learn to “unhook” from negative thoughts, and develop strategies for moving forward—even in the face of discomfort.

How to Know What Approach Is Right for You

With so many therapy options out there, it’s natural to wonder: How do I know which one is right for me?

The truth is, you don’t need to have it all figured out before you start. Therapists are trained in multiple approaches and will tailor their style to fit your personality, needs, and goals. What matters most isn’t choosing the “perfect” method—it’s finding a place where you feel comfortable, where people listen without judgment and help you feel seen, heard, and supported.

You might also find that your needs evolve over time. Some people start therapy to address a specific concern using a structured approach like CBT, and later shift into deeper self-exploration with psychodynamic or humanistic techniques. Others may find comfort in mindfulness practices or ACT’s focus on living a values-driven life.

Here are a few simple questions to help guide your decision:

• Do you want tools and strategies to manage specific symptoms or thoughts?
• Are you curious about how your past might be shaping your present?
• Do you want to feel more connected to yourself or your emotions?
• Are you looking for a calm space to work through stress, grief, or transitions?
• Do you want help identifying what matters most to you—and how to act on it?

Why Group Therapy Can Be a Powerful Path to Healing

If you’re considering psychotherapy, you might imagine sitting one-on-one with a therapist—and that’s a valuable option for many people. But there’s another powerful form of therapy that can offer just as much, if not more: group therapy.

Group therapy brings together a small group of people who are navigating similar emotional struggles—whether it's anxiety, depression, trauma, or life transitions. Guided by a trained therapist, group sessions provide a safe, confidential space to share experiences, gain insight, and practice new ways of relating to yourself and others.

What makes group therapy uniquely effective is the sense of connection and shared humanity it creates. When you hear someone else put words to a feeling you’ve had but never expressed, it can be deeply validating. And as you support others in their healing, you may begin to see your own strength in a new light.

Benefits of group therapy include:

• Realizing you're not alone in your struggles
• Gaining multiple perspectives on similar challenges
• Learning from the experiences and coping strategies of others
• Practicing interpersonal skills in a supportive setting
• Building confidence, self-compassion, and resilience
  

Group therapy can be especially helpful if you’re hesitant to open up, feel isolated in your experience, or want to explore relational patterns in real time. For many, it becomes a stepping stone toward deeper self-awareness and lasting change—showing that healing doesn’t always happen in solitude.

Whatever your starting point, reaching out is a powerful first step. You don’t have to do it alone. Therapy is a space just for you—one that can help you feel stronger, clearer, and more grounded in your life.