CBT-Based Therapies (like REBT)
Focuses on irrational, dysfunctional beliefs that affect your thoughts, emotions and behavior. Once you hold more rational, positive beliefs, your perception of reality will change and so will your behavior.
Works well for: anxiety, stress and unhappiness
 

Psychodynamic Therapies (like Psychoanalysis)
Explores unconscious processes, early life experiences (or even past-life experiences), and internal conflicts to uncover and resolve unprocessed emotions. It assumes that if unconscious conflicts are brought to awareness and resolved, neuroses and distortions in your perception will disappear.
Works well for: mental disorders, depression, anxiety, psychosomatic ailments
 

Humanistic and Existential Therapies (like Positive Psychology)
Supports the individuals understanding of own experiences, purpose and needs, without judgement of any aspect of one's true nature. It assumes that if individuals gain deeper self-awareness and embrace their potential for growth, then they will achieve personal fulfillment.
Works well for: lack of self-acceptance, existential crises, depression, additions and anxiety
 

Systemic and Family Therapies (like family systems)
Views individuals within relational and systemic contexts, focusing on interaction patterns and communication. By role playing in a setting where other participants represent someone in your problematic dynamics, some repressed emotions can be acted out, which were or are too difficult to do directly. This is considered to improve the person's own mental and physical health as well as the dynamics with other people.
Works well for: Interpersonal problems, grief, anger, anxiety, low self-esteem
 

Mindfulness and Acceptance-Based Therapies (like MBSR)
Cultivates the ability to become more aware of the present moment and to observe any unpleasant feelings without judgement. This is achieved by learning the difference between what you feel and what defines who you are as well as falsifying your belief about discomfort by direct experience. to foster resilience and reduce suffering. This is assumed to develop resilience and reduce suffering.
Works well for: Stress, depression, existential crises, negative thoughts, chronic dissatisfaction with life
 

Somatic Therapies (like Somatic Experiencing)
Addresses the mind-body connection to release physiological tension and stress stored in the body. Revolves around creating a sense of safety, then bringing up past traumatic events in order to notice the physical response to these memories, with the purpose of releasing stored tension. It assumes that if physiological tension and trauma are released, then emotional and psychological well-being will improve.
Works well for: Trauma, anxiety, depression, stressful life circumstances
 

Direct Neural Rewiring Therapies (like EMDR)
Leverages neurobiological processes to reprogram the brain’s response to trauma and distress through targeted techniques. It assumes that if neural pathways linked to maladaptive or traumatic memories are accessed and reorganized, then emotional distress, physical symptoms, and dysfunctional behaviors will decrease. This is done through stimulating both hemispheres of the brain through eye movement or tapping while bringing up unresolved memories.
Works well for: Event-based trauma (like PTSD)
 

Energy Rebalancing Techniques (like Quantum Touch)
Focuses on balancing and aligning the body’s energy fields to promote healing and well-being. It assumes that if disruptions in the energy flow are corrected, then the body’s natural healing abilities will be restored, leading to improved emotional and physical health.
Works well for: inexplicable (psycho)somatic issues, lack of energy
 

Ego Awakening Techniques (like Self-Inquiry)
This approach starts from the Buddhist premise that the self is an illusion (ego) and that this illusion is the root cause of all desires, suffering and confusion. It implies that any type of psychological growth would reinforce the root cause of the problem one tries to solve. The lasting solution would be to transcend the egoic illusion. This requires the undoing of your conditioning, which is different for each culture and even for each person. That's why there's a wide range of options, from mind-based to feeling-based.
Work well for: existential crises, chronic unhappiness, stagnant spiritual growth, (or when nothing else has truly worked)
 

Breath-oriented Techniques (like Wim Hof Method)
Utilizes controlled breathing patterns to influence physiological and psychological states. Certain breaths are known to trigger the nervous system into its relaxed mode, where the body shifts energy from protective processes (as in the fight-flight mode) to healing and digestion. It also calms the mind and improves clarity. Other breath patterns are also known to help with processing repressed emotions – even trauma. Some of these routines are also known to access states of higher consciousness, trigger spiritual growth or unlock superhuman abilities.
Works well for: trauma, stress, chronic digestion problems, spiritual growth
 

Body-stimulation Techniques (like TRE)
Focuses on releasing tension and trauma stored in the body through physical stimulation or manipulation. Assumes that if physical tension is relieved and body alignment is restored, then emotional and psychological health will improve. It is often used together with other modalities. Together, they reinforce the benefits of each other.
Works well for: Stress, tension, trauma
 

Psychedelic-oriented Protocols (like Mushrooms)
Uses psychoactive substances to access altered states of consciousness for healing and self-discovery. Psychedelics are known to activate the brain's activity in certain frequency bands that are often associated with long term meditation and enlightenment. Practitioners claim that if guided psychedelic experiences are facilitated well, individuals can achieve emotional breakthroughs, trauma resolution, and expanded self-awareness.
Works well for: Trauma, lack of purpose, depression, stagnant spiritual growth, existential crises
 

NLP
This is more an alternative to therapy than an actual category. It stands for Neuro-Linguistic Programming and makes use of language patterns, mental frames and behavioral changes to change your emotions, thoughts and beliefs. It changes your internal representation of what you experience. The techniques allow you to take control of what you experience as well as many of the dynamics you encounter. Like with hypnosis, NLP can overwrite the beliefs that cause phobias. In some cases, with instant results.
Works well for: limiting beliefs, low self-esteem, lack of success, phobias

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