demystifying therapy Archives

At GDC, we’ve been Demystifying Therapy all spring. In March, we talked about the process of getting into therapy as well as self + community care, and in April we demystified some of the more common treatment modalities therapists use with clients.

Mental health awareness is often about breaking down stigmas and barriers to care. This work is still super important, even as attitudes toward mental health become more positive. But there’s a flip side, too. As a culture, we’re talking about mental health more, which is great, but it also means that there’s misinformation out there. Here are some things we’re keeping mind mind as we work to destigmatize and demystify mental health care.

A symptom is not a diagnosis.

Everyone experiences symptoms of mental illnesses throughout their lives. Anxiety and depression are great examples. But this can apply to lots of different symptoms and diagnoses in the DSM or Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the book providers use to diagnose mental illnesses in clients. Not everyone who goes to therapy is diagnosed and there are many reasons a therapist might diagnose a client from insurance paperwork to helping the client feel supported in their experiences.

There’s a difference between experiencing anxiety or depression – something we all feel at different moments in our life, and being diagnosed with an anxiety disorder or a depressive episode or disorder. The important thing to remember is that diagnosis or not, experiencing a symptom like anxiety or depression is real, painful, and valid. And it’s something a therapist can help you learn to cope through.

You are the driver of your own mental health.

While a therapist, counselor, or wellness coach might be an expert in a specific field or a treatment modality they use, you are the expert in your own mental health journey. A provider is able to listen and provide feedback and questions, but know that you are in the driver’s seat and you get to make decisions about your care. This also means that you can learn about coping with your symptoms and you and your provider might come to a diagnosis through a collaborative process of them bringing their expertise to your experience of your own symptoms, moods, and challenges.

Access and stigma go hand-in-hand.

One of the reasons therapy is stigmatized in specific communities, especially Black communities, is because of a history of inaccess to quality mental health care. When care isn’t helpful or supportive, it is not used by the individuals who need it. Furthermore, mental health care is not one-size-fits-all, and a therapist who works well with one person might not be the right fit for another. The important thing is that you as the client feel supported and safe with your provider.

At GDC, we’re using our blog and social channels to #DemystifyTherapy. We want to break down the questions and stigmas held about seeking help, and clear up common misconceptions around the therapeutic process. This month, we want to pull back the curtain a little bit as we share different modalities and approaches you might encounter in a therapy session.

What are treatment modalities and approaches you might ask? These are the different theories and schools of thought that counselors, social workers, and therapists study during the time that they earn their degrees. Of course, these jobs involve lifelong learning; even the most seasoned clinicians are learning everyday from the latest research and new concerns their clients bring to them.

Treatment modalities are just different methods of treatment. Some practitioners may stick to one while others will use a mixture. Some of the most common treatment methods include:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT is a form of talk therapy that helps with multiple issues and mental illnesses. Data shows that CBT improves function and quality of life. CBT has evolved since clinicians first started using it based on clinical experience and best practices. CBT is based on the core principles that psychological problems are partially based in both unhelpful ways of thinking and on learned patterns of unhelpful behaviours. Finally, CBT believes that people living with these issues can learn to cope and lead better lives.

CBT Demystified: CBT is all about how an individual has the strength to examine and change the ways in which their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected. This is often illustrated through the CBT Triangle.

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT): DBT is a modified type of CBT that also combines mindfulness. It teaches people to live in the moment, cope with stress, regulate emotions, and improve relationships. DBT includes both group and individual sessions. It also teaches distress tolerance, mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness skills, and emotional regulation skills.

DBT Demystified: The “D” in DBT stands for “dialectical” which is an integration of opposites. Essentially, DBT takes a both/and approach to wellness strategies rather than an either/or.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): is a psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences, like ACES or trauma. It involves activating both sides of the brain simultaneously to reprocess memories with present day awareness; while also engaging mindfulness techniques and replacing negative cognitions with positive ones

EMDR Demystified: EMDR is all about teaching the brain that you have the power to be freed from the effects of trauma and learn you are safe and in control through actionable care.

Acceptance and Commitment therapy (ACT): Through ACT, clients learn to stop avoiding, denying, and struggling with their emotions and instead accept their responses are normal, and that they are able to live with them and move forward with their lives. Clients are able to commit to making necessary changes through this framework. ACT consists of six core processes to help promote and expand psychological flexibility which includes emotional openness and adaptability. The six core processes are: acceptance, cognitive defusion, being present, self as context, values, and committed action.

ACT Demystified: Much like CBT, ACT looks at how individuals are able to take active steps to shift their behavior while at the same time accepting their psychological experience. This allows clients to both change and accept their attitudes and emotional states.