Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.

Over the course of your life, if you experience mental health problems, your thinking, mood, and behavior could be affected. Many factors contribute to mental health problems, including:

●Biological factors, such as genes or brain chemistry
●Life experiences, such as trauma or abuse
●Family history of mental health problems

Mental health problems are common but help is available. People with mental health problems can get better and many recover completely.

Behavioral therapy is a focused, action-oriented approach to mental health treatment.

According to behavioral theory, certain behaviors develop from things you learned in your past. Some of these behaviors might affect your life negatively or cause distress.

Behavioral therapy can help you change your behavioral responses.

How it works

In behavioral therapy, you won't spend much time talking about unconscious reasons for your behavior or working through emotional difficulties.

Instead, you'll focus on ways to change behavioral reactions and patterns that cause distress.

There are many subtypes of behavioral therapy, including:
● Systematic desensitization. Systematic desensitization combines relaxation exercises with gradual exposure to something you fear. This can help you slowly get used to replacing feelings of fear and anxiety with a relaxation response.

● Aversion therapy. In aversion therapy, you learn to associate the behavior you want to change with something that's uncomfortable or unpleasant in some way. This association may help you stop the behavior.

● Flooding. This is similar to systematic desensitization, but it involves facing your fears directly from the start, rather than gradually. If you have a phobia of dogs, for example, the first exposure step might be sitting in a room of friendly, playful dogs. With systematic desensitization, on the other hand, your first exposure step might be looking at pictures of dogs.

What it's good for

Behavioral therapy may be a good option for addressing:
● anxiety
● phobias
● substance use disorder
● attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
● obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
● oppositional and defiant behaviors
● behavioral issues that result from communication difficulties or emotional challenges

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy that focuses on modifying dysfunctional emotions, behaviors, and thoughts by interrogating and uprooting negative or irrational beliefs. Considered a "solutions-oriented" form of talk therapy, CBT rests on the idea that thoughts and perceptions influence behavior.

Feeling distressed, in some cases, may distort one's perception of reality. CBT aims to identify harmful thoughts, assess whether they are an accurate depiction of reality, and, if they are not, employ strategies to challenge and overcome them.

CBT is appropriate for people of all ages, including children, adolescents, and adults. Evidence has mounted that CBT can address numerous conditions, such as major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and many others.

How it works

In CBT sessions, you'll work on identifying patterns and learning more about how they might negatively affect you.

With your therapist's guidance, you'll explore ways to replace negative thought patterns or behaviors with ones that are more helpful and accurate.

Like behavioral therapy, CBT doesn't spend much time addressing past events. Instead, it focuses on addressing existing symptoms and making changes.

CBT often involves homework or practice outside the therapy session.

For example, you might keep track of negative thoughts or things that trouble you between sessions in a journal. This practice helps to reinforce what you learn in therapy and apply your new skills to everyday situations.

There are also some subtypes of CBT, such as:
● Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT). DBT uses CBT skills, but it prioritizes acceptance and emotional regulation. You can expect to work on developing skills to cope with distressing or challenging situations. You may also learn how to accept and deal with difficult emotions when they arise.

● Rational emotive therapy. This approach helps you learn how to challenge irrational beliefs that contribute to emotional distress or other issues. The idea behind rational emotive therapy is that replacing irrational thoughts with more rational ones can improve your well-being.

What it's good for

CBT may be a good option for addressing:
● mood disorders, such as depression and bipolar disorder
● anxiety and phobias
● eating disorders
● substance use disorders
● insomnia
● obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
● some symptoms of schizophrenia

Psychodynamic therapy developed from psychoanalysis, a long-term approach to mental health treatment.

In psychoanalysis, you can expect to talk about anything on your mind to uncover patterns in thoughts or behavior that might be contributing to distress. It's also common to talk about your childhood and past, along with recurring dreams or fantasies you might have.

Psychodynamic therapy is a shorter-term version of psychoanalysis, and it focuses on specific problems and goals.

How it works

In psychodynamic therapy, you'll work with a therapist to explore the connection between your unconscious mind and your actions. This involves examining your emotions, relationships, and thought patterns.

Psychodynamic therapy can be a longer-term approach to mental health treatment, compared to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and other types of therapy. Traditional psychoanalysis is an intensive form of treatment that people can go to for years.

Research suggests many people continue to improve, even after they complete psychodynamic therapy.

What it's good for

Psychodynamic therapy may be a good choice for addressing:
● depression
● anxiety
● eating disorders
● somatic symptoms
● substance use disorder
● a variety of other conditions

Humanistic therapy is an approach that looks at how your worldview affects the choices you make, especially choices that cause distress. It's based on the belief that you're the best person to understand your experiences and needs.

Humanistic therapists work to help you better understand what you're experiencing, offering guidance and support without interpreting your feelings for you.

How it works

Your therapist will help you work toward the goal of living your most fulfilling life, largely by enabling you to be your true self. You'll spend time exploring ways to grow and increase self-acceptance along with discussing the issues you're dealing with.

Another important principle in humanistic therapy is unconditional positive regard.

This simply means your therapist will accept you, even if they disagree with you on some things. Humanistic therapy is particularly useful for coping with negative judgement (perceived or real) from others.

Generally, you'll be the one directing the session. Your therapist will step in when needed, but otherwise they'll be actively listening to you, occasionally asking questions to ensure they understand what you're saying.

Humanistic approaches to therapy include:
● Existential therapy. In this philosophical approach to treatment, you'll consider concepts such as responsibility for your choices and your freedom to make choices. You might spend time talking about what certain parts of your life mean to you and how you might find greater meaning in life.

● Person-centered therapy. This approach works from the belief that emotional distress can result when others criticize you or show disapproval for your choices or actions. This can make self-acceptance and growth difficult. Therapists offer acceptance, empathy, and guidance as you work on personal growth and positive change.

● Gestalt therapy. With this approach, you'll look at unresolved issues, such as relationship and family conflicts, considering how they affect your emotional well-being. Gestalt therapy focuses on the present moment and often involves role-playing or acting out scenarios with movement or visualization.

What it's good for

Humanistic therapy can be useful for addressing:
● self-esteem issues
● difficulty coping with chronic health concerns
● effects of trauma
● depression
● relationship issues
● substance use disorder
● feelings of worthlessness or being lost in life