Individual Therapy
Individual therapy (sometimes referred to as psychotherapy or counseling) is a form of mental health treatment where one person meets privately with a trained mental health professional—such as a psychotherapist or social worker—to discuss thoughts, emotions, behaviors, relationships, and life challenges.
The goal is usually to help a person better understand themselves, cope with difficulties, make changes they want to make, or improve their overall well-being.
What happens in a session?
A typical session lasts about 50 minutes. The therapist may:
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Ask questions about your experiences and concerns
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Help you identify patterns in thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
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Teach coping or problem-solving skills
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Explore past experiences and how they affect the present
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Help you set goals and track progress
The exact approach depends on the therapist and the type of therapy being used.
Different types of psychotherapy
Common approaches include:
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CBT - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thought and behavior patterns.
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EMDR - Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing focuses on helping people process and recover from distressing memories and traumatic experiences that continue to affect them in the present.
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DBT - Dialectical Behavior Therapy emphasizes emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.
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ACT - Acceptance and Commitment Therapy focuses on accepting difficult experiences while pursuing meaningful goals.
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IFS - Internal Family Systems views the mind as containing different "parts" that require different attention to heal. People sometimes refer to it as "inner child work".
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Humanistic Therapy: emphasizes personal growth, self-exploration, and the therapeutic relationship.
Does it work?
Research generally shows that psychotherapy can be effective for many mental health concerns and life problems. Outcomes vary by person, issue, therapist fit, and treatment approach, but many people report improvements in symptoms, coping skills, relationships, and quality of life.
In simple terms, individual psychotherapy is a structured conversation with a trained professional designed to help people understand themselves better, address difficulties, and make changes that matter to them.
Clients find it helpful to know that they have complete control over the conversation in their sessions. A client is never forced to share personal details and is always supported to engage in a way that is comfortable for them. With the help of your therapist, you will establish a goal for treatment and, together, you will work to achieve it at a manageable pace.