If you’ve searched for “mental health treatment,” you’ve probably seen dozens of therapy names and acronyms. The good news: there’s real research on what works. Here’s what to know.
Therapy and medication are the most common treatments
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), psychotherapy (talk therapy) and medication are the most common forms of mental health treatment. NIMH also notes that many types of psychotherapy have been shown to work, and that treatment is often tailored to the specific condition.
Some people do best with therapy alone. Others benefit from combining therapy with medication managed by a doctor or psychiatric provider.
Evidence-based approaches I use
- Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP): the leading therapy for OCD. It helps you face fears gradually while resisting compulsions, so the anxiety loses its grip over time. Learn more about ERP.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): helps you make room for difficult thoughts and feelings while moving toward what matters to you.
- Solution-focused therapy: builds on what’s already working in your life to create practical change.
- Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART): a structured approach that can help process anxiety and trauma, often in fewer sessions.
Matching treatment to the problem
The right approach depends on what you’re facing. Ordinary talk therapy, for example, often isn’t enough for OCD, while ERP is designed specifically for it. That’s why it’s worth asking any therapist which approach they’d use and why. You can read more about how I work with anxiety, depression, and life transitions.
How to tell if treatment is working
You should generally start noticing some change over time: fewer symptoms, more ease in daily life, or new tools that actually help. NIMH encourages people who don’t feel they’re improving to talk with their therapist or consider another approach. A good therapist will welcome that conversation.
Ready to talk?
I offer in-person sessions at my Tampa office and telehealth for clients in Florida, North Carolina, Massachusetts, and Washington. Start with a free 15-minute consultation to see if we’re a good fit.
If you’re in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7. In an emergency, call 911.
Sources
Featured photo: “A calm morning on Lake Superior (45031548041)” by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest, Wikimedia Commons (Public domain).
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