Types of Treatment
When looking for a mental health provider, it is important you see a licensed professional. A license means the provider has both legal and ethical responsibilities to patients. It also means there is a process for filing a complaint, if necessary. A guide to different license types is below:
Individual
Behavioral health provider helps one person work through personal struggles they have been facing.
Group
One or more behavioral health providers work with several people at the same time, typically on a similar struggle. Group sizes typically range in size from 2 to 12 clients.
Family
Behavioral health provider works with one or more members of a family unit to improve communication and resolve conflicts.
Psychological Assessment
Psychologists use a variety of tests and assessment tools to measure and observe a client’s behavior, cognitive ability, and functional status to inform diagnosis and guide treatment. For more information: https://www.apa.org/topics/psychological-testing-assessment
Telehealth
Behavioral health providers use digital information and communication technologies to deliver healthcare services remotely. Current laws state the provider must be licensed in the state where the client is geographically located at the time of session unless they are credentialed through an appropriate interstate licensure compact (e.g., PsyPact)
The following link offers a brief summary of different approaches to psychotherapy and an overview of data on the effectiveness of psychotherapy as a treatment for psychological distress. You should ask your provider what modality or modalities they typically use and what that will look like in your sessions. For most people and most disorders, the type of therapy is less important than a strong working relationship with your behavioral health clinician:
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For a list of approaches to Psychotherapy see here:
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This questionnaire may help you understand what sort of therapist you’re looking for: