Psychotherapy vs. therapy: What’s the difference?

Therapy

✓ Broad umbrella term

✓ Includes mental health counseling,

✓ Often used casually to describe “talk therapy”


Psychotherapy

✓ Clinical term

✓ Refers specifically to evidence-based mental health treatment

✓ Delivered by trained, licensed professionals

✓ Involves structured techniques (e.g., CBT, DBT, psychodynamic)


When someone says “therapy,” they may mean psychotherapy — but not always.

Psychotherapy is one type of therapy focused on treating emotional and psychological challenges.

Explore psychotherapy options through Headspace’s evidence-based care program.

Therapy refers to professional mental health support that’s designed to boost your emotional well-being. It also helps you develop practical tools so you’re able to handle life’s ups and downs. Therapy encompasses a wide variety of approaches, all aimed at targeting specific goals, issues, or challenges. It can include “talk therapy” (often used interchangeably with psychotherapy) and goal-focused counseling. Talk therapy can improve your self-esteem or help you build and maintain healthy relationships.

Whatever your mental health goals are, a good therapist will draw from their psychological experience and training to offer tailored support that’s determined by your exact needs. Many psychotherapists and therapists use a blended approach, pulling from multiple modalities to ensure you can reach your goals and emerge stronger, healthier, and ready to take on the world.

Psychotherapy is a more clinical term. It typically describes a structured, evidence-based treatment provided by a trained mental health professional.

Psychotherapy generally involves more than just talking. Think of it in the context of diagnosing and treating mental health conditions. You might seek psychotherapy to manage symptoms of conditions that are impacting your life, such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and more.

There are several types of psychotherapy. All are grounded in research and offer frameworks to guide therapists. Some of the more common forms of psychotherapy include:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): In CBT, you focus on identifying and changing unhealthy or unhelpful thought and behavior patterns.

Studies show CBT is highly effective for anxiety disorders, disordered eating (like bulimia), depression, anger control, and general stress.

• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT): Using combined cognitive-behavioral tools and mindfulness, DBT is an excellent modality for emotional regulation. Originally developed to treat borderline personality disorder (BPD), DBT is now also used to successfully treat other conditions.

Research shows DBT is effective far beyond its original use for BPD. It’s used to treat symptoms of depression, bulimia and binge eating, bipolar disorder, PTSD, and substance abuse. It’s also widely respected for addressing self-harm and suicidality.

• Psychodynamic therapy: Some people benefit most from psychodynamic therapy, which explores unconscious patterns that have developed as a result of past experiences. In therapy, you will learn to understand your current behavior, which allows you to make changes to things that are negatively impacting your life.

Psychodynamic therapy has been found effective in studies for treating some personality disorders, particularly borderline personality disorder. It can also help relieve symptoms of depression, anxiety, and disordered eating.

In practice, the terms therapy and psychotherapy often overlap. Most licensed therapists can offer both forms of counseling, depending on your situation, condition, and goals for treatment outcome.

There are many reasons to see a mental health professional, but finding the right type of therapist or psychotherapist and treatment is key to your success.

If you’re experiencing symptoms of anxiety, depression, trauma, or another diagnosed psychological condition, psychotherapy might offer the tangible results you’re looking for. It can improve your life and emotional well-being.

If you’re navigating a significant life change, feel constantly overwhelmed, or want to explore personal growth, general therapy can be an appropriate and effective solution.

The most important thing to remember is that your first step doesn’t need to be the perfect answer. What matters is that you’re getting help, and that starts with reaching out for support.

Finding the right provider, who’s a good fit and trained and qualified to meet your needs, is critical. It dictates the results you’ll end up achieving. Even if it feels daunting, try not to get too hung up on the labels. Your primary focus should be on the connection you feel with your therapist. Research shows that the quality of a relationship with a therapist or psychotherapist is one of the strongest predictors of a successful outcome, a good sign if you want to know if therapy is working.

If you’re ready to explore therapy or psychotherapy, Headspace is here for you. We make it easy, convenient, and affordable to connect with licensed therapists and get evidence-based therapy to help you meet your goals. With flexible scheduling, virtual sessions, and insurance coverage, Headspace is designed to meet you wherever you are on your journey. Whatever terminology you use, what matters the most is your bravery and willingness to ask for help.

Reach out today to learn more about the power of Headspace.


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