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Writer's pictureDr. Leilani Sharpe

Starting Psychotherapy: Common Therapy Modalities

Updated: Nov 17, 2021


Dr. Leilani Sharpe is a licensed child and adult psychiatrist in Santa Monica, California which is in Los Angeles County.

In addition to different types of psychotherapy providers, there are also different types of psychotherapy approaches. Sometimes these approaches are also called "modalities".


It's important to remember that choosing an appropriate psychotherapy approach is something that is usually developed after your therapist has a better understanding of why you are presenting for help.

However, sometimes a psychiatrist or a therapist may recommend a particular type of therapy that they do not offer. That will lead to looking online or through an insurance registry for available providers.


It's very common for a psychotherapist to list their training background as well as a brief summary of the modalities they feel comfortable providing.

Common psychotherapy methods you may see offered are:

  • Supportive Therapy

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

  • Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

  • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy

  • Parent-Child Interaction Therapy

  • Family Therapy

  • Group Therapy

  • Psychoanalysis

This is by no means an exhaustive list of available psychotherapy modalities. Additionally, as access to healthcare and the way patients access therapy has changed over the years, so have the psychotherapy modalities that are commonly offered.


Over the next several posts I'll give brief overviews of the modalities listed above, to hopefully provide a foundation for looking for a new psychotherapist.

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