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TherapyExplained

Types of Therapy

There are many forms of therapy, each backed by research and tailored to different needs. Explore the options below to find out how each approach works and what conditions it treats most effectively.

Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP)

A comprehensive guide to AEDP: how this attachment-based therapy uses emotion and the therapeutic relationship to heal trauma, depression, and anxiety.

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Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)

A detailed guide to Accelerated Resolution Therapy: how voluntary image replacement works, what sessions look like, and how ART compares to EMDR.

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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

A comprehensive guide to ACT therapy: the six core processes, psychological flexibility, and how ACT helps with anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and more.

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Adlerian Therapy

A complete guide to Adlerian therapy: how Alfred Adler's individual psychology addresses feelings of inferiority, social connection, and purposeful living.

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Affirmative Therapy (LGBTQ+)

A guide to LGBTQ+ affirmative therapy: how it works, what to expect, and how it supports mental health for sexual and gender minority individuals.

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Animal-Assisted Therapy

A comprehensive guide to animal-assisted therapy: how incorporating animals into treatment helps with anxiety, depression, PTSD, and developmental disabilities.

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Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

A guide to Applied Behavior Analysis: how it uses behavioral principles to teach skills, reduce challenging behaviors, and support individuals with autism and developmental disabilities.

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Art Therapy

A comprehensive guide to art therapy: how creative expression through visual art helps treat trauma, anxiety, depression, and developmental issues.

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Attachment-Based Therapy

A comprehensive guide to attachment-based therapy: how it uses attachment science to heal relationship patterns, address childhood trauma, and build secure connections.

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Behavioral Activation (BA)

A comprehensive guide to Behavioral Activation therapy: how scheduling meaningful activities treats depression, what sessions look like, and how BA compares to CBT.

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Bibliotherapy

A comprehensive guide to bibliotherapy: how therapeutic reading and guided literary engagement help treat anxiety, depression, PTSD, OCD, and other mental health conditions.

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Biofeedback Therapy

A comprehensive guide to biofeedback therapy: how real-time physiological monitoring helps you gain control over anxiety, chronic pain, migraines, and more.

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Brain Stimulation Therapy (TMS, ECT, VNS)

A comprehensive guide to brain stimulation therapies: how TMS, ECT, and VNS work, what to expect, and when they are recommended for treatment-resistant conditions.

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Career Counseling

A guide to career counseling as a therapeutic service: how it works, who it helps, and when career concerns overlap with mental health.

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Christian Counseling

A guide to Christian counseling: how faith-integrated therapy works, what to expect, and how it addresses mental health concerns within a Christian worldview.

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Coaching (Life/Psychological)

A guide to life and psychological coaching: how it differs from therapy, what to expect, and how it supports personal development, career growth, and life transitions.

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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

A practical guide to CBT: how it works, what to expect, and the conditions it treats most effectively.

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Enhanced CBT for Eating Disorders (CBT-E)

A comprehensive guide to Enhanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT-E): the leading transdiagnostic treatment for eating disorders, how it works, and what to expect.

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CBT for ARFID (CBT-AR)

A guide to CBT for ARFID: the first evidence-based treatment specifically designed for Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, how it works, and what to expect.

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CBT for Chronic Pain (CBT-CP)

A practical guide to CBT for Chronic Pain: how cognitive behavioral strategies help manage persistent pain, what treatment involves, and how it compares to standard CBT.

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CBT for Insomnia (CBT-I)

A practical guide to CBT for Insomnia: the gold-standard treatment for chronic sleep problems, how it works, and what to expect from treatment.

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CBT for Psychosis (CBTp)

A comprehensive guide to CBT for Psychosis: how cognitive behavioral techniques are adapted for hallucinations, delusions, and psychotic experiences.

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CBT for Suicide Prevention (CBT-SP)

A guide to CBT for Suicide Prevention: an evidence-based treatment that reduces suicidal behavior by targeting the specific thoughts, emotions, and situations that lead to crises.

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Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)

A comprehensive guide to Cognitive Processing Therapy: how CPT treats PTSD by addressing stuck points and trauma-related beliefs, and how it compares to EMDR and Prolonged Exposure.

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Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST)

A guide to Cognitive Stimulation Therapy: how group-based mental stimulation helps people with mild to moderate dementia maintain cognitive function and quality of life.

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Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT)

A comprehensive guide to CFT: how cultivating self-compassion helps treat shame, depression, trauma, and self-criticism.

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Computerized CBT (cCBT / iCBT)

A guide to Computerized CBT: evidence-based digital programs that deliver cognitive behavioral therapy through online platforms, apps, and software.

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Couples Therapy

A comprehensive overview of couples therapy: the different approaches, what to expect, and how to find the right fit for your relationship.

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Culturally Sensitive Therapy

A guide to culturally sensitive therapy: how therapists adapt evidence-based treatments to honor your cultural background, values, and worldview.

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Dance/Movement Therapy

A comprehensive guide to dance/movement therapy: how therapeutic movement helps treat trauma, body image issues, and anxiety through embodied expression.

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DBT for Teens (DBT-A)

A guide to Dialectical Behavior Therapy for adolescents (DBT-A): how it adapts standard DBT for teens, the added family component, and what conditions it treats.

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Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

A comprehensive guide to DBT: the four core modules, what sessions look like, and who benefits most from this evidence-based therapy.

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Discernment Counseling

A brief, focused approach for couples on the brink of divorce who want clarity about the future of their relationship before making a permanent decision.

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Drama Therapy / Psychodrama

A comprehensive guide to drama therapy and psychodrama: how theatrical techniques and role-play help treat trauma, interpersonal conflict, and anxiety.

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Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)

A thorough guide to Emotionally Focused Therapy: how EFT uses attachment science to repair relationships, its 3 stages and 9 steps, and the evidence behind it.

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Equine-Assisted Therapy

A comprehensive guide to equine-assisted therapy: how working with horses supports healing from PTSD, anxiety, addiction, and ADHD through experiential interaction.

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Existential Therapy

A guide to existential therapy: how it addresses life's fundamental questions about meaning, freedom, isolation, and mortality to relieve psychological suffering.

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Experiential Therapy

A guide to experiential therapy: how it uses in-session emotional experiencing to heal trauma, overcome emotional avoidance, and treat depression.

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Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

A comprehensive guide to ERP therapy: how it works, what to expect, and why it is the gold standard treatment for OCD.

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Expressive Arts Therapy

A comprehensive guide to expressive arts therapy: how combining multiple creative modalities helps treat trauma, emotional processing difficulties, and depression.

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Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

A thorough guide to EMDR therapy: the 8-phase protocol, bilateral stimulation, what sessions look like, and the conditions it treats.

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Family Therapy

A comprehensive overview of family therapy: the different approaches, what to expect, and how it helps families navigate conflict and improve communication.

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Feminist Therapy

A guide to feminist therapy: how it addresses power dynamics, societal influences on mental health, and empowerment-based healing for all genders.

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Forensic Therapy

A guide to forensic therapy: how it works within the criminal justice system, what to expect, and how it supports rehabilitation and risk reduction.

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Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP)

A guide to Functional Analytic Psychotherapy: a behavioral treatment that uses the therapeutic relationship as the primary vehicle for meaningful psychological change.

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Gender Identity Therapy

A guide to gender identity therapy: how it supports transgender, nonbinary, and gender-questioning individuals in an affirming, non-pathologizing framework.

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Gestalt Therapy

A guide to Gestalt therapy: how it uses present-moment awareness, experiential exercises, and the empty-chair technique to promote healing and growth.

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Gottman Method Couples Therapy

A comprehensive guide to the Gottman Method: how it works, what to expect, and how it helps couples build stronger relationships.

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Group Therapy

A comprehensive guide to group therapy: how it works, what to expect, the different types of groups, and the research showing it is as effective as individual therapy for many conditions.

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Human Givens Therapy

A guide to Human Givens therapy: how it identifies unmet emotional needs and misused innate resources to provide rapid, practical relief from anxiety, depression, and trauma.

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Humanistic Therapy

An overview of humanistic therapy: how it emphasizes personal growth, self-actualization, and the whole person rather than symptoms alone.

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Hypnotherapy

A comprehensive guide to clinical hypnotherapy: how therapeutic hypnosis helps treat anxiety, phobias, chronic pain, and smoking cessation.

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Imago Relationship Therapy

A comprehensive guide to Imago Relationship Therapy: how the Imago Dialogue works, its roots in childhood wound theory, and what to expect in sessions.

imago-relationship-therapyrelationship-therapycouples-therapy

Integrative/Eclectic Therapy

A guide to integrative and eclectic therapy: how therapists combine multiple approaches to create personalized treatment tailored to your unique needs.

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Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy

A comprehensive guide to IFS therapy: understanding your parts, the Self, and how unburdening works to heal trauma and emotional pain.

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Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)

A guide to Interpersonal Psychotherapy: how it addresses relationship patterns and life transitions to treat depression, grief, and more.

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Jungian Therapy

A guide to Jungian therapy: how it uses archetypes, dreams, and the unconscious to promote individuation and self-understanding.

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LGBTQ+ Affirming Therapy

A dedicated guide to LGBTQ+ affirming therapy: how it addresses minority stress, what to look for in a therapist, and how it differs from general affirmative therapy.

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Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT)

A comprehensive overview of marriage and family therapy: the MFT approach, what MFT therapists do, and how this discipline addresses relationship and family issues.

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Mentalization-Based Therapy (MBT)

A guide to Mentalization-Based Therapy: how it builds the capacity to understand mental states and treats borderline personality disorder.

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Metacognitive Therapy (MCT)

A guide to Metacognitive Therapy: an evidence-based treatment that targets how you relate to your thoughts rather than their content, and what to expect from treatment.

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Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)

A comprehensive guide to MBCT: how mindfulness practices combine with cognitive therapy to prevent depressive relapse and manage anxiety and stress.

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Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

A structured 8-week program that uses mindfulness meditation, body awareness, and yoga to help people manage stress, pain, and illness.

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Motivational Interviewing (MI)

A practical guide to Motivational Interviewing: how this collaborative counseling approach helps resolve ambivalence and support lasting behavior change.

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Multicultural Counseling

A guide to multicultural counseling: how it integrates cultural awareness into therapy, addresses systemic issues, and serves diverse populations.

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Music Therapy

A comprehensive guide to music therapy: how clinical music interventions treat depression, dementia, anxiety, and developmental issues.

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Narrative Therapy

A comprehensive guide to Narrative Therapy: how externalizing problems and re-authoring your life story can help with depression, trauma, and identity concerns.

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Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)

A balanced guide to Neuro-Linguistic Programming: what NLP is, how it works, its common techniques, and what the evidence says about its effectiveness.

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Neurofeedback Therapy

A comprehensive guide to neurofeedback: how real-time brainwave training helps with ADHD, anxiety, sleep issues, and more.

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Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)

A complete guide to Parent-Child Interaction Therapy: how live coaching transforms parent-child relationships and reduces behavioral problems in young children.

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PEERS Social Skills Program

A guide to the PEERS program: UCLA's evidence-based social skills intervention for teens and young adults, especially those on the autism spectrum.

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Person-Centered Therapy (Rogerian)

A guide to person-centered therapy: how Carl Rogers' approach uses empathy, unconditional positive regard, and genuineness to facilitate personal growth.

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Play Therapy

A developmentally appropriate form of therapy that uses play to help children express emotions, process experiences, and develop coping skills.

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Positive Psychology

A guide to positive psychology interventions: how they build well-being, resilience, and life satisfaction beyond just treating symptoms.

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Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE)

A comprehensive guide to Prolonged Exposure Therapy: how confronting traumatic memories and avoided situations helps you recover from PTSD and trauma.

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Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy

A comprehensive guide to psychedelic-assisted therapy: how psilocybin, MDMA, and ketamine are used in clinical settings to treat depression, PTSD, and more.

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Psychoanalytic Therapy

A guide to psychoanalytic therapy: how this in-depth approach works, what to expect, and the conditions it treats most effectively.

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Psychodynamic Therapy

A comprehensive guide to psychodynamic therapy: how it uncovers unconscious patterns, what sessions look like, and the conditions it treats.

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Psychological Testing and Evaluation

A guide to psychological testing and evaluation: what it involves, the types of tests used, and how assessments inform diagnosis and treatment planning.

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Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)

A comprehensive guide to REBT: how Albert Ellis's pioneering approach identifies and disputes irrational beliefs to reduce emotional suffering.

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Reality Therapy / Choice Theory

A practical guide to Reality Therapy: how William Glasser's Choice Theory helps you take responsibility for your choices and meet your basic needs more effectively.

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Recovery-Oriented Cognitive Therapy (CT-R)

A guide to Recovery-Oriented Cognitive Therapy: a strengths-based treatment for schizophrenia and serious mental illness that activates the adaptive mode to support meaningful recovery.

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Relational Therapy

A guide to relational therapy: how it uses the therapeutic relationship as the primary vehicle for healing trauma, attachment, and relational patterns.

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Reunification Therapy

A thorough guide to reunification therapy: how it works to rebuild parent-child relationships after estrangement, what to expect in sessions, and when it is appropriate.

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Sandplay Therapy

A comprehensive guide to sandplay therapy: how building miniature worlds in a sand tray helps treat trauma, anxiety, and childhood issues.

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Schema Therapy

A guide to schema therapy: how it identifies and changes deep emotional patterns, what to expect, and the conditions it treats.

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Sensorimotor Psychotherapy

A comprehensive guide to Sensorimotor Psychotherapy: how this body-centered approach helps process trauma stored in the body through movement, sensation, and mindfulness.

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Sex Therapy

A specialized form of talk therapy that addresses sexual concerns, intimacy issues, and relationship dynamics related to physical connection.

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Social Recovery Therapy

A guide to Social Recovery Therapy: how it helps people with psychosis and schizophrenia re-engage with social activities, work, and meaningful life goals.

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Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)

A practical guide to Solution-Focused Brief Therapy: how this strengths-based approach helps you build solutions rather than analyze problems.

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Somatic Therapy

A body-centered approach to healing trauma, anxiety, and chronic pain by addressing the physical ways stress gets stored in the body.

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SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions)

A guide to SPACE therapy: how this parent-focused treatment reduces child and teen anxiety by changing how parents respond to anxious behaviors.

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Strength-Based Therapy

A guide to strength-based therapy: how it identifies and leverages your existing strengths to treat depression, anxiety, and build self-esteem.

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Structural Family Therapy

A complete guide to structural family therapy: how it reorganizes family dynamics, strengthens boundaries, and resolves conflict through changing family structure.

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Talk Therapy (Psychotherapy)

A comprehensive overview of talk therapy: what it is, the different types, what to expect in sessions, and how to find the right approach for you.

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Transpersonal Therapy

A guide to transpersonal therapy: how it integrates spiritual experience with psychological healing to address spiritual crises, depression, and anxiety.

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Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT)

A comprehensive guide to Trauma-Focused CBT: how this evidence-based therapy helps children and adolescents recover from trauma, abuse, and PTSD.

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Written Exposure Therapy (WET)

A practical guide to Written Exposure Therapy: a brief, 5-session treatment for PTSD that uses structured writing about traumatic experiences.

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