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Though both therapists and psychologists can provide psychotherapy services, the biggest difference between the two lies in their training.

A psychologist has more research-focused training than most therapists, but therapists get a more expansive education surrounding the different therapeutic styles, approaches, and techniques before eventually choosing a specialization, which psychologists do not have to do.

Some psychologists can also prescribe medication (in certain states), something that therapists cannot do, though psychiatric providers are the main resource for people in need of mental health medication.

Much of therapy is simply talking and discussing various ideas, though usually with specific goals in mind. Therapy is largely the process of talking through your past, your current situation, and your goals for therapy. Once you establish what you want to be getting out of therapy, you can start talking about specific patterns, thoughts, behaviors, or emotions you want to change, delving into what’s causing them and how you can work to change them yourself.

Being honest, both with yourself and your therapist, is the best way to make talking to your therapist an effective and helpful tool for growth.

There are many different types of therapy that a therapist can perform, as well as many approaches they can use, to effectively treat each unique client. Some examples of common approaches therapists can use are:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): This type of therapy focuses on the connections between an individual’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. It works to identify unhelpful behavioral patterns that one might be stuck in and adjust them by working through the thoughts and feelings behind them.
• Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT): This type is very similar to CBT in that it focuses on the connections between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. However, it hones in specifically on the emotional and social factors being affected to help people better regulate their emotions, among other things.
• Solution-focused therapy: This kind of therapy focuses on direct therapeutic intervention methods that target specific symptoms and focus on alleviating active distress over a short period of time (usually 1-2 months).
• Emotionally-focused therapy: This therapeutic modality focuses on one’s relationship with their emotions, helping people learn to accept and understand their emotions better to live a more fulfilling life.
• Trauma-focused therapy: This type of therapy helps people process and work through trauma by helping them confront what happened, cope with their symptoms, and move on with their lives.

One of the most important things to look for from a therapist is that you feel safe and comfortable around them. A good therapeutic relationship between therapist and client is a major key to effective therapeutic treatment.

When people trust their therapist, they are more likely to be honest and open with them, allowing true change and growth to occur. Make sure that you feel like the therapist you choose provides a safe, empathetic, and compassionate space for you.

Therapy is all about deciding to help yourself grow—this means that you will get out of it what you put in. If you are reluctant to change and have no interest in being honest about your thoughts and feelings, you likely won’t experience much personal growth. Honesty is the basis of therapeutic change—if your therapist doesn’t know you or what you struggle with, they won’t be able to effectively help you.

In most therapy settings, you’ll start by working with a therapist to set realistic and meaningful goals for yourself. By doing this, you decide what, exactly, you want to get out of therapy and what changes you want to make to your life.

This isn’t to say that therapy is an easy process. Being vulnerable about yourself and choosing to change is a courageous choice, and you may have to talk about hard things. However, identifying unhelpful patterns and behaviors that are present in your life and changing them will lead you to a happier and healthier life.

Therapy has numerous benefits, each contributing to a person’s overall growth and well-being. Some examples of specific benefits that therapy provides include:

• Coping skills: A main focus of therapeutic intervention is to identify unhealthy coping mechanisms that are present in an individual’s life and help them develop new, healthy ones.
• Communication skills: Solid communication skills can help people improve their relationships by allowing them to verbalize how they feel have open conversations, and set boundaries, thereby impacting their overall happiness.
• Problem-solving skills: Solving problems is a necessary skill for facing life’s challenges, but it can be hard to know what to do when a problem feels insurmountable. Problem-solving skills show people how to face challenges in a way that causes the least amount of stress and makes the most sense to them and their habits.
• Emotional regulation: Therapy provides a variety of helpful tools and strategies to help people self-regulate. Many times, emotions are hard to control because we don’t know why they’re happening. By discovering the thoughts and events at the root of these emotions, we become better equipped to manage them.
• Time management: Therapy can also help individuals learn to effectively manage their time in a way that works for them. This can include learning to organize tasks, prioritize, allot time to be productive and rest, and create individualized to-do lists.

When looking for a therapist, it’s important to look for providers that specialize in what you need treated (i.e. anxiety, life transition challenges, relationship issues). From there, it’s also important to look for providers who would be covered by your insurance. You can find this information by looking through your health insurance portal or calling an assistance number and talking to a representative.

At Thriveworks, we know how important this search is, and we want to make it as easy and painless as possible. That’s why, when you go to book an appointment with one of our providers, you can see each of our available therapists’ specialties and offerings and choose your own provider.

Thriveworks hires only the very best therapists to join our team and provide the very best care to our clients.

As stated above, Thriveworks makes it easy to find a therapist who fits both your needs and preferences. You can search for a therapist by city and state, the type of therapy you’re looking for, specialty, in-person vs. video sessions, insurance, and more. Once you narrow in on a therapist, you can read more about them in their provider profiles to determine if they’d be a good match.

Other Thriveworks benefits include:

• You never have to worry about being put on a waitlist. We have thousands of therapists and work to get you in for your first session quickly
• New clients often meet with their therapist within a week of scheduling.
• Thriveworks accepts most major forms of insurance—we accept 575+ plans, covering 1 in 2 insured Americans across the country. We also offer self-pay options for those out of network.