A plain-English guide
You don't need to know before you start — a good therapist will guide you. Start with the simple version below, and open “Go deeper” on any approach to read its origins, history and how it actually works.
A practical, structured approach that looks at how your thoughts, feelings and behaviours connect — and how changing one can shift the others.
Often helps with
What a session feels like: Active and goal-focused. You'll often set small tasks between sessions and learn concrete tools you can keep using.
Where it came from
Developed by psychiatrist Aaron T. Beck in the 1960s, building on earlier behavioural therapy and Albert Ellis's rational-emotive work.
A little history
Beck noticed his depressed patients had streams of automatic negative thoughts. By testing and reshaping those thoughts, symptoms eased. CBT became one of the most researched therapies in the world and is recommended by the UK's NICE for many conditions.
How it works
You and your therapist identify unhelpful thought patterns ("cognitive distortions") and the behaviours that reinforce them, then test them against reality and practise new responses — often with worksheets and between-session experiments.
Explores how your past, early relationships and unconscious patterns shape how you feel and relate today.
Often helps with
What a session feels like: More open and exploratory, less structured. You talk freely; the therapist helps you notice patterns and meaning over time.
Where it came from
Rooted in the psychoanalysis of Sigmund Freud (late 1800s), later evolved by figures like Carl Jung, Melanie Klein and Donald Winnicott into shorter, more relational forms.
A little history
Classical psychoanalysis (the couch, several sessions a week) gradually gave way to once-weekly "psychodynamic" therapy that keeps the focus on the unconscious and the past while being more practical for modern life.
How it works
By paying attention to recurring themes, dreams, slips, and the relationship with the therapist itself, hidden conflicts become conscious — and once seen, they lose some of their grip.
Built on the belief that you already hold what you need to grow. The therapist offers warmth, empathy and no judgement to help you find your own way.
Often helps with
What a session feels like: Gentle and led by you. There's no agenda imposed — the relationship itself is the healing space.
Where it came from
Created by American psychologist Carl Rogers in the 1940s–50s as part of the "humanistic" movement.
A little history
Rogers broke from the expert-led model, arguing that people have an innate drive toward growth that flourishes given the right conditions — empathy, genuineness, and unconditional positive regard.
How it works
The therapist doesn't direct or diagnose. By being deeply heard and accepted, you reconnect with your own feelings and judgement, and change emerges from within rather than being prescribed.
A structured therapy that helps the brain reprocess distressing memories using guided eye movements or tapping, so they lose their grip.
Often helps with
What a session feels like: Structured and focused. You recall difficult moments briefly while following a back-and-forth cue; many find relief without long retelling.
Where it came from
Developed by American psychologist Francine Shapiro in 1987, after she noticed that certain eye movements seemed to reduce the intensity of distressing thoughts.
A little history
Initially met with scepticism, EMDR built a strong evidence base for trauma and is now recommended by NICE and the World Health Organization for PTSD.
How it works
While you hold a distressing memory in mind, bilateral stimulation (eye movements, taps or tones) is thought to help the brain "digest" the memory so it's stored as an ordinary, non-threatening recollection.
Teaches you to notice thoughts and feelings as they arise, without being swept away — often blended with CBT (MBCT).
Often helps with
What a session feels like: Practice-based. Expect breathing and awareness exercises you build into daily life, plus reflection in sessions.
Where it came from
Modern mindfulness draws on centuries-old Buddhist contemplative practice, secularised by Jon Kabat-Zinn (MBSR, 1979) and adapted into MBCT by Segal, Williams and Teasdale in the 1990s.
A little history
Kabat-Zinn brought mindfulness into hospitals for chronic pain and stress; researchers later combined it with CBT to prevent depressive relapse. NICE now recommends MBCT for recurrent depression.
How it works
Regular practice trains attention to stay with the present moment, so you relate to difficult thoughts as passing events rather than facts — reducing rumination and reactivity.
Many experienced therapists draw on several approaches and tailor the mix to you, rather than following one school.
Often helps with
What a session feels like: Adaptable. The therapist meets you where you are and shifts methods as your needs change.
Where it came from
Emerged through the later 20th century as research showed the therapeutic relationship often matters more than any single technique.
A little history
Rather than one founder, integrative practice grew from a profession-wide recognition that no single model fits everyone — and that thoughtfully combining approaches can serve clients better.
How it works
Your therapist assesses what you need and blends tools — perhaps CBT skills, person-centred warmth, and a psychodynamic eye for patterns — adjusting as therapy progresses.
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