Mental health professionals continue to find new ways to help individuals cope with anxiety, depression, and other mental disorders. Unique forms of therapy have been introduced to patients who choose to obtain professional help. If you are living with anxiety, consider these types of therapy and how they may be able to help you with a therapist or mental health counselor.
Feminist Therapy
Feminist therapy is a form of therapy that has been around since the 1960s. However, it has shifted from only helping women to helping any individual who could benefit from it. Feminist therapy involves analyzing how gender and sex contribute to an individual’s life. A person’s identification, whether that be gender, sex, race, culture, or socioeconomic status, contributes to how they see the world and how the world sees them. Individuals who find themselves feeling like outsiders would especially benefit from this type of therapy.
Individuals who undergo feminist therapy may want help finding ways to best communicate with others, share their feelings and emotions, have self-esteem, be assertive, feel empowered and valued, and overcome current or past difficult and painful situations. Women may choose this form of therapy to help them see how they can contribute to society and be powerful if they’ve felt inferior in the past. If you’re a female and one of the 400 million worldwide entrepreneurs, perhaps you’re having a hard time with your newfound role in the business world and the power you possess. To help cope with feelings of anxiety, undergoing feminist therapy may help you.
Art Therapy
Art therapy is often associated with therapy for children, but it can actually be very helpful for adults who experience anxiety as well. It can help people open up and express themselves through creating art. Many people struggle with putting their feelings into words or discussing painful memories and experiences from their past. Art therapy allows for self-expression, which can then lead to the professional analysis of a patient’s artwork to see how therapy should continue to produce the best results.
There are several mediums of art that an individual may choose to utilize in art therapy. Sculpting, painting, drawing, coloring, and creating collages and other forms of art are popular mediums that therapy patients undergo. If you have a difficult time talking and sharing about your past, consider looking into art therapy with a mental health professional.
Person-Centered Therapy
Perhaps you are experiencing feelings of anxiety for a particular reason. With one divorce occurring approximately every 36 seconds, maybe you’re unfortunately undergoing one yourself. This can be a very strenuous and anxiety-inducing process to go through, and perhaps you’ve sought the help of a mental health professional to help you get through the grief, anxiety, stress, and perhaps depressing thoughts you’re experiencing. You may consider undergoing person-centered therapy.
This type of therapy puts stress on the patient discovering their own problems and solutions to fix them. For insecure and indecisive individuals, this method can help strengthen communication skills, self-esteem, self-confidence, and a sense of one’s identity. If you are motivated to help yourself, this method may prove to be very successful.
Narrative Therapy
Narrative therapy separates people from the problems they face. This form of therapy is meant to empower individuals so they can see that their problems do not define them. Instead, they are things a person can work through and overcome. Individuals who undergo narrative therapy may feel more confident to tackle the issues they face, such as depression or anxiety, and rewrite the narrative that has been ruling their life so far.
Pet Therapy
If you’ve experienced one of the three million non-fatal workplace injuries and illnesses reported every year by private employers, perhaps you’ve been stuck at home feeling lonely, depressed, and anxious. There are several other reasons you may be feeling these ways, too. To help cope with these feelings, consider contacting a mental health professional and asking about pet therapy.
Animals can help reduce feelings of anxiety and depression. Dogs, in particular, can help lower peoples’ blood pressure as well as provide companionship when one feels lonely and depressed. Pet therapy typically goes hand-in-hand with traditional therapy, but if you particularly enjoy undergoing pet therapy, perhaps you’d consider adopting your own dog or cat to provide you companionship in your home all the time.
If you are experiencing anxiety, consider these types of therapy that may be able to help you. Depending on your personal situation, one method may work better for you than another. Reach out to a mental health professional to discuss your options and to determine which form of therapy may be best for you. It’s best to seek professional help when you are feeling anxious, depressed, and lonely. Getting help is the first step in your recovery, and it’ll prove to be the best decision you’ll ever make.
