12 Oct 8 Evidence-Based Therapy Types Explained (CBT, DBT, EMDR, and More)
The short answer
There is no single best therapy, only the best fit for your concern. Eight evidence-based approaches are CBT for thoughts and habits, DBT for intense emotions, EMDR for trauma, exposure therapy for anxiety and phobias, ACT for living by your values, motivational interviewing for change, group therapy for shared support, and family therapy for relationships. A good therapist matches the method to you, and often blends more than one.
1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT targets the link between thoughts, feelings, and behavior. By catching and testing unhelpful thoughts, it helps with anxiety, depression, and many everyday struggles, and it is one of the most studied approaches there is.
2. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
DBT teaches concrete skills for handling intense emotions, tolerating distress, and improving relationships. It is especially helpful when feelings run high and hard to control.
3. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR helps the brain reprocess traumatic memories so they stop feeling present. It is a well-supported treatment for PTSD and trauma, and it does not require describing every detail.
4. Exposure Therapy
Exposure gently and gradually faces the situations you have been avoiding, which shrinks anxiety and phobias over time. Avoidance feeds fear, and this approach reverses that.
5. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT helps you make room for difficult thoughts and feelings while still moving toward what matters to you. The goal is a fuller life, not the absence of every hard emotion.
6. Motivational Interviewing
This approach helps you work through mixed feelings about change and find your own reasons to move forward. It is often used with substance use and other habit change.
7. Group Therapy
Group work brings people with shared experiences together under a counselor’s guidance. It adds support, accountability, and the relief of knowing you are not alone.
8. Family Therapy
Family therapy works with the relationships around a person, improving communication and easing conflict. Sometimes the most effective change happens in the system, not just the individual.
Getting support
You do not need to pick an approach before you start. A Plus matches the method to your goals and often blends more than one, with licensed clinicians serving adults and teens in Las Vegas and by secure video across Nevada.
Take the first step
A Plus Community Counseling offers in-office therapy in Las Vegas and teletherapy across Nevada and Wyoming. Call (702) 943-0244 or request an appointment online.
Frequently asked questions
Which type of therapy is best?
There is no single best. The right fit depends on your concern, your goals, and how you like to work, and your therapist recommends and adjusts as you go.
Can a therapist use more than one approach?
Yes. Many therapists blend methods, such as CBT skills with EMDR for trauma, to fit the person.
Do I have to know which one I want?
No. Your therapist assesses your situation and suggests an approach. You do not need to decide in advance.
Are these available online?
Yes. Most of these approaches work well by secure video across Nevada.
This article is general education, not medical advice. For a diagnosis or a plan built around your situation, talk with a licensed clinician.