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METRO CREATIVE SERVICES Sometimes referred to as "talk therapy," psychotherapy is used to help people with a variety of mental illnesses and emotional difficulties. One of the goals of psychotherapy is to eliminate or control symptoms that can adversely affect a person's overall well-being and ability to function. People who are skeptical of psychotherapy should know that hundreds of studies have found it helps people make positive changes in their lives. The American Psychological Association notes that reviews of these studies found that roughly 75 percent of people who enter psychotherapy show some benefit, while other reviews indicate that the average person who engages in psychotherapy is better off by the end of treatment than 80 percent of those who do not receive any treatment. The National Institute of Mental Health notes that more than one-quarter of American adults experience depression, anxiety or another mental disorder in any given year. Psychotherapy may be considered to help people dealing with such mental illnesses. Mental health professionals use several types of psychotherapy to treat men and women in their care and may even combine elements from some of the following therapies to meet the needs of the people they're treating. Cognitive behavioral therapy Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, can help people identify and change harmful or ineffective thinking and behavior patterns. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) notes that CBT aims to replace these thoughts and behaviors with more accurate and functional thoughts and behaviors. CBT may involve practicing new skills in the real world. Dialectical behavior therapy is a specific type of CBT that helps people regulate their emotions and teaches them skills to help them take personal responsibility in regard to changing their unhealthy or disruptive behaviors. Interpersonal therapy A short-term form of treatment, interpersonal therapy, or IPT, helps people understand troublesome interpersonal issues such as grief, changes in social or work roles and conflicts with significant others. According to the APA, IPT can help people learn healthy ways to express their emotions and how to improve the way they communicate with others. Psychodynamic therapy The APA notes that psychodynamic therapy takes the perspective that behavior and mental well-being are influenced by childhood experiences and inappropriate thoughts or feelings that are outside of a person's awareness. A person receiving psychodynamic therapy works with his or her therapist to improve self-awareness. Supportive therapy Employing guidance and encouragement to help people develop their own resources, supportive therapy aims to build self-esteem, reduce anxiety and strengthen coping mechanisms. Supportive therapy also aims to help people improve their social and community functioning. Therapists may rely on various therapies to treat patients with mental illness and emotional difficulties. Learn more about psychotherapy at www.psychiatry.org. The types of psychotherapy 10 | YOU AT YOUR BEST | NWADG.COM/YOUATYOURBEST JUNE - MENTAL HEALTH | SATURDAY, MAY 26, 2018