What Type of Therapy Is Right For Me?

Starting therapy can feel overwhelming.

Not only are you trying to navigate whatever brought you here in the first place - stress, anxiety, burnout, low confidence, addiction, grief, trauma or relationship struggles - you're also faced with another really important question:

What type of therapy should I choose?

And there are a lot of options.

Person-centred.
CBT.
Psychodynamic.
Gestalt.
Hypnotherapy.
Art Therapy.
EMDR.
Transactional Analysis.
Couples Counselling.

The list goes on.

So, in this blog, my aim is to make things a little bit simpler for you.

I’m going to give you a very brief (and honest) overview of five of the most popular types of therapy in the U.K.

1.CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)

Pros: CBT is the type of therapy you’re most likely to receive through the NHS.

It focuses on the intrinsic connection between our thoughts, feelings and actions.

It's practical, structured and often involves homework between sessions to help you challenge unhelpful thinking patterns and make positive changes.

Many people find CBT empowering because it offers tools they can start using immediately.

Cons: Some people find it a little too “clinical” preferring a deeper exploration of their experiences.

2.Person-Centred Therapy

Pros: Person-centred therapy is built on the core conditions of empathy, non-judgement and authentic human connection.

The therapist creates a safe space where you can explore your thoughts and feelings at your own pace.

You guide the sessions and the therapist follows.

If you're looking for somewhere to process your emotions and feel truly heard, person-centred therapy can be incredibly powerful.

Cons: Some people prefer to have a more structured and problem-solving approach to their healing.

3.Psychodynamic Therapy

Pros: Psychodynamic therapy explores how your past influences your present.

It looks at your childhood experiences, relationships and unconscious patterns that may still be shaping the way you think, feel and behave today.

For many people, understanding why they respond in certain ways is deeply healing.

Cons: Others find themselves wondering, "Now I understand it... how do I actually change it?"

4. Hypnotherapy

Pros: Hypnotherapy works with both the conscious and subconscious mind.

It's particularly helpful for gently shifting long-held beliefs that no longer serve you, changing habits, reducing stress and anxiety, improving confidence, overcoming phobias, and recovering from trauma and burnout.

One of the things I love most about hypnotherapy is that change doesn't have to feel like hard work.

Hypnotherapy can feel both incredibly holistic (we can work with energy centres, your inner child and guides) and also scientific (we can look at how the brian actually works when you’re in hypnosis and discuss the process of neuroplasticty.)

Rather than forcing yourself to think differently, we help your nervous system relax so your mind becomes more open and receptive to learning new patterns, gently and effectively.

The process is deeply relaxing, imaginative and collaborative.

Cons: One thing worth knowing is that around half of each session is spent in hypnosis, so if you're someone who mainly wants to talk through your experiences for the full hour, another approach may feel like a better fit.

5.Pluralistic/Integrative Therapy

Pros: Rather than following one specific model, pluralistic/integrative therapists draw from different approaches depending on the person sitting in front of them.

Because the truth is...

No two people are the same.

What works brilliantly for one person might not be the right fit for someone else.

The flexibility of pluralistic/integrative therapy allows treatment to be tailored to the individual.

This is the approach I'm currently training in and I will complete my psychotherapy qualification in November 2026.

Cons: Some people prefer the clarity of working within just one clearly defined therapeutic model.

But, what if I told you…

the most important decision isn't actually about the type of therapy.

It’s about the therapist.

Research consistently shows that one of the strongest predictors of successful therapy isn't the therapeutic model at all.

It's the quality of the relationship between you and your therapist.

Whether you're seeing a hypnotherapist, psychotherapist, counsellor or CBT practitioner, these questions are actually far more pertinent:

Do I feel safe with this person?

Can I imagine opening up to them?

Do I trust them?

Therapy requires us to be honest, vulnerable and brave.

And it's much easier to do that when you're sitting opposite someone you genuinely feel comfortable and connected with.

Am I The Right Therapist For You?

If you're wondering whether hypnotherapy is right for you - or whether I'm the right therapist for you - you can get a feel of my way of working through my videos and posts on Instagram @discovertehrapyuk.

I also offer a free 20-minute Discovery Call, where we can chat through what's been going on and get to know each other a little, as well as a 60-minute Initial Consultation for just £35. This gives us the opportunity to explore your goals in more depth and most importantly see how it might feel to work together before you make any decisions.

The most important thing isn’t choosing the "perfect" type of therapy.

It's about finding the right therapist for you.