Which Therapy Is Right for Me?

Which Therapy
Is Right for Me?

A plain-language guide to 12 therapy approaches, with a colorful interactive chart, a 10-question quiz, and honest answers about what fits what.

Available in New Hampshire  ·  Maine  ·  Montana  ·  Texas

Schedule a Free 15-Min Consult See All Services

Sagebrush Counseling

Learn more about Sagebrush Counseling ›

Sagebrush Counseling

NH  ·  ME  ·  MT  ·  TX

Individual & Couples Therapy

100% Virtual · Private Pay

Sagebrush Counseling

Not sure which approach fits? The consult is the right place to figure it out.

A free 15-minute call. We talk through what is going on and I tell you honestly what I think would help, including if something outside my areas of practice is the better fit.

Schedule a Free 15-Min Consult See All Services

LCMHC · LCPC · LPC  ·  NH · ME · MT · TX  ·  No waitlist

There is no single best kind of therapy. Different approaches are built on different premises and work best for different situations. The goal of this post is to give you a clear, honest picture of the main modalities, what each one is designed for, and how to figure out which might be the right fit for you.

Sagebrush Counseling offers individual therapy, couples therapy, neurodiverse-specific work, and intensives, drawing on depth psychology, EFT, Gottman-informed couples work, and other frameworks depending on what the presenting situation calls for. The quiz and chart below are designed to help you orient, whatever direction that points.

In This Post

1. A guide to the main approaches
2. 10-question quiz to help you orient
3. What Sagebrush Counseling offers
4. Common questions

A Guide to the Main Approaches

Click any approach below to see what it is designed for, when it tends to work well, and what to know before starting.

Depth / Jungian

Depth Therapy

Unconscious work, patterns, identity, meaning

CBT

Cognitive Behavioural

Thoughts, behaviours, structured protocols

ACT

Acceptance & Commitment

Values, flexibility, acceptance

DBT

Dialectical Behaviour

Skills, regulation, crisis

IFS

Internal Family Systems

Parts work, inner conflict, trauma

Narrative

Narrative Therapy

Stories, identity, externalising

EMDR

EMDR

Trauma processing, bilateral stimulation

Solution-Focused

Solution-Focused Brief

Goals, what works, forward-looking

EFT

Emotionally Focused

Couples, attachment, intimacy

Gottman

Gottman Method

Couples, communication, research-based

Psychodynamic

Psychodynamic

Relational patterns, early experience

Somatic

Somatic Therapy

Body, nervous system, embodiment

Person-Centered

Person-Centered Therapy

Empathy, growth, non-directive space

MBCT

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive

Mindfulness, recurrent depression, stress

Schema Therapy

Schema Therapy

Early patterns, personality, depth + CBT

Motivational

Motivational Interviewing

Ambivalence, change readiness

Imago

Imago Relationship Therapy

Couples, childhood patterns, dialogue

Strengths-Based

Strengths-Based Therapy

Resilience, agency, what is already working

Which Approach Might Fit You?

Ten questions. Select what feels most true. At the end you will see a rough indication of which direction to look first, not a diagnosis, just a starting point.

Which Approach Might Fit You?

Ten questions. Select what feels most true. There are no wrong answers, this is a rough guide, not a clinical assessment.

1. What brought you to look for therapy?

A specific symptom, anxiety, panic, low mood, OCD, or a phobia A pattern that keeps repeating in relationships or work A general sense that something is off that I cannot name A question about who I am or what I am doing with my life

2. Is your primary concern individual or relational?

Primarily individual, something in me I want to work on Primarily relational, a dynamic between me and a partner Both feel relevant

3. What has previous therapy or self-help produced?

I have not tried much yet Skills that helped in the moment but did not change the underlying thing Good understanding of my situation but the situation has not changed Multiple approaches, none of which has quite reached what needs reaching

4. How important is a clear, defined goal and endpoint?

Very, I want to know what we are working toward and when we are done Somewhat, a direction is helpful but I do not need a rigid endpoint Not particularly, I want to follow where the work leads

5. What kind of engagement appeals to you?

Structured sessions with tools and homework between them Open-ended conversation that follows what is present Something body-based, I want to work with physical sensation I am not sure yet

6. How do you relate to your emotions?

I understand them analytically but have difficulty feeling them directly I feel them intensely and sometimes struggle to manage them I tend to avoid or suppress them I feel connected to them and want to understand them more deeply

7. Are you neurodivergent or do you think you might be?

Yes, ADHD, autism, high sensitivity, giftedness, or similar Possibly, some things fit, I am not sure No, or it is not relevant here

8. Have you experienced significant trauma?

Yes, a specific event or period that still affects me Possibly, early experiences that shaped me in ways I am still working out Not that I am aware of, or it is not the presenting concern

9. What has been most missing when things have not felt right?

A sense of meaning or direction Feeling genuinely known or close to someone The ability to manage my own responses and reactions Relief from a specific symptom that is causing problems

10. What matters most to you from therapy?

Reducing a specific symptom that is causing problems Understanding what generates my patterns Improving a relationship or how I show up in relationships Finding more meaning, direction, or a clearer sense of self

See What Might Fit

Individual Depth Therapy

Depth-oriented individual therapy may be a strong fit.

Your answers suggest something below the surface that has not responded to surface-level approaches. You are likely dealing with patterns, identity questions, or a persistent sense of something off that does not have a clean name. Depth therapy is built for exactly this territory. A free 15-minute consult is the right starting point.

Schedule a free consult →

Structured / Skills-Based Therapy

A structured, skills-based approach may be the better first step.

Your answers suggest a specific, nameable concern that responds well to structured intervention, CBT, ACT, or DBT depending on the specific situation. These have strong evidence bases for the kinds of presenting issues you describe. A consult can help identify which specific approach fits best.

Discuss what fits →

Couples or Relational Therapy

The relational context may be where to start.

Your answers suggest the presenting situation is primarily relational. Couples therapy, EFT, Gottman-informed, solution-focused, or neurodiverse couples work depending on your situation, may be the right starting point. Individual work can complement this. A consult helps sort out which comes first.

Schedule a free consult →

Trauma-Focused Therapy

Trauma-focused work may be the right starting point.

Your answers suggest a specific traumatic experience that is still affecting you. EMDR, trauma-focused CBT, or somatic approaches have strong evidence for this kind of presenting concern and are often the right first step before or alongside other therapeutic work.

Discuss what fits →

Start with a Conversation

The right fit will become clearer when we talk.

Your answers are mixed or uncertain, which is completely valid. The free 15-minute consult exists precisely for this. You do not need to know what kind of help you need before reaching out. That is part of what the conversation is for.

Schedule a free consult →

Ready to start?

The right approach will become clear in a 15-minute conversation.

Individual therapy, couples therapy, intensives. Fully virtual, NH, ME, MT, and TX.

Schedule a Free 15-Min Consult See All Services

No waitlist  ·  Private pay  ·  100% virtual  ·  $200 / session

What Sagebrush Counseling Offers

Here is the full range of work available at Sagebrush Counseling:

• Individual depth therapy, Jungian-informed individual therapy for adults dealing with patterns, identity questions, transitions, and existential concerns. See the Jungian therapist page.
• Couples therapy — Drawing on solution-focused brief therapy, Gottman-informed work, and strengths-based approaches, with a focus on what the couple does well and what is already working between them. For communication, intimacy, and rebuilding after rupture. See online couples therapy and neurodiverse couples therapy.
• Neurodiverse couples therapy, Specifically for couples where one or both partners are neurodivergent. See neurodiverse couples therapy.
• Therapy for neurodivergent adults, Individual therapy for adults with ADHD, autism, giftedness, or high sensitivity, drawing on strengths-based approaches alongside depth work. See therapy for neurodivergent adults.
• Premarital counseling, For couples who want to go in clear-eyed. See premarital counseling.
• Couples intensives, Concentrated work for couples who need to move faster than weekly therapy allows. See couples intensives and infidelity intensives.

✦   ✦   ✦

Common Questions

Can I switch approaches partway through?+

Yes. Many people start with one kind of therapy and move to another as their needs change. Skills-based work can stabilise acute symptoms and open the door to deeper work later. What matters is that the approach is serving your actual presenting situation at any given point.

How do I know if the quiz result is accurate?+

It is a rough guide, not a clinical assessment. Take it as a starting point. A 15-minute consult gives you a much more accurate read because it involves an actual conversation about your specific situation rather than ten questions.

What if I have OCD, is CBT the only option?+

ERP, a form of CBT, is the evidence-based gold standard for OCD and is generally the recommended first approach. That said, some people, particularly neurodivergent people with sensory sensitivities or trauma histories, find standard ERP too activating. In those cases a modified approach, iCBT, or a slower pacing alongside other support may be more appropriate. Worth discussing directly in a consult.

I want couples therapy. Which approach should I look for?+

The main evidence-based couples approaches are EFT (strong for attachment and intimacy), Gottman Method (practical, research-based, good for communication), and solution-focused couples work (efficient, goal-oriented). Neurodiverse couples therapy adds specific attention to the dynamics that arise when one or both partners are neurodivergent. See online couples therapy, neurodiverse couples therapy, and infidelity intensives.

Is private pay only an option for most therapy?+

Sagebrush Counseling is private pay at $200 per session. A superbill can be provided for potential out-of-network reimbursement depending on your insurance plan. See the FAQs for more detail.

✦   ✦   ✦

This post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute therapy or professional advice. If you are in crisis, call or text 988. For appointments: sagebrushcounseling.com/contact.