There are many different types of talking therapy (psychotherapy). In essence they all refer to treatments which involve talking to someone who has expertise in how the mind works. There are many different types because there are many different ways of thinking about how the mind works.
Some, like CBT (the most commonly used talk therapy in the NHS), are typically delivered over a period of 6-12 weeks, while some are delivered over longer periods.
Different therapies are used for different types of problems. The evidence suggests that most commonly used psychotherapies are of similar effectiveness on average. Some of our stories use the term 'counselling' to refer to talking therapy.
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