Talk therapy — also called psychotherapy — is a category of treatment that’s widely used for mental health challenges. In other words, it might help if you’ve been stuck in a depressive episode, feeling persistently anxious, or dealing with the symptoms of a condition like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or post-traumatic stress-disorder (PTSD). Talk therapy is also often used to address issues you may be having in relationships — whether that’s the one with others or even yourself.
How do we know it can make a difference? Because there’s been quite a bit of research into this kind of treatment. Here, we explore this kind of treatment and the science behind talk therapy.
A look at talk therapy
The number of people seeking out talk therapy has been on the rise. As the pandemic compounded mental health issues and stigmas around these types of challenges lessen, the number of adults getting therapy has ticked up steadily since 2019. Per the National Center for Health Statistics, 13.4% of adults across the U.S. were counseled by a mental health professional in 2023.
What happens during therapy
The difference between talk therapy and, say, chatting with a friend is who you’re talking to. During psychotherapy, you meet with a trained, licensed professional. This person guides your talks in a way designed to help you. They come with expertise on how to provide you with constructive feedback that is unbiased and completely tailored to your specific symptoms and issues. They know that what works for one person may not work for another.
During treatment sessions, your therapist might help you build tools to set boundaries in relationships or manage stress in a more healthy way. They may have you explore past experiences in an attempt to learn why you felt and reacted as you did. One of the core concepts to the therapeutic is awareness-building. Because after all, knowledge is power, especially having knowledge about yourself.
In many cases, therapists turn to a specific kind of talk therapy called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This helps you become more aware of automatic but unhelpful (and potentially even harmful) ways of thinking and acting. CBT can help you challenge and unlearn unhealthy patterns.
In short, your therapist has a lot of tools they can deploy to help you. During talk therapy, they tailor which methodologies they use based on your mental health needs. Your therapy sessions get personalized for you.
But, do they work?
The evidence for talk therapy
The science behind talk therapy is that it can literally change our brains. If you work with your therapist on controlling your emotions, for example, it can alter your prefrontal cortex, the part of your brain that manages rational thought.
Neurons are special cells that communicate messages between our brain and our body. Research demonstrates that typically, neurons that “fire together, wire together.” This means that through repetition, we can rewire what the brain is telling our body, which helps to reduce stress and alter negative thoughts and our body’s reaction to them.
CBT’s effectiveness is particularly well-documented. As the American Psychological Association (APA) says, “Numerous research studies suggest that CBT leads to significant improvement in functioning and quality of life.” The APA also notes that studies have shown that CBT can be just as effective as medication.
Ultimately, about 75% of people who try talk therapy see some benefit from it. Those benefits include:
- Better emotional well-being
- Better psychological well-being
- Fewer medical problems and sick days
- More satisfaction at work
If you’re curious to see if talk therapy could be right for you, our intake coordinator can help. Contact us at the Ventura Counseling & Wellness Center in Ventura or the West Valley Counseling Center in Tarzana.
