When you’re not in the profession, it can be really difficult to find your way among the different approaches in psychology. What does that actually mean? What does it involve? And above all, what is it concretely useful for, when we’re looking for help?
Sometimes, we come across a psychologist who has taken the time to explain their way of working on their website. That helps us to see things a bit more clearly. But often, we only have a name, a phone number, and not necessarily a lot of explanation. Even when the psychologist describes their approach to us, it’s not always very clear: the terms used can seem vague, too technical, or even incomprehensible.
And then, even if we know the name of the approach used, how can we know whether it’s suitable for what we’re going through? Whether it can really help us? Whether we’ll feel safe and comfortable with this way of working?
In this article, I’m not going to go over the whole history of each approach, nor go into overly technical details. The purpose of this article is above all to inform anyone who is looking for help. By discovering the main approaches in psychology, the idea is to help you better identify what speaks to you, what resonates with your way of being, with your experience. It’s not about choosing “the best” method, because there isn’t one that’s better than the others and because everyone functions and experiences things differently, but rather about finding the one that suits you best, the one with which you feel “in trust.” This article is here to give you a few simple reference points, so that you can move forward more calmly in your search for support.
Today, we generally talk about four major movements/approaches in psychology (brief summary):
Psychoanalytic (or psychodynamic) approach: This approach explores the unconscious and past experiences to understand current difficulties, focusing on internal conflicts and defense mechanisms.
Humanistic approach: It relies on each individual’s potential for growth, compassionate listening, and guidance toward better self-knowledge and personal fulfillment, focusing on the present.
Systemic approach: It considers the person in their interactions with their environment (family, couple, group) and seeks to understand and transform relational patterns that are the source of and/or maintain our suffering.
Cognitive and behavioral approach (CBT): This method focuses on the link between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, and offers practical tools to change habits and get out of vicious cycles that maintain our difficulties.
Each has its own way of understanding and analyzing our difficulties and offers different tools to support people in distress. Every psychologist is trained in one or more of these approaches, and this influences how they listen, ask questions, and suggest ways to work. That’s why better understanding these different methods can really help us choose a form of support that speaks to us and reflects who we are.
This approach, developed in the early 1900s by Sigmund Freud, is based on a central idea: a large part of what we feel or do is influenced by our unconscious.
But what exactly is the unconscious? The unconscious would be a kind of “hidden reserve” in our mind, where thoughts, memories, emotions, or desires accumulate that we haven’t been able or haven’t wanted to face at a certain point, often in childhood.
These elements have been repressed, meaning set aside because they were too painful, too shameful, or too threatening for us to manage consciously. It would be a technique our mind uses to protect us. Yet, even though they’re buried, they continue to act and can cause suffering, blocks, or behaviors that escape our control.
In this approach, the psychologist adopts a posture of neutral and compassionate listening. They speak little, don’t give direct advice, but create a secure space so that the person can explore their inner world at their own pace. The idea is to encourage the emergence of what is hidden behind our words and our silences.
Among the tools used, we find free association: the person is invited to say everything that comes to mind, without filtering, without trying to be logical or to speak well. Even what seems unimportant can reveal buried elements.
There is also dream analysis, which Freud called “the royal road to the unconscious.” Dreams, often symbolic, can be a gateway to unconscious desires, fears, or memories.
The psychologist also pays attention to slips of the tongue (when you say one word instead of another without meaning to), forgetfulness, “failed acts” (like getting a name wrong, missing an appointment…), because these little “glitches” of daily life can sometimes reveal what’s going on inside us.
One last important point is what is called transference. Without realizing it, the person may behave with the psychologist the way they did with someone important in their past, for example a parent, a brother, a sister, or a former teacher… They may feel very strong emotions, like anger, fear, or a great need to be loved, without understanding why. Talking about this in therapy allows certain emotions to be re-experienced, but in a safe place, with someone who is there to listen and help. Little by little, this helps to better understand what we’ve been through and how it still influences us today.
The main goal of this therapy is to shed light on what had remained in the shadows. In other words, to bring into consciousness what was unconscious, in order to better understand our reactions, our repetitive behaviors or thought patterns, our suffering…
This type of therapy is often long-term; we’re talking about several months or even several years, with regular sessions. It’s a deep journey, which takes time, but which can lead to lasting transformation.
The humanistic approach starts from a very positive idea: each person has within them a natural potential for growth, a capacity to evolve, to build themselves, to flourish.
It believes in the inner goodness of human beings, and relies on their freedom to choose, their desire to give meaning to their life, and to feel aligned with themselves.
Unlike other approaches that focus a lot on difficulties or past wounds, the humanistic approach emphasizes the present, what the person is living here and now, and what they can become. An important word here is “congruence,” which means living in alignment with oneself. It’s when what I feel inside (the real self) matches what I show to the world or what I would like to be (the ideal self).
In this approach, the psychologist is not an expert who “knows better,” but rather a companion, who walks alongside the person. They welcome speech with compassion, listening and empathy, without judgment. We also speak of unconditional positive regard—whatever you say or feel is welcomed with respect. Finally, rather than looking for the cause of problems in the past, the humanistic psychologist focuses on the present moment, on what the person is feeling in the “here and now.”
The psychologist will mainly listen, rephrase, reflect emotions. They help the person put words to their feelings, to understand what is important for them, what is blocking them or what drives them. There are no ready-made solutions or diagnoses in this approach. What matters is to create a safe and respectful space, where the person can pause, reflect, and little by little, regain confidence in themselves, in their choices, in their ability to move forward.
The humanistic approach does not only aim to “repair” or “treat” difficulties: it primarily seeks to accompany the person toward better self-knowledge, in a respectful and compassionate framework.
The goal is to come closer to who we truly are, to learn to accept ourselves as we are, with our strengths, our vulnerabilities, our contradictions, and to be able to make choices that reflect who we are.
Little by little, the person can free themselves from what is holding them back, become aligned with themselves again, and fully flourish.
We also talk about self-actualization, meaning the realization of one’s full potential, daring to live a freer life, in alignment with one’s values, principles, and desires.
This approach relies on inner growth, freedom of choice, and the recognition of one’s own value, to help each person become fully themselves again.
The systemic approach starts from a simple but fundamental principle: we are always in interaction with our environment, and we act and react based on it. Our relationships (friendships, family, romantic, work colleagues…) are part of our environment.
In systemic thinking, we talk about a “system.” A system is a group of people who are connected to one another and who mutually influence each other. In a system, everything is interconnected: when one person acts or changes, it impacts the others, and vice versa. A system is therefore made up of two or more people: for example, a couple, a family, a workplace, a group of friends – all of these are different systems.
In this approach, we don’t just look at the person “alone,” but at the place they occupy in their relationships, and how these connections can create distress or support, how the person communicates…
In systemic therapy, we don’t try to assign “blame” or point to one person as the problem. What matters is understanding how the relationships function, how people communicate with one another, and especially how certain patterns repeat themselves, sometimes without anyone noticing. For example, a family or a couple that always argues about the same thing. A pattern is a way of thinking, feeling, or acting that comes up repeatedly in our life, that we repeat. It’s like a kind of habitual path we follow without necessarily realizing it.
Therapy then helps the system as a whole to become aware of these patterns and to find new ways of communicating and interacting – healthier, more balanced, and more respectful of everyone’s needs.
The psychologist, the systemic practitioner, adopts a posture of observer-participant. This means that they carefully observe the exchanges between people, while also participating in the relational interactions. They are fully present, and the way they ask a question or rephrase a sentence can already shift the dynamic.
Therapy is often conducted with several people at once, such as a couple or a family, since it is in these close relationships that tensions and repeating patterns tend to appear most often.
The psychologist uses tools such as circular questioning, which allows a single problem to be seen from several perspectives, by asking each person how they perceive the situation. This helps to clear up misunderstandings or judgments. In this technique, the psychologist asks questions to different members of the system (the father, the mother, the brother, the husband, the friend…) to understand how each one sees the situation, when it’s a family or couple therapy. These questions are not always addressed directly to the person concerned, but sometimes to someone else. For example: “According to you, how does your brother experience this situation?” or “What do you think your mother feels when she sees you reacting like that?” This allows us to better understand others, to see the same problem from different points of view, and to move beyond preconceived ideas or quick judgments. It helps open up the conversation and shift perspectives.
They can also suggest a reframing, that is, another way of understanding what is happening, to see things from a different angle. For example, if a child often behaves in a “difficult” way, one might think they’re just trying to annoy their parents. But the psychologist could offer another perspective: “What if this child is behaving this way because they need attention or are feeling something they don’t know how to express otherwise?”
This change of perspective often helps to better understand, to judge less, and to find more suitable solutions.
Cognitive and behavioral therapy, often called CBT, is based on a simple principle: our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are closely linked. What we think influences what we feel, and what we feel influences what we do.
Sometimes, it’s automatic or uncontrollable thoughts, often distorted, that make us suffer. These are called cognitive distortions. They are ways of thinking that come up without us thinking about them, but which are not always fair or realistic. For example, we might believe that “if it’s not perfect, it’s a failure,” or think “it went badly once, so it will always go badly,” even though that’s not true. These thoughts, even if they come from a feeling, tend to amplify our negative emotions and block us in our actions.
For CBT, every behavior is learned, so it can be modified. Sometimes we have behaviors that, at the start, helped us, but later become problematic. For example, one of the most common behaviors when we are afraid is avoidance. We try to flee what scares us, to get around the situation, to avoid it. In the moment, it’s true that it brings relief. We say to ourselves: “Phew, I didn’t have to face that.” But by avoiding again and again, we risk becoming stuck, and it can end up making daily life more difficult. Let’s take a simple example: someone who is very afraid of crowded places. At first, this person starts avoiding rush hours at the supermarket. Then they avoid stores altogether. And one day, they realize they can no longer do their shopping alone at all. The problem with avoidance is that it protects us in the short term but reinforces the fear in the long term. The more we avoid, the more the fear takes over, and the more we lose our freedom. It’s a vicious cycle.
CBT is therefore based on the idea that these thoughts and behaviors are not fixed, and that we can learn to identify them, understand them, and then change them. The central idea is that we can change what makes us suffer by better understanding how we function and by adopting new, healthier habits.
The psychologist in CBT works hand in hand with the person: it’s an active, structured, and collaborative approach. This means that the person is not just there to talk, but to observe, understand, test concrete things, and do exercises with the psychologist’s help. Together, they set clear and measurable goals and move forward step by step to improve what’s causing problems. It’s a somewhat more directive approach than others: the psychologist offers tools, gives exercises, and closely monitors the person’s progress.
CBT uses several concrete techniques that are easy to apply in everyday life. For example:
We often start by identifying automatic thoughts that arise in certain situations (e.g. “I’ll fail again,” “I’m worthless”). These thoughts can be quick and unconscious, but they strongly influence our emotions. Then we learn to replace these thoughts with more realistic and helpful ideas. This is called cognitive restructuring.
In cases of fear or phobia, progressive exposure can be used: we gradually face what we’re afraid of, little by little, without forcing ourselves, but without avoiding either.
For people suffering from depression, behavioral activation is often used: it involves reintroducing positive activities, even simple ones, to regain pleasure and bring rhythm back to the day.
The psychologist also suggests practical exercises to do between sessions, as well as relaxation techniques or mindfulness to better manage stress and emotions. Mindfulness is a way of being fully present to what we’re experiencing, here and now, without judgment. It may seem simple, but in reality, our mind tends to wander: we think about the past, worry about the future, criticize ourselves internally, get distracted… And often, we operate on “autopilot,” without really paying attention to what we’re doing or feeling. Mindfulness can help the person take a step back from their thoughts, better manage their emotions, reconnect to bodily sensations, and get out of the “autopilot” mode that often maintains distress.
The goal of CBT is to help the person identify what, in their thoughts or behaviors, maintains their suffering, and then to offer them simple and effective tools to break out of these vicious cycles.
It’s an approach that goes straight to the point, often shorter than other therapies, and that adapts well to specific problems such as anxiety, phobias, depression, obsessive disorders, etc.
It focuses mainly on the present and the future, with concrete and observable results, rather than a deep exploration of the past.
Another important aspect is the analysis of relational patterns. Sometimes, in relationships, we always react in the same way, without really wanting to. These are patterns: behaviors that we repeat, often because we’re used to them or don’t know how to do otherwise. For example: one person shuts down whenever there’s a conflict. The other, on the contrary, insists on talking, and they end up arguing every time. This pattern can repeat again and again, even though neither person wants it to. The role of the psychologist is to help identify these automatisms, understand what triggers them, and imagine together other ways of reacting – calmer, clearer, and more respectful.
The goal is to understand how these relationships function, to identify communication or interaction habits that create blocks, and to find new ways to communicate and interact.
Systemic therapy focuses mainly on the present, on what is happening here and now in the interactions, rather than digging far into the past. It is particularly helpful for family problems, couple issues, or any kind of relational conflict (between generations, in groups, etc.). This approach does not aim to “fix a person,” but to help a relational system evolve as a whole, so that it finds a healthier, more peaceful, and more respectful balance for everyone.
Now that we’ve explored in more detail the different approaches in psychology, you might be wondering: but what does the research say? Have some of these methods been shown to be effective? Does science support them? And these are all excellent questions. Let’s take a look at what recent studies teach us on the subject.
For example, in a large study published in The American Journal of Psychiatry in 2017, Steinert and colleagues analyzed the results of 23 clinical trials involving more than 2700 patients. They compared psychodynamic therapy to other well-established treatments, such as cognitive and behavioral therapy (CBT). Their conclusion: no significant difference in effectiveness was observed. Psychodynamic therapy proved just as effective in reducing symptoms, both immediately after treatment and in the longer term.
(DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2017.17010057)
More recently, in 2023, a large review of research conducted by Leichsenring and published in World Psychiatry confirmed that this approach is particularly effective for treating depression, somatic disorders, and, to a lesser extent, anxiety and personality disorders. Today, researchers consider that psychodynamic therapy is a scientifically recognized treatment, with effectiveness comparable to other reference approaches such as CBT.
(DOI: 10.1002/wps.21104)
On the side of humanistic therapies, a recent meta-analysis, published in 2024 in the journal Psychotherapy Research by Duffy and colleagues, compiled the results of 17 clinical studies on more than 2000 people suffering from depression. They showed that humanistic therapies (such as person-centered therapy or Gestalt therapy) allow for significant symptom improvement in the short term, comparable to what is achieved with other treatments like CBT. However, in the longer term, some patients seem to benefit more from more structured approaches.
(DOI: 10.1080/10503307.2023.2227757)
In the same vein, another interesting study, a clinical trial conducted in 2021 by Barkham within the British healthcare system (The Lancet Psychiatry), directly compared CBT and humanistic therapy for depression. Result: after 6 months, both approaches were equally effective. But after one year, patients who had followed CBT seemed to maintain their progress slightly better.
(DOI: 10.1016/S2215-0366(21)00083-3)
Regarding systemic approaches, a major meta-analysis published in 2024 in Psychotherapy Research by Vossler and colleagues compiled the results of 30 studies on the use of systemic therapy for adult depression. Verdict: this approach is very effective, with results equivalent to those of individual therapies such as CBT. The improvements even remain several months after the end of therapy.
(DOI: 10.1080/10503307.2024.2352741)
Furthermore, a scientific review by Carr, published in 2019 in the Journal of Family Therapy, showed that family therapy is particularly recommended for children and adolescents, especially for treating difficulties such as behavior disorders, anxiety, eating disorders, or even early psychotic episodes. In these cases, working on family relationships often significantly improves the prognosis.
(DOI: 10.1111/1467-6427.12226)
Finally, on the side of cognitive and behavioral therapy, a vast international meta-analysis led by Cuijpers and published in 2021 in World Psychiatry compared the results of more than 330 studies (more than 34,000 adult patients suffering from depression). Conclusion: all recognized psychotherapies, including CBT, are effective in reducing symptoms. No approach really outperformed the others, which highlights that several types of therapy can be beneficial depending on each person’s needs and preferences.
(DOI: 10.1002/wps.20860)
Another meta-analysis, published in 2018 in Depression and Anxiety by Carpenter et al., focused on the effectiveness of CBT for anxiety disorders (such as panic disorder, OCD, phobias, post-traumatic stress). Result: CBT is very effective for these disorders, particularly for OCD and generalized anxiety, where it is often considered the first-line treatment.
(DOI: 10.1002/da.22728)
What these studies show us is that each approach has its strengths, and none surpasses the others. All have proven effective in helping people in distress, and each one has its advantages depending on the type of difficulty or the person’s experience.
There is no one approach that is “better” than the others. Each one has its own way of supporting, its sensitivity, its tools… and sometimes, they can even complement each other. What matters above all is to find what speaks to you, what gives you confidence…
I hope this article has helped you to see things a bit more clearly and that it helps you better understand which direction to turn to.
Courage to you if you’re going through a difficult time.
Remember, you’ve already taken the first step: informing yourself, trying to understand, and that’s already something important.
