Mental health credentials and titles vary state to state, including the type of therapy that is offered. The different types of therapy shared today are found within New York state and worth learning about, to determine what type of therapy you (or someone you know) may be interested in.

Mental health counseling is beneficial for those seeking guidance, insight and support from a licensed professional. Counseling is providing guidance and education about mental health symptoms, diagnoses and prognosis. Counseling talk therapy may be viewed as exploration of our thoughts, feelings and behaviors through skillful discussion from the therapist. Most often, a bit of both will occur, which may explain why the words may be used interchangeably.

A handful of examples when one may consider therapy includes: if they experience changes in their mood; if they would like to improve communication, work through management of a change, loss of something significant like a job or relationship, or someone in their life; and dealing with challenging relationships with people in their lives — family, friends, and coworkers.

A licensed Creative Arts Therapist is defined by the state Office of Professions website as one trained in therapy that “include(s) dance/movement therapy, drama therapy, music therapy, poetry therapy and art therapy. They have training in areas that include clinical practice and human development as well as the use of the creative arts to provide appropriate services, and multicultural and artistic traditions.”

Creative arts therapy is focused on the process of using a form of art and the experiences that develop through them as a force for change. Because the focus is on the process one does not need to have a skill set in the arts to take part in the therapeutic journey.

Service animal or pet therapy is a form of therapy with positive benefit. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a service animal as “any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability.”

A marriage and family therapist is defined by the Office of Professions as one who treats “a wide range of clinical problems including: depression, marital problems, anxiety, nervous and mental disorders, as well as relationship, couple, family and child-parent problems. Marriage and family therapy is often brief and solution-focused and it is designed to achieve specific therapeutic goals of individuals and families.”

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is used for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. The American Psychological Association says that “unlike other treatments that focus on directly altering the emotions, thoughts and responses resulting from traumatic experiences, EMDR therapy focuses directly on the memory, and is intended to change the way that the memory is stored in the brain, thus reducing and eliminating the problematic symptoms.”

Counseling therapy is beneficial for all. If one notices a change in their mood, health, stressors and new adjustments, counseling is an insightful and supportive approach to have along these endeavors. Contacting your health insurance company or conducting an internet search may aid in connecting with the different therapy options discussed above.

Until next time, treat yourself, and others, with care, patience and understanding.

Brittany Bennett is a licensed mental health counselor from Niagara Falls and the author of “SELF-ISH is the new SELFLESS.” Mental Health Well-being is published monthly in this newspaper. Send your questions to Brittany at bbennettlmhc@gmail.com.

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