The majority of mental health disorders are treated with a combination of medication and psychotherapy. Many individuals may need to undergo long-term treatment, such as at a residential treatment center.

• Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, Psychotic Disorders, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, or Posttraumatic Stress Disorder are generally treated with medications in conjunction with psychotherapy
• Personality Disorders are treated with psychotherapy alone.
• PTSD usually requires specific forms of trauma therapy including trauma-informed care and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).
• Most mental health disorders will be treated with some form of family therapy, individual therapy, and/or group therapy.

In general, psychotherapy works towards the following goals:

• Identifying and managing underlying issues that trigger harmful behavior
• Learning coping skills to better manage distress
• Learning how to regulate and cope with unhealthy emotions
• Learning how to improve self-image and self-esteem
• Developing skills to improve relationships and social skills
• Developing healthy problem-solving skills

The following psychotherapy approaches are used to treat mental health disorders:

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): Identifies the negative thoughts, feelings, and distorted emotions associated with depression and anxiety, and uses behavioral techniques to transform these negative thought patterns into positive outlooks and positive actions. Behavioral techniques include self-control therapy, problem-solving, and social skills training.
• Dialectal Behavior Therapy (DBT): Similar to cognitive-behavioral therapy, but also includes mindfulness and stress-reduction techniques.
• Interpersonal Therapy (IPT): Works to recognize the inner conflicts within oneself. Identifies conflict within personal relationships and inner feelings associated with self-esteem. Building relationships, learning coping mechanisms, and developing conflict resolution skills can help diminish these triggers and form positive behavior patterns in future conflicts.
• Eye movement desensitization (EMDR): An eight-phase treatment technique that includes brief, interrupted exposures to the traumatic event and recalling the feelings and emotions associated with the traumatic event. The therapist determines which traumatic memory to trigger first and asks the individual to hold this specific memory and associated symptoms in their mind. Bilateral (left and right side) visual, auditory, or tactile stimuli are used to desensitize the intensity of the traumatic feelings.