Therapy is a word for describing many different types of support. For a bit more information about what this actually means, read below.
What is therapy?
Therapy is a type of support that helps you to understand your thoughts, feelings, and things you do.
It is often where you will talk about your experiences with a trained professional who is there to listen and support you.
It’s your safe space where you can talk about anything you want, and they will never judge you.
Whether it's through talking about how you're feeling or getting creative, there are lots of ways therapy can help you express yourself.
Different types of therapy
Therapy can take many forms, and it can sometimes feel confusing when there are so many different names out there. We’ve outlined three types of therapy below that are often talked about, but there are others that you might be offered:
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Counselling.
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Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
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Play and art therapy.
Counselling
Sometimes you just need someone to talk to. And that is exactly what counselling is.
Counselling is a talking therapy, where you talk through your feelings and experiences with a professional.
It's a safe place for you to talk about any issues that are affecting you or that you are struggling with. Counselling can take place in person, or over the phone, depending on the availability and your needs.
For more in-depth information about counselling, tap here.
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
CBT is also a talking therapy that helps you deal with problems you might be facing.
CBT focuses on teaching different types of coping skills by helping you to question how you think or the things that you do.
Doing this can help you understand that sometimes the way we think can have a big impact on the way we feel. It helps you to take your thoughts and feelings and find different, more positive ways, to cope.
Play and art therapy
Sometimes it can be hard to use our words to describe how we feel. Play and art therapy is a way to help understand how you feel using games or art.
Play therapy uses toys, instruments, or computer games to help you and your therapist understand how you feel.
Art therapy uses art to help you express how you feel. You might do some drawing or painting (and it really does not matter if you are good at art or not).
How do you start therapy?
A lot of therapies are face-to-face. Depending on your situation and the service you use, therapists can sometimes meet you, your parents or caregivers, in your home, or at a local centre.
Sometimes services can offer help online or over the phone.
If you think you’d like to try therapy, you need to find a service that can help. You might be able to get this support by speaking to your GP, self-referring to a service in your area, or getting support from a charity like us.
[Starting therapy] felt like a weight being taken off my shoulders. I knew I could talk to someone at a specified time of the week and we would talk [about] what made me stressed together and how to make me feel less stressed.
Young person
Counselling
What is counselling? Our experts chat through what counselling support could be like for you.
How to access support
We are all wonderfully unique, which is why the right support will look different to everyone. There are lots of types of support, it’s all about finding out what’s going to be best for you.
Looking after yourself
Self-care is a bit of a buzzword in today’s world, but what does it actually mean, and how do you find out what works for you?
All of the information on this page was created with practising health professionals. This page was reviewed in April 2025. We will next review the page in 2028.