First there was Freud and psychoanalysis.  Psychodynamic therapy or psychoanalysis is still available, but research has brought us more and in some situations better methods to treat emotional problems and mental illness.

Let's consider five common conditions and the research based approaches therapists use to treat them.

1. MILD TO MODERATE DEPRESSION  Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an approach to identify negative thought patterns and identify ways to reframe or rethink thoughts in a positive way. Establishing a good relationship with the therapist or counselor is another good indication of how successful the treatment will be.
2. SEVERE DEPRESSION  Therapy or counseling in combination with an antidepressant has been shown to be most effective in multiple research studies.  Again, it can't be stressed enough that the relationship between the therapist and the client is critical in the success of therapy regardless of the approach used.
3. SOCIAL ANXIETY  Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has been used successfully and validated in research studies to reduce social anxiety. Recognizing and reducing negative thinking is the foundation to this approach.
4. PANIC ATTACKS  The research validated approach to effectively reduce disabling panic attacks is again Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
5. TRAUMA  Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) are two effective approaches to reframe negative thoughts and, with the use of a side-to-side motor task such as tapping or eye movements to process traumatic memories in the brain, relieve problematic behaviors secondary to unresolved trauma memories.