If you are new to counseling, the alphabet soup of therapy approaches can feel confusing. Below is a simple, side-by-side guide to four well-known methods that our clinicians may draw from to support your goals. Think of these as toolkits. Your counselor helps you decide which tools fit your situation, then customizes a plan that fits your life.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

What it is: A structured, skills-based approach that looks at how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors influence each other.

How it helps: You learn to notice unhelpful thought patterns, test them against facts, and practice new behaviors that move you toward the life you want.

What a session may include: Tracking thoughts, setting small homework tasks, practicing coping skills, and measuring progress from week to week.

Often used for: Anxiety, depression, panic, phobias, insomnia, and stress.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

What it is: A skills-focused approach that blends change and acceptance. DBT teaches practical tools for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness, and healthy relationships.

How it helps: You build a toolkit for intense emotions and learn how to stay present, lower reactivity, and communicate needs without escalating conflict.

What a session may include: Learning and practicing skills, reviewing what worked between sessions, and planning for real-life situations.

Often used for: Emotion dysregulation, self-harm urges, chronic stress, relationship instability, and some personality-related concerns.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

What it is: A trauma-focused method that helps your brain reprocess painful memories so they become less distressing. EMDR uses structured sets of eye movements or other bilateral stimulation while you safely recall targeted memories with a trained therapist.

How it helps: Many people report that traumatic memories feel less “charged,” while new, more balanced beliefs take root.

What a session may include: Preparation and grounding skills, identifying target memories, and short sets of guided eye movements or taps with supportive check-ins.

Often used for: Post-traumatic stress, disturbing experiences, grief, and anxiety linked to specific events.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

What it is: A values-centered approach that helps you accept what you cannot control, unhook from unhelpful thoughts, and take committed action toward the life you want.

How it helps: Instead of wrestling with every thought, you practice noticing thoughts and feelings, then choose actions that align with your values.

What a session may include: Clarifying values, mindful awareness exercises, and small experiments that build confidence through action.

Often used for: Anxiety, depression, chronic pain, life transitions, and stress.

How Do I Know Which One Is Right For Me?

• Start with your goals. Do you want skills for daily stress, relief from trauma symptoms, better communication, or support with big life changes
• Expect blending. Many counselors use an integrated approach, which can include elements from more than one method.
• Pay attention to fit. Feeling safe and understood with your counselor is a key part of progress.

What Working With Crossroads Looks Like

• Personalized plan. Your counselor listens first, then recommends an approach that fits your needs.
• Practical steps. Sessions include realistic tools you can use between appointments.
• Whole-family view. We support children, teens, and adults, and we can coordinate care when family dynamics are part of the picture.

Ready to begin?

We are one call away. Contact Crossroads Counseling Center in Lexington, South Carolina to schedule your first appointment.