Types of Therapy: What to Expect from CBT, EMDR, and Sche...

If you are considering therapy but are not sure which type is right for you, you are not alone. There are a lot of acronyms and a lot of overlapping descriptions, and it can be hard to know the difference between them from the outside. This guide covers the three approaches I am asked about most often in practice, with an honest account of what each one actually involves.

CBT: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

CBT is probably the therapy type you have heard of, even if you are not sure what it involves. It is the most widely offered and researched approach available, and most therapists in Glasgow will have some training in it.

What it is

CBT works with the connection between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. The idea is that the way you interpret a situation affects how you feel about it, which in turn affects what you do. CBT helps you identify unhelpful patterns and develop more balanced ways of thinking and responding.

What sessions look like

A lot of people come to their first CBT session expecting to lie on a couch and talk about their childhood. That is not how it works. Your first session is more like a structured conversation. Your therapist will want to understand what has brought you to therapy, what is going on, and what you would like to change.

Unlike some forms of therapy where you talk freely about whatever comes to mind, CBT sessions tend to follow a rough structure. You will usually start by checking in about how the week has been, then work on something specific, and finish with agreeing on what to try before next time. This structure is actually one of the things people end up appreciating about CBT. It can feel productive, like you are actually doing something, not just talking.

The work between sessions

This is probably the biggest surprise for people new to CBT. Your therapist will likely suggest things for you to try between sessions, such as keeping a thought diary, testing out a new behaviour, or practising a technique you have been working on together. Some people love this. Others find it a pain. Either way, the between-session work is where a lot of the change actually happens. The therapy room is where you learn new tools; real life is where you use them.

Who it is for

CBT is primarily interested in what is happening now: the patterns of thinking and behaviour that are keeping you stuck. It works well for anxiety, depression, OCD, phobias, and situations where you want practical strategies and a clear sense of direction. A typical course of CBT for something like anxiety or depression might be 8 to 16 sessions, though this varies.

If you feel like your difficulties are more rooted in relationships or past experiences, your therapist might suggest incorporating other approaches alongside CBT, or a different therapy altogether.

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EMDR: Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing

EMDR has one of the least inviting names in therapy. Most people who come to me asking about it have read just enough to be intrigued and slightly confused. That is fair.

What it is

EMDR is a therapy designed to help your brain process difficult memories, particularly traumatic ones, that have not been fully processed and are still causing problems. When something distressing happens, our brain sometimes stores the memory in a way that keeps it “live.” EMDR helps your brain file it away properly, so it becomes a memory you have rather than something that keeps happening to you.

The distinctive feature is bilateral stimulation, usually following your therapist’s finger with your eyes, though some therapists use tapping or sounds instead. It sounds odd, I know. But the evidence base behind it is strong, and the results can be remarkable.

You will not dive straight in

One of the biggest misconceptions about EMDR is that you will walk into your first session and immediately start processing a traumatic memory. That does not happen.

The first few sessions are about preparation. Your therapist will take a detailed history, understand what you are dealing with, and, crucially, make sure you have enough coping strategies to manage any difficult feelings that come up during processing. This is not a rush job. If you have been carrying something heavy for a long time, your therapist needs to make sure you are steady enough before you start unpacking it.

What processing looks like

When you get to the processing phase, your therapist will ask you to bring to mind a specific memory, not in vivid detail, just enough to activate it. While you hold that memory, you will follow their finger (or focus on tapping) back and forth.

What happens next is hard to describe because it is different for everyone. Some people experience a rush of emotion. Some notice the memory changing, becoming less vivid, less distressing, or connecting to other memories. Some feel physical sensations shifting. Some do not notice much at all in the moment but feel different afterwards. Sessions are usually 60 to 90 minutes because the processing needs time.

After a processing session, you might feel tired, a bit emotional, or oddly lighter. Some people have vivid dreams. These are all normal signs that your brain is continuing to process.

Who it is for

EMDR was originally developed for PTSD and is very effective for it. But it is also used for anxiety, phobias, grief, and other difficulties that have a strong emotional memory component. For a single traumatic event, some people see significant improvement in 3 to 6 sessions of processing (plus preparation). For complex trauma, such as multiple events or difficulties that started in childhood, it takes longer.

Find EMDR therapists in Glasgow

Schema Therapy

Schema therapy is less well known than CBT but it is increasingly offered in Glasgow, and for the right person it can be transformative.

What it is

In schema therapy, a “schema” is essentially a deep pattern, a way of seeing yourself, other people, or the world that usually develops in childhood or adolescence. Schemas form when your core emotional needs are not met. For example, if you grew up feeling like you could not rely on anyone, you might develop an abandonment schema that colours your relationships as an adult.

These patterns are not conscious choices. They are more like lenses you do not know you are wearing. Schema therapy helps you see them clearly, understand where they came from, and gradually change how they affect your life.

It is longer than CBT

Schema therapy is not a short-term therapy. Where CBT might be 8 to 16 sessions, schema therapy typically runs for several months and sometimes longer. This is because you are working with deeply ingrained patterns, not just current symptoms.

That said, many people notice meaningful shifts well before therapy ends. The deeper understanding tends to build gradually, and there is often a point where things start to click, where you recognise a pattern in real time and choose to respond differently.

What sessions look like

Schema therapy blends thinking and feeling. Some sessions might look quite like CBT, identifying thought patterns, testing beliefs. Others will involve more emotional work, which might include:

Imagery rescripting: revisiting a childhood memory and changing how it ends, so you get what you needed at the time
Chair work: having a conversation between different parts of yourself (it sounds strange; it is surprisingly powerful)
Understanding your modes: recognising which “mode” you are in (the critical voice, the vulnerable child, the detached protector) and learning to respond from a healthier place

The emotional work can be intense at times. Your therapist will pace it carefully and will not push you into anything you are not ready for.

The therapy relationship matters even more

In schema therapy, the relationship with your therapist is deliberately used as part of the treatment. Your therapist will offer what is called “limited reparenting”: meeting some of the emotional needs that were not met in your early life, within appropriate professional boundaries. For some people, this relational aspect is what makes schema therapy work when other therapies have not.

Who it is for

Schema therapy was originally developed for people with personality difficulties and complex presentations that had not responded well to other treatments. It is now used more broadly for long-standing depression or anxiety that keeps coming back, relationship patterns you cannot seem to break, low self-worth that does not shift with standard approaches, difficulties linked to childhood experiences, and feeling like you are always in the same loop.

Find schema therapists in Glasgow

Other approaches worth knowing about

ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) focuses on accepting difficult thoughts and feelings rather than fighting them, and on building a life aligned with your values. Particularly useful for anxiety, chronic pain, and situations where trying to control your thoughts is part of the problem.

Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) is designed for people who are highly self-critical. It helps you develop a more compassionate relationship with yourself, which sounds simple but can be profoundly difficult for people who have never experienced it.

Person-Centred Therapy is less structured, with the therapist following your lead. Good for people who want space to explore without a fixed agenda or someone telling them what to do.

Internal Family Systems (IFS) works with different “parts” of yourself. Useful for understanding internal conflict, such as the part of you that wants to change and the part that resists.

How to choose

If you are not sure which type of therapy is right for you, that is completely normal. Many therapists are trained in more than one approach and will tailor their work to what suits you. The most important factor, consistently shown by research, is the quality of the relationship between you and your therapist, more important than the specific technique used.

Our guided matching tool can help you find the right therapist based on what you are dealing with. Or you can browse the full directory and filter by therapy type.

Thinking about starting therapy? Read our guide on what to expect from your first session or how to find the right therapist in Glasgow.