A string of therapy abbreviations can make finding help harder. Start with the difficulty the person wants help with, then ask which approach fits that need. Similar names do not mean the therapies do the same job.
These guides explain what the work can look like for children, teens or adults where relevant. The examples are fictional illustrations to discuss with a provider, not home treatment assignments.
Browse all sections in this guide
Compare the purpose and the practice
These are overlapping approaches, not a ranking. CBT is a broad family; ERP, ACT and DBT have their own methods and evidence. Behavioral therapy is also an umbrella term. Evidence for a specific condition and age group matters more than the acronym.
| Approach | Focus | What practice may involve |
|---|---|---|
| CBT | Patterns in thoughts, feelings and actions | Test predictions and practice new responses; the protocol depends on the condition. |
| ERP | OCD obsessions, rituals and avoidance | Approach agreed triggers while practicing without the compulsion. |
| ACT | Flexibility and personally chosen values | Notice thoughts and feelings, make room for them, and choose meaningful action. |
| DBT | Intense emotions and harmful coping patterns | Learn emotion, relationship, mindfulness and distress-tolerance skills. |
| CBIT | Tics that cause distress or interference | Learn tic awareness, a tailored competing response and changes to context. |
| Behavioral support | Specific skills, unmet needs and barriers | Understand the function of a behavior; adjust the environment and teach useful skills. |
| HRT & ComB | Hair pulling and skin picking | Identify patterns and develop tailored behavioral and sensory strategies. |
| SPACE | Parent responses to childhood anxiety or OCD | Increase supportive responses and gradually reduce anxiety accommodation. |
Source context: NIMH: psychotherapy and choosing a provider · NHS: cognitive behavioral therapy · International OCD Foundation: what is ACT? · Yale Medicine: dialectical behavior therapy · CDC: behavioral treatment for tics · TLC Foundation: HRT and other behavioral therapies for BFRBs · SPACE: official treatment overview
What are we trying to make easier?
Describe one concrete goal in the person's words: leaving home with fewer rituals, having less pain from tics, getting through a disagreement safely, or taking part in an activity they choose. Ask the clinician to connect the proposed therapy to that goal.
OCD rituals, tics, autistic stimming, distress from sensory overload and skin picking can look repetitive while serving different functions. An assessment should guide treatment. A diagnosis alone does not select every part of a care plan.
Source context: NIMH: psychotherapy and choosing a provider · International OCD Foundation: treating OCD in autistic people · National Autistic Society: repeated movements and stimming
Match the program to the person
Ask about the provider's license, training in the named therapy, experience with the person's age and needs, and how they assess benefit. A list of letters on a profile is a starting point for a conversation.
For an autistic person, discuss concrete language, processing time, predictable sessions, sensory access and preferred communication. Ask how consent and choice are maintained. Family involvement should be agreed with an adult client; children should be included in decisions in an accessible way.
Source context: NIMH: psychotherapy and choosing a provider · NICE CG142: autism in adults—recommendations · NICE CG170: support for autistic children and young people
Questions to bring to the first appointment
Use these prompts to understand the actual service being offered:
- What concern are you treating, and what evidence supports this approach for this age group?
- What happens in a session, and what practice is expected between sessions?
- Is this the full treatment program or a class using some of its skills?
- What role do family members have, and what information stays private?
- How will we measure progress, notice adverse effects and decide whether to adapt or change course?
- What are the likely costs, frequency, insurance requirements and alternatives?
When several approaches are involved
Ask for a coordinated plan when more than one clinician is helping. A strategy that is useful for one difficulty can have a different role in another: for example, an OCD clinician may need to check whether a repeated calming exercise has become a ritual.
For schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or another significant co-occurring illness, therapy should fit the wider specialist care plan. These pages are not instructions to change medication or manage a crisis with a worksheet.
Source context: NIMH: psychotherapy and choosing a provider · IOCDF-hosted clinician resource: common OCD treatment myths (PDF)
Related guides
Explore the caregiver center →About this guide
General education and original examples, not medical advice, a diagnosis or an individualized treatment plan. Discuss treatment decisions with a qualified clinician. NeuroCoach coaching provides nonclinical navigation and planning support.
Review status: Independent clinical review pending.
Published October 24, 2026 · Last content update October 24, 2026 · Sources checked October 24, 2026
Sources & editorial approach
These sources provide the background guidance identified above. The examples and planner are NeuroCoach educational material; they have not been tested as a clinical intervention. Source inclusion does not imply endorsement of NeuroCoach coaching.
- NIMH: psychotherapy and choosing a provider
- NHS: cognitive behavioral therapy
- International OCD Foundation: what is ACT?
- Yale Medicine: dialectical behavior therapy
- CDC: behavioral treatment for tics
- TLC Foundation: HRT and other behavioral therapies for BFRBs
- SPACE: official treatment overview
- International OCD Foundation: treating OCD in autistic people
- National Autistic Society: repeated movements and stimming
- NICE CG142: autism in adults—recommendations
- NICE CG170: support for autistic children and young people
- IOCDF-hosted clinician resource: common OCD treatment myths (PDF)