Understanding the difference can help you decide what’s best for you.
What Is Structured Therapy?
Structured therapy is goal-oriented and follows a specific plan or framework. It’s usually focused
on teaching skills and strategies to manage symptoms or solve problems.
Treatment protocols are typically evidence-based and excel in symptom reduction.
Examples include:
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)- primarily the structure I use
• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
How it feels: There’s homework, exercises, and clear milestones. You might track progress with
tools, worksheets, and questionnaires.
What Is Talk Therapy?
Talk therapy is more open-ended.
It focuses on exploring feelings, experiences, and relationships
to increase self-awareness and emotional understanding.
– Interpersonal Family Systems (IFS)
– Humanistic/Person-Centered Therapy
– Psychodynamic Therapy
How it feels: Conversations flow naturally, with the therapist guiding reflection and insight.
There’s less focus on homework or specific techniques.
Which One is Right for You?
• Structured therapy might be best if you want practical tools, symptom relief, or are
dealing with anxiety, depression, or trauma.
• Talk therapy might suit you if you want to understand deeper patterns, work through
past experiences, explore your identity or work through life adversities.