UnmoorGuide

119 Modalities  ·  8 Chapters

The Complete Guide to
Therapeutic Modalities

119 therapeutic approaches explained. What each is, who it helps, and how to find it. A reference for anyone navigating the mental health landscape.

This guide is for informational purposes only — not a clinical assessment or prescription. You are always the leader of your own recovery. If something here does not land for you, trust that. There is no single path to healing. Your nervous system knows things no guide can know. Use this to become more informed. Then follow yourself. And remember — always advocate for yourself. You are the one who knows yourself the best.
By approach type
By what you are dealing with — select one for info, two for combined guidance
Best matches for your description
Integrative approach
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Community and Peer Support

Finding others who understand what you are going through can be as healing as formal therapy. These communities are not replacements for professional support — but they are real, and they matter.

Combining Approaches

Most healing journeys involve more than one approach. Rarely does a single modality address everything. The way forward is usually integrative — shaped by what you identify with, what has worked before, and what your nervous system is telling you.

Start with what resonates

Look at the issue filters above and notice what pulls at you. If something in the description feels true — even uncomfortably true — that is information. You do not need a formal diagnosis to find your way to an approach. Your own recognition matters more than any label.

Look for integrative specialists

The most useful therapists are often those who hold multiple frameworks. A therapist trained in both EMDR and SE, or in both DBT and AEDP, can move between approaches as needed. When searching for support, asking a therapist which modalities they are trained in — and how they combine them — tells you a great deal about how they work.

Trust your own signal

If an approach does not land, that is not failure — it is information. An approach with strong evidence behind it can still be wrong for your nervous system, your history, or this moment. You are always the expert on your own experience. The right combination for you is the one that your body recognises as safe.

The following are examples of how approaches are combined clinically. These are for informational purposes only — every person is different, and the right path is something you explore with a trusted specialist, not a prescription from a guide.

OCD + TraumaSequenced, not simultaneous. ERP first, then trauma work once OCD is stabilised.
Trauma + SomaticSE or Sensorimotor alongside EMDR — the body and memory addressed together.
Complex Trauma + RelationalNARM or AEDP — the wound and the healing both relational in nature.
Complex Trauma + SomaticPhase-based: DBT skills first, then SE or Sensorimotor, then NARM or AEDP for integration.
Depression + ShameCFT alongside CBT or Schema — self-criticism addressed directly, not just symptoms.
Anxiety + BodyCBT or ACT for thought patterns, SE or polyvagal work for the nervous system underneath.
Psychodynamic + SomaticAEDP or ISTDP with SE — insight and nervous system change together.
Relational + ExpressiveArt therapy or DMT alongside AEDP — when words are insufficient for relational healing.
CBT + ExistentialACT bridges both naturally — symptom management and values-based living in one framework.

Select any two approach filters above to see detailed integrative guidance for that specific combination.