🧭 TestTherapies8 questions~3 min
Which therapy approach fits you?
There are dozens of approaches in psychotherapy. Personal preferences matter: when the approach matches what a person expects, they drop out less often. This test gives you a starting point among four broad families. Answer according to what appeals to you, not to what seems "the most serious".
This test makes no diagnosis and does not replace professional advice. If you are in significant distress, having suicidal thoughts or in danger, contact your local emergency services or crisis line.
What this content is based on
The questions are original and have not been statistically validated. They contrast style preferences (structured and goal-oriented, exploring the past, person-centred listening, working on a specific event). A key point from research: the major recognised approaches get broadly comparable results across many conditions, and the quality of the alliance between person and therapist is among the best predictors of outcome. Choosing the professional therefore matters at least as much as the label of the approach.
Reviewed in 2026-10
Going further: read the article : What CBT actually does — and what it does not
References
- Swift, J. K., Callahan, J. L., & Vollmer, B. M. (2011). Preferences. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 67(2), 155–165. DOI PubMed
- Wampold, B. E., Mondin, G. W., Moody, M., Stich, F., Benson, K., & Ahn, H. (1997). A meta-analysis of outcome studies comparing bona fide psychotherapies: Empirically, "all must have prizes". Psychological Bulletin, 122(3), 203–215.
- Flückiger, C., Del Re, A. C., Wampold, B. E., & Horvath, A. O. (2018). The alliance in adult psychotherapy: A meta-analytic synthesis. Psychotherapy, 55(4), 316–340. DOI PubMed
- Hofmann, S. G., Asnaani, A., Vonk, I. J. J., Sawyer, A. T., & Fang, A. (2012). The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 36(5), 427–440. DOI PubMed
- Shedler, J. (2010). The efficacy of psychodynamic psychotherapy. American Psychologist, 65(2), 98–109.
- Elliott, R., Greenberg, L. S., Watson, J., Timulak, L., & Freire, E. (2013). Research on humanistic-experiential psychotherapies. Dans M. J. Lambert (dir.), Bergin and Garfield's handbook of psychotherapy and behavior change (6e éd., p. 495–538). Wiley.
- Hayes, S. C. (2004). Acceptance and commitment therapy, relational frame theory, and the third wave of behavioral and cognitive therapies. Behavior Therapy, 35(4), 639–665.
- Organisation mondiale de la Santé (2013). Guidelines for the management of conditions specifically related to stress. Genève : OMS.
- Loi n° 85-772 du 25 juillet 1985, art. 44 (usage professionnel du titre de psychologue). Legifrance.
- Décret n° 2010-534 du 20 mai 2010 relatif à l'usage du titre de psychothérapeute. Legifrance.
References checked via PubMed (National Library of Medicine). DOI links lead to the original publications.