A Global Panorama of Psychotherapy & Counseling Schools

This page maps the world's psychotherapeutic approaches by theoretical family. Globally there are more than 400 psychotherapeutic orientations (counted since Karasu, 1986), still growing. Below is the outline; the full Chinese reference is the default view.

How to read "schools"

Concepts: paradigm (grand school), orientation (school), technique (method), and integration (theory integration / technical eclecticism / common factors / assimilative integration). The International Dictionary of Psychotherapy (Nardone & Salvini) identifies eight paradigms: psychodynamic, behavioural, existential-humanistic, body-expression, systemic-relational, cognitive, interactional-strategic, and eclectic. Below, added sections cover trauma-focused, transpersonal, and Eastern/indigenous approaches.

Psychodynamic & psychoanalytic

Classical psychoanalysis (Freud); ego psychology (A. Freud, Hartmann, Kris); object relations (Klein, Fairbairn, Winnicott, Jacobsen); self psychology (Kohut); interpersonal (Sullivan, Horney, Fromm); relational (Mitchell, Aron); attachment-based (Bowlby, Ainsworth); Lacanian; Jungian analytical; Adlerian; transference-focused (Kernberg); mentalization-based (Bateman & Fonagy); brief dynamic (ISTDP/Davanloo, Mann, Strupp & Binder); transactional analysis (Berne).

Behavioural

Behavior therapy; systematic desensitisation (Wolpe); exposure & response prevention (Meyer); flooding/implosive; aversion; operant behaviour modification / token economy (Skinner); behavioural activation (Jacobsen); social skills training; parent management training.

Cognitive & cognitive-behavioural (incl. third wave)

REBT (Ellis); cognitive therapy (Beck); CBT; trauma-focused CBT; interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT, Klerman & Weissman); problem-solving therapy; metacognitive therapy (Wells); and third wave: ACT (Hayes), DBT (Linehan), MBSR (Kabat-Zinn), MBCT (Segal/Williams/Teasdale), compassion-focused therapy (Gilbert), mindful self-compassion (Neff/Germer), schema therapy (Young), CBASP (McCullough), functional analytic psychotherapy (FAP).

Humanistic–existential–phenomenological

Person-centered/client-centered (Rogers); existential therapy (May, Yalom, Bugental, van Deurzen); daseinsanalysis (Binswanger, Boss); logotherapy (Frankl); existential analysis (Längle); gestalt (Perls); focusing (Gendlin); emotion-focused therapy (Greenberg); motivational interviewing (Miller & Rollnick); reality therapy/choice theory (Glasser).

Body–experiential–somatic

Character analysis (Reich); bioenergetic analysis (Lowen); core energetics; biodynamic; somatic experiencing (Levine); sensorimotor psychotherapy (Ogden); Hakomi (Kurtz); NARM (Heller); organic intelligence; body-mind centering.

Family & systems

Structural (Minuchin); strategic (Haley, Madanes); MRI brief (Watzlawick); Milan systemic (Selvini-Palazzoli); Bowenian multigenerational; Satir model; EFT couples (Johnson & Greenberg); systemic & social-constructionist; contextual (Nagy); behavioural family therapy.

Solution-focused brief therapy (de Shazer, Berg); narrative therapy (White & Epston); collaborative therapy (Anderson); personal construct psychology (Kelly); constructivist/social constructionist; reflecting team. Social-cultural-critical: feminist therapy; relational-cultural theory (Miller); multicultural counseling (Sue & Sue); LGBTQ+ affirmative therapy; liberation/decolonial/critical practice.

Integrative & eclectic

Cognitive analytic therapy (Ryle); multimodal therapy (Lazarus); transtheoretical model (Prochaska & DiClemente); cyclical psychodynamics (Wachtel); assimilative integration; common factors; integral psychotherapy (Forman/Wilber).

Trauma-focused & information processing

EMDR (Shapiro); prolonged exposure (Foa); cognitive processing therapy (Resick); narrative exposure therapy; TF-CBT.

Expressive arts & group

Psychodrama (Moreno); sociometry; art therapy; music therapy; dance/movement therapy; drama therapy; poetry/expressive writing; sandplay (Kalff); family constellations (Hellinger); group analysis (Foulkes). Child/attachment play approaches: play therapy; Theraplay (Booth & Jernberg); dyadic developmental psychotherapy (Hughes); parent-infant psychotherapy.

Transpersonal & spiritual

Psychosynthesis (Assagioli); transpersonal psychotherapy.

Eastern & indigenous

Japan: Morita therapy; Naikan; Dohsa-hou; Zen-based. China/Chinese-speaking: Zhong's insight therapy (Zhong Youbin); Chinese Taoist cognitive therapy (Yang & Zhang); TCM psychotherapy; Yikong/moving-emptiness technique (Liu Tianjun); Chinese-character mind therapy; human-nature (renxing) psychology (Guo Nianfeng, CAS Institute of Psychology).

Emerging, complementary & alternative

Energy psychology (TFT, EFT/tapping, TAT); NLP; primal therapy; biofeedback; neurofeedback; hypnotherapy/Ericksonian; clinical hypnosis; MBRP (Witkiewitz & Bowen); positive psychotherapy (Peseschkian); positive psychology interventions; ecotherapy/nature-, animal-, adventure/wilderness-assisted; digital/AI therapy; philosophical counseling.

Appendices

A: forms of counseling (individual, group, family, couple, child/adolescent, online, brief, crisis, supportive, psychoeducation). B: Chinese indigenous therapy summary table. C: evidence-based treatment manuals (depression, anxiety, PTSD, borderline, addiction, couples, chronic pain).

The companion coaching-psychology map is a separate page. For deep dives on a single school, see the per-school knowledge-base topics.