If you have ever talked to a few different people about their therapy experiences, you have probably noticed that the descriptions do not always match up. That difference, between structured and open-ended approaches, is one of the biggest choices people make.
What Structured Therapy Looks Like
Structured therapy follows a protocol. CBT is the most well-known example. A typical CBT course runs 12 to 20 sessions and follows a session-by-session framework.
What Open-Ended Therapy Looks Like
Open-ended therapy does not come with a predetermined arc. Person-centered therapy and psychodynamic therapy fall into this category. Each session begins wherever you are.
How the Experience Differs
Structured therapy moves at a defined pace and usually comes with homework. Open-ended therapy moves at your pace and the work happens in the room.
Which One Is Right for What
Structured therapy works well for specific concerns like a phobia or panic attacks.
Open-ended therapy works well for harder-to-name issues like a sense of being stuck or unresolved grief.
Practices like Artisan Counseling in Virginia have counselors trained in both, which gives clients flexibility to shift approaches as their needs change.
