There is no single path to feeling better, which is why your treatment plan is never copied from a template. At St. Louis Mental Health, we draw from three connected families of therapy — evidence-based, behavioral, and holistic — and combine them into a plan shaped around how you think, what you have lived through, and what recovery looks like for you. The result is care that fits you, rather than a program you are expected to fit into.
Each category plays a distinct role, and most plans draw on more than one. Here is a closer look at what they bring to your recovery.
These well-established talking therapies are the backbone of most treatment plans. Delivered one-on-one, with your family, in a group, or through deeper insight-oriented work, they are supported by decades of research and give you a safe space to understand what you are facing and change it at a pace that feels manageable.
One-on-one sessions give you a private, focused space to explore what you are experiencing and work toward personal goals with a therapist who knows your story. It is where insight, trust, and steady progress take root.
In individual therapy, you can:
Individual therapy is a core part of treatment for nearly every condition we support, from depression and anxiety to PTSD and personality disorders.
Mental health affects the whole household, not just one person. Family sessions improve communication, repair strained relationships, and help loved ones become a stabilizing part of your recovery rather than a source of added stress.
Family therapy helps everyone involved:
We welcome family involvement throughout treatment, and our Family Resources page offers more ways for loved ones to help.
Sharing space with peers who truly understand reduces isolation and offers perspective you cannot always find on your own. Group work builds accountability, connection, and the reassuring reminder that you are not alone in this.
Group therapy gives you the chance to:
It is especially helpful for concerns that involve connection and confidence, such as social anxiety, depression, and personality disorders.
By exploring the underlying roots of current struggles, psychodynamic work helps you understand recurring patterns and where they began. The goal is change that lasts well beyond short-term symptom relief.
Psychodynamic therapy looks at:
It is valuable for personality disorders, depression, and anyone seeking deeper self-understanding.
These structured, skills-focused approaches are among the most researched in mental health care. They turn insight into action — giving you concrete tools to reshape unhelpful thoughts, process painful memories, and steady intense emotions the moment they arise, and to keep using long after treatment ends.
CBT helps you notice and reshape the unhelpful thought patterns that fuel anxiety, depression, and avoidance, replacing them with more balanced, workable thinking. It is one of the most widely studied and effective therapies available.
CBT helps you:
CBT is highly effective for depression, anxiety disorders, OCD, and many other conditions, and its structured format makes progress easy to track.
DBT was developed for intense emotions and unstable relationships, and it balances acceptance with practical change through four core skills. It is a cornerstone of our work with strong emotional swings.
DBT builds four core skills:
DBT is especially helpful for borderline personality disorder, mood disorders, and anyone struggling with overwhelming emotions.
EMDR helps the brain reprocess traumatic memories so they lose their grip, easing flashbacks, nightmares, and the physical weight trauma leaves behind. Many people find relief through EMDR when talk therapy alone has not been enough.
EMDR helps you:
EMDR is a primary treatment for PTSD and complex trauma, and many people improve in fewer sessions than talk therapy alone would require.
ACT teaches psychological flexibility — accepting difficult feelings without being ruled by them — so you can keep moving toward what matters most. It helps you build a meaningful life alongside, not after, your challenges.
ACT focuses on:
ACT is effective for anxiety, depression, and anyone feeling stuck or disconnected from a sense of purpose.
Healing involves more than managing symptoms. Our holistic therapies care for the whole person through creativity, movement, and mindfulness, complementing clinical work by reaching places that words alone sometimes cannot.
Creating gives feelings a shape and a voice, opening up expression and processing for emotions that are hard to put into words. No artistic skill is required — the focus is on what the process reveals, not the finished piece.
Art therapy supports:
It is especially helpful for trauma, eating disorders, and anyone who finds feelings hard to verbalize.
Listening to, creating, or moving with music can soothe the nervous system, lift mood, and unlock emotional connection in a gentle, accessible way. It reaches places that conversation sometimes cannot.
Music therapy can:
It benefits mood disorders, anxiety, and anyone looking for a different pathway into healing.
Time with trained therapy animals lowers stress, builds trust, and brings comfort and motivation into the recovery process — a natural fit with our pet-friendly residential setting.
Animal-assisted therapy offers:
It is a comforting support for trauma, depression, anxiety, and social isolation.
Gentle, mindful movement reconnects body and mind, releasing tension and supporting emotional regulation through the breath. For many people, learning to calm the body becomes a reliable first step toward calming the mind.
Yoga therapy offers:
It is beneficial for anxiety, PTSD, eating disorders, and anyone seeking stronger mind-body balance.
Guided meditation and mindfulness practices cultivate calm, focus, and presence — portable skills that carry into the rest of daily life. With practice, they give you a way to steady yourself in stressful moments long after treatment ends.
Meditation practices include:
Meditation supports recovery from anxiety, depression, and PTSD, and builds tools you can use for life.
Because certain therapies have stronger evidence for certain conditions, we start with the approaches most likely to help with what you are facing.
Your plan is never fixed in place. As you make progress and tell us what is working, we adjust the mix — adding or easing approaches so your care keeps pace with you.
A wide range of therapies
More than a dozen evidence-based and holistic approaches, all under one roof
Specialist-trained clinicians
Therapists certified in focused methods like EMDR and DBT
Truly integrated care
Several therapies working together within one coordinated plan
A whole-person focus
Mind, body, and emotions cared for together, for fuller healing
A flexible, evolving plan
Your treatment adjusts as your progress and preferences change
Walking into therapy for the first time can feel intimidating, so it helps to know what is waiting on the other side of the door.
Connect with our team at (314) 237-4435, or through our Contact Us page for a free, confidential assessment, and let us build the treatment plan that helps you feel like yourself again.
How do you decide which therapies are right for me?
Sadness is a normal, passing reaction to a hard situation, and it tends to ease as life moves on. Clinical depression sticks around, usually two weeks or more, and it disrupts sleep, energy, focus, relationships, and the ability to get through an ordinary day.
How long will I participate in these therapies?
The length of treatment depends on your needs, goals, and progress. Your care team regularly reviews your treatment plan and adjusts the frequency or types of therapy to support your recovery.
Are holistic therapies a replacement for clinical treatment?
No — holistic options like art, music, and yoga therapy complement evidence-based and behavioral care rather than replace it. Together, they support healing on more than one level.
Does insurance cover these therapy options?
Most major insurance plans help cover the therapies included in your treatment, and we confirm the details up front. Start with our Insurance Verification page and we will explain your benefits clearly.
Can I attend therapy online?
Yes. Through our Virtual IOP, you can take part in the same evidence-based therapies from home, anywhere in Missouri. You can see how virtual sessions work on our Levels of Care page.