EMDR, DBT, ACT: what the acronyms actually mean

Therapist directories are full of acronyms with no explanation. Here is what they are.

For high-performing professionals in Chicago and Chicagoland: This article reflects clinical evidence and direct experience. If you're in the Chicago area or Illinois, contact me to discuss your concerns.

Searching for a therapist means wading through strings of initials, none of which are explained anywhere, all of which sound equally authoritative. Here is what the common ones are and what they are for.

CBT — cognitive behavioural therapy

Structured, time-limited, focused on the thought-behaviour-mood loop. Strong evidence across depression and anxiety disorders. The default recommendation for most common presentations, and the one with the largest evidence base.

ERP — exposure and response prevention

A specific form of exposure therapy and the first-line psychological treatment for OCD. Involves approaching what triggers the obsession while not performing the compulsion. Uncomfortable by design, and substantially more effective for OCD than general talking therapy.

DBT — dialectical behaviour therapy

Developed for intense emotional reactivity, chronic self-harm, and interpersonal instability. Combines individual sessions with group skills training across distress tolerance, emotion regulation, mindfulness, and interpersonal effectiveness. A substantial time commitment.

ACT — acceptance and commitment therapy

Focused on acting in line with your values while carrying uncomfortable thoughts, rather than on eliminating them. Often a better fit for chronic pain, chronic illness, and people who have found symptom-elimination approaches frustrating.

EMDR — eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing

A structured trauma protocol involving recall of traumatic material alongside bilateral stimulation. Recognised as an effective PTSD treatment by major guidelines. There is ongoing debate about whether the eye movements themselves are the active component or whether the exposure element does the work — but the protocol as a whole has good evidence for PTSD.

CPT and PE — cognitive processing therapy and prolonged exposure

The other two established trauma protocols, both with strong evidence for PTSD. If a therapist says they work with trauma, it is reasonable to ask which of these they are trained in.

IPT — interpersonal therapy

Time-limited and focused on relationships, role transitions, and grief as the context for depression. Good evidence in depression, particularly where the onset is clearly tied to a relational change.

MI — motivational interviewing

Not a therapy in itself so much as a method for working with ambivalence about change. Common in substance use settings and useful anywhere someone is genuinely undecided.

The practical point

Ask what they are trained in and why it fits your problem. Both answers should be specific.

A therapist listing eight modalities may be genuinely broadly trained, or may have attended eight weekend workshops. Asking which they use most and why is a fair question and a revealing one.

Published August 2026 · Reviewed for accuracy against the sources listed above.