The people behind the ideas.
Profiles of the thinkers who shaped psychology, psychiatry, public health and education, from the classic theories, the neo-Freudians and the personality psychologists to African American, Latino, Indian and Asian scholars whose work is often left out of textbooks. Each profile covers their background, their framework, key publications, sources and videos.
Many ways to explain the mind.
Each approach asks a different question about behavior. Tap a name to open that scholar's profile.
Browse scholars
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Test your knowledge of the theorists
A 20-question exam with confidence ratings. Results feed the same class dashboard as the lesson quizzes.
How therapy works, and what works for what.
Explore 97 approaches and 113 interventions, including healing traditions from African American, Latino, Asian, Indigenous and other cultures: the ideas behind each approach, how sessions work, which techniques belong to which approach, and what research supports for common conditions.
For learning only. These are short educational summaries, not instructions for treatment. A yellow tag marks approaches with limited or mixed research support. Therapy should be delivered by a trained, licensed clinician. In crisis? Call or text 988.
Which families of therapy each intervention belongs to. A filled circle means the intervention is a core technique of an approach in that family. An open circle means approaches in that family often borrow it. Pick a row to read the details.
Approaches recommended in major clinical practice guidelines for common conditions. Guidelines are updated over time, and the best choice for any person also depends on their goals, culture and preferences.
| Condition | Approaches with the strongest support | Source |
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The relationship matters in every approach
Across many studies, the strength of the working alliance between client and therapist predicts better outcomes in every type of therapy. Matching therapy to a client's culture, values and preferences also improves engagement. Flückiger et al., 2018 ↗