Finding the Right Therapeutic Fit

Understanding different therapy approaches and choosing what works for you or your child

"We've been told our child needs psychology."

"Someone else suggested play therapy."

"Another family recommended equine therapy."

"What's actually the difference?"

If you've ever found yourself overwhelmed by the number of therapy options available, you're certainly not alone.

One of the biggest misconceptions we see is that there is one "best" therapy. In reality, there isn't.

The most effective therapy isn't determined by its title- it's determined by how well it fits the individual.

At Grow Therapy Services, we believe therapy should adapt to the person, rather than expecting the person to adapt to the therapy.

First Things First...

A profession isn't the same as a therapy approach.

This is one of the biggest sources of confusion for families. When someone says:

"Your child should see a psychologist."

they're describing who provides the support—not necessarily how that support will be delivered.

Think of it like visiting a doctor.

Two doctors may have the same qualifications but recommend completely different treatments depending on your needs.

The same applies to therapists.

Who provides the therapy?

Professional	What they primarily support
Developmental Educator	Capacity building, participation, neurodevelopment, everyday functioning, relationships and quality of life
Psychologist	Mental health, emotions, behaviour, assessment and therapy
Occupational Therapist	Sensory processing, daily living skills, motor skills, regulation and participation
Speech Pathologist	Communication, language, AAC, social communication and swallowing
Positive Behaviour Support Practitioner	Understanding behaviour, reducing restrictive practices, improving quality of life and supporting environments

Each profession brings valuable expertise. However…

HOW they work may look completely different.

A psychologist may use:

• CBT

• ACT

• DBT

• Play Therapy

• EMDR

• Narrative Therapy

An Occupational Therapist may incorporate:

• Sensory Integration

• DIR Floortime® principles

• Play-based intervention

• Emotional regulation approaches

• Environmental modification

• Executive functioning supports

A Developmental Educator may combine:

• Strengths-based coaching

• Capacity building

• Play-based learning

• Neuroaffirming behaviour support

• Relationship-based intervention

• Community participation

• Functional skill development

The same profession can look very different depending on the clinician, their training and your goals.

That's why asking "How do you work?" is often more helpful than asking "What profession are you?"

There Isn't One "Best" Therapy

The right therapy depends on many factors, including:

✔ Age

✔ Communication style

✔ Sensory profile

✔ Emotional wellbeing

✔ Anxiety levels

✔ Trauma history

✔ Interests

✔ Goals

✔ Learning style

✔ Relationships

✔ Current capacity

Someone may benefit from different therapies throughout different stages of life.

Therapy should evolve as people do.

Understanding Top-Down and Bottom-Up Therapy

One helpful way to understand therapy is by thinking about where the intervention begins.

Neither approach is better.

Most people benefit from a combination of both.

Top-Down Therapy

Starting with thinking

Top-down approaches work from the brain's thinking systems.

They help people:

• understand emotions

• challenge thinking patterns

• solve problems

• reflect

• plan

• practise coping strategies

• develop insight

These therapies generally rely on a person being able to access language, reasoning and reflection.

Examples include

• Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)

• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)

• Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)

• Solution Focused Therapy

• Narrative Therapy

• Coaching

Often suited for

• Older children

• Adolescents

• Adults

• People who enjoy talking things through

• Those able to reflect on thoughts and emotions

• Building emotional awareness and coping strategies

Bottom-Up Therapy

Starting with the nervous system and safety

Bottom-up therapies recognise something incredibly important:

When our nervous system doesn't feel safe, our thinking brain often isn't fully available.

Rather than beginning with conversation, they begin with regulation, connection and experience.

These approaches often include:

• movement

• play

• sensory experiences

• rhythm

• creativity

• relationships

• body awareness

• nature

• animals

Examples include

• Play Therapy

• Equine-Assisted Therapy

• Art Therapy

• Music Therapy

• Somatic approaches

• Sensory-based interventions

• Child-led developmental therapies

Often suited for

• Young children

• Neurodivergent people

• High anxiety

• Trauma

• Selective mutism

• People who communicate differently

• Those who find talking exhausting or overwhelming

It's Not Just About Age

We often hear:

"They're ten now... shouldn't they be talking instead of playing?"

Not necessarily.

Development isn't linear.

Some adults process best through conversation.

Others process through movement.

Some children happily engage in CBT.

Others may need years of play, sensory experiences or relationship-building before those approaches become meaningful.

The therapy should fit the person—not their birthday.

Why Therapy Sometimes Doesn't Feel Like It's Working

When families tell us:

"We've tried therapy before."

we always wonder: Was it the therapy that wasn't right? Or...Was it simply the wrong fit?

A child with severe anxiety may need months simply feeling safe before discussing emotions.

A teenager experiencing burnout may need nervous system regulation before problem-solving.

An autistic child may communicate everything through play long before words emerge.

Someone who has experienced trauma may first need predictable relationships before learning coping strategies.

Sometimes the approach simply doesn't match where the person is right now.

Spotlight: Equine-Assisted Therapy

One of the most unique services we offer at Grow Therapy Services is Equine-Assisted Therapy.

While horses are part of the experience, they aren't the therapy.

The therapeutic process happens through carefully planned activities, relationship building, observation, movement and meaningful interactions supported by our clinicians and therapy assistants.

For many neurodivergent people, this environment feels fundamentally different from a traditional clinic.

Instead of sitting across from someone answering questions, therapy can happen while:

• leading a horse

• grooming

• observing behaviour

• solving problems together

• regulating alongside another living being

• moving through nature

• experiencing success without pressure

Why This Can Be Such A Good Fit

Equine-Assisted Therapy may be considered when someone:

🐴 communicates in ways other than spoken language

🐴 uses AAC

🐴 needs time to build trusting relationships

🐴 experiences severe anxiety

🐴 becomes overwhelmed in clinical environments

🐴 has previously disengaged from traditional talking therapies

🐴 enjoys movement-based learning

🐴 is highly sensory seeking or sensory avoidant

🐴 processes emotions through experience rather than conversation

🐴 has difficulty identifying or verbalising emotions

For these individuals, the horse often becomes part of a relationship that feels safe, predictable and non-judgemental.

That creates opportunities for connection that may not emerge in a traditional therapy room.

Importantly, equine-assisted therapy is not about replacing other therapies. It may complement psychology, occupational therapy, speech pathology or positive behaviour support, or it may be a more accessible starting point for building regulation, confidence and therapeutic relationships before introducing more conversation-based approaches.

Learn More about our Equine-Assisted Therapies at Grow

Questions to Ask When Choosing a Therapy

Rather than asking: "What's the best therapy?"

Try asking:

• Does this approach match how my child naturally learns?

• Will my child feel emotionally safe here?

• Does the therapist understand neurodiversity?

• Is this developmentally appropriate?

• Does the environment support their sensory needs?

• Is the therapist willing to adapt their approach?

• Are we building on strengths rather than trying to "fix" differences?

• Does this therapy align with our family's goals and values?

The answers to these questions often tell you far more than the name of the therapy itself.

At Grow Therapy Services, We Start With the Person

No two people experience the world in exactly the same way.

That's why we don't believe in a one-size-fits-all model of therapy.

Whether support happens through conversation, play, movement, creativity, community participation or alongside a horse, our goal is always the same:

To create therapy that feels safe, meaningful and genuinely aligned with the individual.

Because when therapy meets people where they are, that's where real growth begins.