What Is Multimodal Therapy?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypesTechniquesWhat Multimodal Therapy Can Help WithBenefitsEffectivenessThings to ConsiderHow to Get Started

Table of ContentsView All

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Table of Contents

Types

Techniques

What Multimodal Therapy Can Help With

Benefits

Effectiveness

Things to Consider

How to Get Started

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The word “modality” means simply a method of treatment. What this usually refers to are different types of therapeutic approaches, each of which might focus on a different aspect of the person’s life. It can also mean combining pharmacotherapy, which is the use of medication, with psychotherapy or counseling.

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Types of Multimodal Therapy

A variety of different types of treatments may be employed in multimodal therapy. Below is a list of some of the most common types oftherapythat may be used concurrently in a multimodal therapy treatment program.

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Techniques of Multimodal Therapy

MMT is a type of treatment that uses several different approaches to increase the likelihood that behavior change will take place. As such, the techniques that are used in MMT are drawn from a wide variety of cognitive, behavioral, and psychodynamic strategies.

Multimodal therapy can be used in the treatment of emotional and psychological problems, includingdepression,anxiety,schizophrenia,personality disorders,bipolar disorder,ADHD(attention deficit hyperactivity disorder),autism spectrum disorders,substance abuse,eating disorders, andpsychotic symptoms.

Multimodal therapy can also be used to address a number of physical conditions that have a psychological component or cause, such aspain,fatigue, andinsomnia.

Benefits of Multimodal Therapy

Below are some of the specific potential benefits of multimodal therapy:

Effectiveness of Multimodal Therapy

The effectiveness of MMT can vary depending on how it is implemented; however, research indicates that multimodal therapy is likely to be effective for many different conditions, including depression and anxiety.

The success of the treatment will depend on how well the therapist is able to combine methods in a way that makes sense for the patient and their unique needs.

The disadvantages of MMT include the following:

How to Get Started With Multimodal Therapy

If you are interested in starting multimodal therapy, ask your therapist whether they typically use techniques from different modalities or if they prefer to focus on one approach at a time. You may also want to explore the approach that they favor so you can decide if it will be most beneficial for you.

If you do not have a therapist yet or if you would like to try MMT in addition to the approach that your current therapist is using, do some research and speak to a few therapists before making a decision.

Be open with any potential therapist about what types of techniques you would or would not want to use, and let them know how important it is for you to be able to choose the approach that feels best to you.

If the therapist is not open to discussing different types of therapy or does not seem well-equipped to use techniques from several modalities together, then you may want to consider finding someone else.

How to Know When It’s Time to See a Therapist

7 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Board on Health Sciences Policy; Forum on Neuroscience and Nervous System Disorders. Developing Multimodal Therapies for Brain Disorders: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2016 Nov 18. 2,Multimodal Therapy: Overview of Principles, Barriers, and Opportunities. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK424612/American Psychological Association.Multimodal therapy.Hofmann SG, Asnaani A, Vonk IJ, Sawyer AT, Fang A.The Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Review of Meta-analyses.Cognit Ther Res. 2012;36(5):427-440. doi:10.1007/s10608-012-9476-1Briggs S, Netuveli G, Gould N, et al.The effectiveness of psychoanalytic/psychodynamic psychotherapy for reducing suicide attempts and self-harm: systematic review and meta-analysis.Br J Psychiatry. 2019;214(6):320-328. doi:10.1192/bjp.2019.33AL;, C. (n.d.).Dialectical behavior therapy: Current indications and unique elements. Psychiatry (Edgmont (Pa. : Township)). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20975829/Borys C, Lutz J, Strauss B, Altmann U.Effectiveness of a Multimodal Therapy for Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain Regarding Pre-Admission Healthcare Utilization. PLoS One. 2015 Nov 23;10(11):e0143139. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143139. PMID: 26599232; PMCID: PMC4658153.Fowler JC, Clapp JD, Madan A, Allen JG, Frueh BC, Oldham JM.An Open Effectiveness Trial of a Multimodal Inpatient Treatment for Depression and Anxiety Among Adults With Serious Mental Illness.Psychiatry. 2017;80(1):42-54. doi:10.1080/00332747.2016.1196072

7 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Board on Health Sciences Policy; Forum on Neuroscience and Nervous System Disorders. Developing Multimodal Therapies for Brain Disorders: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2016 Nov 18. 2,Multimodal Therapy: Overview of Principles, Barriers, and Opportunities. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK424612/American Psychological Association.Multimodal therapy.Hofmann SG, Asnaani A, Vonk IJ, Sawyer AT, Fang A.The Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Review of Meta-analyses.Cognit Ther Res. 2012;36(5):427-440. doi:10.1007/s10608-012-9476-1Briggs S, Netuveli G, Gould N, et al.The effectiveness of psychoanalytic/psychodynamic psychotherapy for reducing suicide attempts and self-harm: systematic review and meta-analysis.Br J Psychiatry. 2019;214(6):320-328. doi:10.1192/bjp.2019.33AL;, C. (n.d.).Dialectical behavior therapy: Current indications and unique elements. Psychiatry (Edgmont (Pa. : Township)). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20975829/Borys C, Lutz J, Strauss B, Altmann U.Effectiveness of a Multimodal Therapy for Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain Regarding Pre-Admission Healthcare Utilization. PLoS One. 2015 Nov 23;10(11):e0143139. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143139. PMID: 26599232; PMCID: PMC4658153.Fowler JC, Clapp JD, Madan A, Allen JG, Frueh BC, Oldham JM.An Open Effectiveness Trial of a Multimodal Inpatient Treatment for Depression and Anxiety Among Adults With Serious Mental Illness.Psychiatry. 2017;80(1):42-54. doi:10.1080/00332747.2016.1196072

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Board on Health Sciences Policy; Forum on Neuroscience and Nervous System Disorders. Developing Multimodal Therapies for Brain Disorders: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2016 Nov 18. 2,Multimodal Therapy: Overview of Principles, Barriers, and Opportunities. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK424612/American Psychological Association.Multimodal therapy.Hofmann SG, Asnaani A, Vonk IJ, Sawyer AT, Fang A.The Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Review of Meta-analyses.Cognit Ther Res. 2012;36(5):427-440. doi:10.1007/s10608-012-9476-1Briggs S, Netuveli G, Gould N, et al.The effectiveness of psychoanalytic/psychodynamic psychotherapy for reducing suicide attempts and self-harm: systematic review and meta-analysis.Br J Psychiatry. 2019;214(6):320-328. doi:10.1192/bjp.2019.33AL;, C. (n.d.).Dialectical behavior therapy: Current indications and unique elements. Psychiatry (Edgmont (Pa. : Township)). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20975829/Borys C, Lutz J, Strauss B, Altmann U.Effectiveness of a Multimodal Therapy for Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain Regarding Pre-Admission Healthcare Utilization. PLoS One. 2015 Nov 23;10(11):e0143139. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143139. PMID: 26599232; PMCID: PMC4658153.Fowler JC, Clapp JD, Madan A, Allen JG, Frueh BC, Oldham JM.An Open Effectiveness Trial of a Multimodal Inpatient Treatment for Depression and Anxiety Among Adults With Serious Mental Illness.Psychiatry. 2017;80(1):42-54. doi:10.1080/00332747.2016.1196072

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Board on Health Sciences Policy; Forum on Neuroscience and Nervous System Disorders. Developing Multimodal Therapies for Brain Disorders: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2016 Nov 18. 2,Multimodal Therapy: Overview of Principles, Barriers, and Opportunities. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK424612/

American Psychological Association.Multimodal therapy.

Hofmann SG, Asnaani A, Vonk IJ, Sawyer AT, Fang A.The Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Review of Meta-analyses.Cognit Ther Res. 2012;36(5):427-440. doi:10.1007/s10608-012-9476-1

Briggs S, Netuveli G, Gould N, et al.The effectiveness of psychoanalytic/psychodynamic psychotherapy for reducing suicide attempts and self-harm: systematic review and meta-analysis.Br J Psychiatry. 2019;214(6):320-328. doi:10.1192/bjp.2019.33

AL;, C. (n.d.).Dialectical behavior therapy: Current indications and unique elements. Psychiatry (Edgmont (Pa. : Township)). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20975829/

Borys C, Lutz J, Strauss B, Altmann U.Effectiveness of a Multimodal Therapy for Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain Regarding Pre-Admission Healthcare Utilization. PLoS One. 2015 Nov 23;10(11):e0143139. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143139. PMID: 26599232; PMCID: PMC4658153.

Fowler JC, Clapp JD, Madan A, Allen JG, Frueh BC, Oldham JM.An Open Effectiveness Trial of a Multimodal Inpatient Treatment for Depression and Anxiety Among Adults With Serious Mental Illness.Psychiatry. 2017;80(1):42-54. doi:10.1080/00332747.2016.1196072

Hannah Owens, LMSW

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