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Re: Turning point with therapist?

Posted by Racer on October 24, 2006, at 12:30:44

In reply to Turning point with therapist?, posted by NthnBrazil on October 24, 2006, at 11:11:49

Well, I've got a bias about CBT, so hold that in your mind while you read this, 'K?

It does sound as though your current T is taking the "Blank Slate" approach to the uttermost limits, which probably isn't a great thing for you right now. Before you make any final decisions, it might be worth talking to him about it, asking if he can be a bit more interactive with you. Otherwise, it's probably worth interviewing a few other therapists to see if you find a better fit for yourself.

If I'd had one of those "aha!" moments, my T would have been asking questions until I got her point, or even saying, "OK, here's what that means..." She wouldn't have sat back for me to talk through it in a vacuum. (Another bias: I think my T is very good at what she does. :-D )

CBT, though, might not necessarily be the fix for it. The more strictly cognitive people I've seen, when I've tried to bring up something that's happened in the past and how I think it might relate to what's happening now, have stopped me to tell me how to stop thinking whatever it is I'm thinking. They haven't had any interest in discussing where anything came from, only how to stop thinking the thoughts that might lead to emotions. It may be that I've only seen less than stellar cognitive therapists, and it is a small sample size, but the results have been consistent.

That's not to say that there isn't value to the cognitive work. My T does incorporate some cognitive stuff into the process, it's just not the focus of the process. That way, our process tends to look more like, "This happened to me; ah, that's what led to me feeling [x] in [y] situation; here are some of the things I tend to think in that situation; here are a few things I can remind myself of, to learn not to react that way, and thus not to feel so bad in that situation." There's cognitive stuff in there, but there's also a recognition that the past does inform the present.

I was about to tell you some of my objections to CBT, but I realized -- you might be right, it might be exactly what you need, and my bias is my bias. What I've written above are my thoughts on what you wrote, and I do hope they help you.


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poster:Racer thread:697304
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20061012/msgs/697323.html