![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Jimmyboy on October 4, 2007, at 18:58:24
Hey I have heard of some places that are basically a week or two weeks of intensive therapy , where you live there and can "Get a lot done" in a short amount of time, so to speak. I have never really done much therapy and want to find a place that I can kind of "kick start" my therapy experience.
If anyone has been to these or know of any, please let me know,
JB
Posted by Phillipa on October 4, 2007, at 18:58:24
In reply to Short term live in Therapy 'Camp', posted by Jimmyboy on October 4, 2007, at 12:27:03
Oh I'd love to know as my therapist is not really much help at all more damage than good. And I've had more then four. Where do people find these loving, kind, once a week therapists who are there for them all the time. Phillipa
Posted by Dory on October 4, 2007, at 19:47:13
In reply to Short term live in Therapy 'Camp', posted by Jimmyboy on October 4, 2007, at 18:58:24
forgive me if i'm wrong, but from your post i am assuming you are new? to babble? or just to therapy? i am thinking you are new, so welcome :o)
i had been interested in those when i first started and i did some research. What i found were run generally by various types of T's who were more touchy-feely type T's, which is fine, but there weren't any psychologists or anyone who seemed qualified to handle deep or serious issues. They seemed more like a colonic for your brain maybe.. a healthy-living kind of thing.
It would be great i think for someone with depression or self esteem issues, etc.. life issues but i think it would be a disaster for anyone with trauma issues or undiscovered/untreated illness.
i am very glad i did not find one i liked. i have been with my T for 8 months now and we only just began talking about historical stuff, trauma issues. i still struggle with trusting him and some days i am completely overwhelmed by the work we have done.
i would recommend against a camp/retreat like this because therapy is a process. It cannot be hurried or kick-started. A person can do short-quickie style therapy for things like mild phobias. i feel really bad for people limited by insurance policies.
i don't know your issues, or reasons for seeking therapy, but in all fairness to yourself, your health and well being shouldn't be hurried or rushed. Right now i feel like i am trying to pace a flood as stuff has started tumbling out. If stuff begins to flood out for you then you don't want to be at a one week camp.
but if this is what you want, then i hope you find one that meets your needs. i would avoid just online searching and instead contact some local counselling centers and ask around.
Posted by Phillipa on October 4, 2007, at 21:24:16
In reply to Re: Short term live in Therapy 'Camp' » Jimmyboy, posted by Dory on October 4, 2007, at 19:47:13
Dory this was a redirect from meds. But I've been to numerous therapists in my area but can find none that will see more often than every three weeks which to me is ridiculous as I forget what we were talking about three weeks ago. If you google you state and city you can get a list of therapists but how do you know who is right for you? So far I've failed twice this way. Need for anxiety/depression and fear of being alone and againg. Any ideas? Thanks Phillipa
Posted by Dory on October 4, 2007, at 23:42:26
In reply to Re: Short term live in Therapy 'Camp' » Dory, posted by Phillipa on October 4, 2007, at 21:24:16
well, you could do what i did.. i did some research first. i wanted to work with a psychologist as opposed to some other type of T because i am bipolar and i knew i have trauma issues. The age range mattered to me and i wanted a male. i was unhappy with CBT as well.
So i looked up the local psychology association website. i also used google and just my phone book. i asked around too. i made a list of potential T's and started making phone calls. i grilled a lot of receptionists. i read a lot of clinic websites and T bios/profiles.
i did a lot of legwork *before* i ever met any of them. i decided what i was looking for. Just about all the T's here say they are CBT so i was a bit leary. When i narrowed it down i made a list of questions and took it with me. There is a lot of variation in how T's do CBT as well.
A lot of it is just by feel. i knew once i met my current T that he was the one i would go with, even though i did tell him i was still "shopping."
hope that helps
Posted by Phillipa on October 4, 2007, at 23:52:10
In reply to Re: Short term live in Therapy 'Camp' » Phillipa, posted by Dory on October 4, 2007, at 23:42:26
Dory did the google therapist search asked around. Thought I wanted a female older like me. But turns out she is very cold. I clicked with a very young and new female therapist in the ER unfortunately she just works for the hospital and dosen't take patients. She did say some of her friends were at the other hospital seeing patients and I'm trying to find them. Thanks Phillipa
Posted by Wittgenstein on October 5, 2007, at 6:21:26
In reply to Short term live in Therapy 'Camp', posted by Jimmyboy on October 4, 2007, at 18:58:24
Hi Jimmyboy,
I know these places exist - although I've never considered doing such intensive therapy.
Do you know what kind of problems you want to deal with and with what kind of therapy? Certain therapies (and for certain kinds of problems) are better suited to intensive work than others. For example, intensive CBT (residential) group therapy with exposure work exists for those with social anxiety and I think this is a pretty effective way to get a lot done in a short space of time.
If the issues are less specific (i.e. not a phobia but rather long-term trauma) then perhaps it's not so wise to go into heavy issues too intensively as you can easily end up flooding yourself and putting yourself into crisis.
For those with certain psychiatric illnesses an intense period of hospitalisation and stabilisation (sorting out meds, and getting through the immediate crisis) before starting long-term work can be essential.
I hope this helps and that you find the help that suits you.
Witti
Posted by Jimmyboy on October 5, 2007, at 9:49:16
In reply to Re: Short term live in Therapy 'Camp' » Jimmyboy, posted by Wittgenstein on October 5, 2007, at 6:21:26
I am not sure if this type of thing would be helpful or not,
My issues I am trying to resolve are very long and complex , as most people's are, but definitely deal with intese amount of anxiety/phobia, mainly social phobia , as well as just dealing with growing up in a very unhealthy household and living a very up and down life due to my bipolar disorder. I know I need to see a therapist along with the meds I take, I just have not been able to find one that fits. One told me about these "camps" and said it really helped speed up the process. I guess I was wondering if that was BS or not, I could see it both ways
JB
Posted by emily99 on October 5, 2007, at 12:16:15
In reply to Re: Short term live in Therapy 'Camp', posted by Jimmyboy on October 5, 2007, at 9:49:16
Hi JB. I went to an intensive therapy camp in Arizona called "The Meadows". It was a 30 day program, and is designed to treat a wide array of issues. It's expensive, tho. $30K, so you need good insurance or a way to pay for it. When I went, I wasn't in the right frame of mind to go (my therapist and x-husband encouraged (demanded) that I go), but I think of it often and the things I learned. I wish I had the opportunity to go again. The therapists are wonderful, and make sure you have follow-up therapy when you get home.
There are also state run programs, but from what I've heard they're not that great.
Whatever you decide, I hope you get linked up with a good therapist, because it does take little steps at a time to get through it all.
emily99
Posted by rskontos on October 5, 2007, at 12:45:41
In reply to My experience in 'camp' » Jimmyboy, posted by emily99 on October 5, 2007, at 12:16:15
Jimmy, if your issues stem from anxiety, social phobias and childhood problems I am betting you will need longterm. To find a good T, I have used doctors I like and trust. So far that has helped especially since the T I have find is a patient of one of my doctors and she has known her for 15 years and she specializes in anxiety issues and difficult disorders like BP I and II and DI/DID. When I felt like we were having issues, I went back to my doctor friend and she urged me like many others on this site to talk to my T again. I did and I set up another session. The point I am trying to make in my rambling way, is when you get referrals from other doctors you know and use then you stand a better chance of getting one that suits you. Or as Dory did use the internet to search those in the area. That would have been harder for me since I don't have experience with T to know what kinds of questions to ask. My doctor friend gave me a referral based on a T she thought would be good for me knowing me. Now the other good thing was my doctor friend herself sees a T. That is a good plus if you can get friends who see a T to referr but that is much harder. Good luck with your search and you too Phillip. I have another friend that is psychologist who said she had trouble finding a T that could help her since she knew too much and interfered with her own treatment. She has found group therapy helpful. I don't know if that is helpful to anyone. Just thought I would throw that out there. She has been in now over a year and says at first it was the most hardest thing she ever did but has saved her. But Emily I am glad to know that you would go back to the camp therapy but for me I would have a hard time going.
Posted by Phillipa on October 5, 2007, at 19:47:55
In reply to Re: Short term live in Therapy 'Camp' » Jimmyboy, posted by Wittgenstein on October 5, 2007, at 6:21:26
I do flooding on my own and not easy. Now I just do it so to say and get it done as quickly as possible like shopping in big malls. Know what I want before get there and just buy it and leave. I also found before I was ill that the older I got the less I liked places like malls prefer small specialty stores. Phillipa
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Psychology | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.