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Therapy

 
  

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Harhoo
12:46 / 29.08.03
Basically: I’m strongly considering therapy at the moment.

The reasons are terribly mundane; there has been no 9/11 of my psyche, no death or loss, no fracturing or psychosis. Instead I’m coming down with an advanced state of the blues. Which, despite my tone, is genuinely starting to drag me down. I think I’m a long way from a breakdown (which do run in my family, with one very close and one pretty darn close relative having both suffered bad ones) but I can also extrapolate a future which involves one.

I’ve always been fairly opposed to notions of therapy, but I’ve decided that it might make me a ‘happier’ (and I’m fully aware of how baggage-ridden that phrase is) person at the end of it.

Actually, examining the word ‘happy’, I’m not sure exactly what I would want or get out of the therapy. I am, by nature, an incredibly private person, to the extent that it’s taken me a month even to post this anonymously on a message board, and I doubt that I would be able to unburden myself to any large degree (my skeletons are large and my cupboards are deep).

I realise that, to paraphrase Tolstoy, everybody is unhappy in their own way, but what I want to know is: has anybody here had any experience of therapists (as distinct from psychologists)? Were they good, bad or indifferent? What sort of results can I expect from them? As somebody who likes to consider myself fairly self-aware, is it going to be an expensive way to spend an uncomfortable hour? What should I look for in a potential therapist? How much is it likely to cost? Are there any schools or disciplines I should look out for/avoid? Have I just been watching too much Sopranos and reading too much David Lodge?
 
 
suds
12:57 / 29.08.03
i think it's such a good idea. therapy is seen by many as a last resort, or something that people with severe difficulties. i personally think everyone should do it. it gives you clarity. also, it gives you the time and space to really think about the stuff that you've been pushing to the back burner while you race around doing work, study and travel.

i'd advise you to try not to put too many expectations on it. which i know is incredibly difficult, maybe even impossible; but i think that the most important thing you can do in therapy is go with whatever goes. you might go there to discuss a specific event that has triggered off the need to go to therapy; but then end up solving something totally different, but connected nevertheless.

i suggest you give it a try. obviously it's really important that you feel comfortable with the therapist. you'll know after the first session whether you want to continue or not.
also, this sounds kind of lame, but one of the best forms of therapy is taking out one hour a week to totally focus on yourself. make art, write in a journal, and just think about what's going on in your life.

ps. there is no such thing as too much sopranos!
 
 
Tryphena Absent
13:16 / 29.08.03
I'm in a whole gang of 'children of therapists' on barbelith and I'm sure that any of us would tell you to glance around at different types of therapy and pick the one that seems to best suit your general attitude to the world or ask here if you have any specific questions. There are many therapists out there with many different approaches and I'm sure everyone has a type they'd take to. I wouldn't go and see one myself though I would have before my mother became one. I do think it's good for people, she just angers me with her incessant therapizing.

Now- are you British? A lot of organisations over here means test you so money isn't always a problem. The FPC have a means tested referral service and I get the impression they're pretty quick.

Therapy is always a little uncomfortable because therapists tend to be very sharp... as in their eyes bore in to you like drills (or is that just me?). Personally I wouldn't go to a Freudian, I like Jungian therapy- far sweeter.
 
 
Goodness Gracious Meme
13:39 / 29.08.03
I think that may be just you, Anna. *g*

Seriously, analytic-based therapy is often more 'pointy' than humanistic-based approaches. This doesn't mean it's more or less effective, more as people have said that different approaches work for different people.

And for different problems which is something that's said less often. So yeah, shop around, decent therapists will offer a free/low rate (in the uk at least) initial session so you can try them out. It's not just approach,but the personality of the therapist that you can 'interview' in this situation. Particularly important with the more humanistic/less pyschoanalytic approaches.

If you're considering therapy, it's worth examining what you hope to gain from it. Therapy is a broad church and itself is just one way of changing circumstances, there are many others.

This isn't meant to discourage, btw, I agree with suds that a bit of forward-thinking as regards seeking help is generally a good thing. But i'm just saying that you may want to combine this with other changes, eg diet/exercise/new social spaces etc.

Do you want counselling? analysis?

Obvoiusly I don't know yr circumstances but i hope this is helpful.

The BACP is the UK professional body for counsellors and pyschotherapists and are very used to dealing with people trying to figure out some of these questions. membership doesn't guarantee that they'll be perfect for you but does mean they've signed up to a code of professional practice.

Also,personal recommendation, if you know people who've had counselling/therapy then ask for opinions, if you and they are comfortable with talking about this stuff.
 
 
Goodness Gracious Meme
14:00 / 29.08.03
rereading your post, a few more bits:

all psychotherapy seeks to increase self-awareness in order to promote healing, all that differs is the ways in which they do this(sometimes all that's different is the jargon.). what's vital is that the therapist is someone who you click with, not neccessarily that you love them, but more that the way you interact means that they promote self-revelation in you.

but the various prof bodies will be able to explain their approaches so talk direct to them. I'll attempt to answer questions if you like but i'm not a qualified counsellor and its important to get this stuff right/talk to people who really know what they're talking about. it's not something people should give flippant advice on.

I'd say that this describes the basic points of a few of the main approaches pretty well.
 
 
—| x |—
18:33 / 29.08.03
Hello Harhoo.

On a moderator note: I am not sure if this is entirely a “Headshop” thread, but then again, it seems more than a Conversation thread…perhaps this is the best forum for it but perhaps not…anyway:

I can sympathize v. deeply with your current situation. I too am a fairly private person (but not when it comes to close & dearly loved friends) and I also have an instinctual distrust of “therapy.” “Physician heal thyself!” and all that. However, I found myself sinking into a depression last fall that I figured would pass, but instead lead from a mere drawn out case of “the blues” to a practically catatonic state (I would get out of bed only to lie on the couch and watch TV all day—watching the minutes drag by, watching utter crap—until it was time to go to sleep (which became increasingly fitful and broken) only to get up the next day and go back to the couch). It was at this time when I figured I’d better talk to some kind of professional in these matters.

Ended up seeing a uni counselor. I was fairly open with him during some sessions, but others quite despondent. All in all it was very helpful to dialogue with someone about my situation who had both training and experience in moving people out of such headspaces into more constructive headspaces. Well, it has been about four months since my last session with him (we had about ten or twelve) and I am doing so much super way better. I am sure there are many things involved in my successful recovery other than merely talking to this person, but I do know for a fact that it was a positive and motivating force which assisted me in the way I needed. Thus, I think it might be good for you to see someone about your blues before that collapses in upon itself to become downright depression.

Moreover, I now feel that therapy can be a v. helpful tool for people, but I also think that a person is going to get out of it or take away from it what s/he wants to; that is, it can be means to either negate the headspace causing the symptoms or it can merely be a crutch to prolong symptoms or it could even be entirely useless.

As for selection of the specific individual that you will see, well, I was assigned a person so no choice for me—it merely happened that we clicked well. I think many private counselors offer a free intro session and some even a sliding rate scale, so shop around for the person that is right for you. A mismatch could make matters worse or simply accomplish nothing, so be extra choosy!
 
 
Eron
18:37 / 29.08.03
When I was 16 my mom thought it would be a good idea for me to see a therapist. I was furious, but went to the first session. After having a nice long chat the therapist told me that there was nothing wrong with me! I had such a cool time with her though, that I continued going to the sessions! My therapist turned out to be a guiding light during a difficult transition in my life. I knew where I needed to go, but couldn't understand what was blocking me. Therapy provided me with a space where I felt grounded and safe. I then discovered that there was something troubling me, and I was able to process it.

Go for it!!! Find someone you click with!!! GOOD LUCK!!!
 
 
Ria
20:40 / 29.08.03
hardly anyway knows why they want to go to a psychotherapy. but they do it anyway like wearing popular fashions. if you would like to really know yourself throw your itself into unfamiliar situations and then observe how you behave. psychotherapy does not impress me. ten days ago I began a hunger strike in solidarity with the fast to challenge the caring professions-industrial complex.

know what?

one of my uncle has retired, mostly. when he works he works as a counsellor, often for other counsellors. his wife believes he ought to go a counsellor. he did not understand me when I visited him, related to me on a combative level, tried to do the little interrogative techinques on me they have used half a hundred times before.

want someone to 'fix' you? go to a Rolfer or other maseusse to break down some o' that character armor.
the exposing yourself to the unfamiliar might not cost as much though.
 
 
Nematode
11:11 / 02.09.03
Do it in conjunction with acupuncture the two absolutely rock together. The therapist provides the guidance and the acupuncture invests the person with the energy to make the change. I was in therapy and proceeding painfully slowly, I started having treatment and was suddenly able to make changes and really use the material. A bit of tai chi wouldn't go amiss either.
 
 
pomegranate
18:58 / 02.09.03
lots of good input, here. harhoo, big ups to you for recognizing that you may need help. too many people are too proud and think they can go it alone (is it me, or are these people always the ones who are *least* self-aware?). to me, self-awareness is everything, things change through yr life, and you change as well, but you always have you. if you don't know what you have to work w/, you are lost. (says me.)
anyways, my personal take is, steer clear of client-centered therapy or just-plain psychoanalysis. it's all well and good to talk about yr mom (or whatever, nothing against yr mom, dude ) every week for an hour, but it doesn't get you places, really. anyone you see, their goal should be to get you to stop coming (which is why sometimes it's better to see people in a gov't capacity, who aren't necc. making money off of you), i think. anyway studies have been done that confirm that the best therapy is cognitive therapy. so when you have yr first meeting w/the person, ask hir what tack they prefer. i also think using more than one approach is good, too.
 
 
Nematode
19:46 / 02.09.03
Oh bollocks to cognotive therapy.
 
 
ONLY NICE THINGS
20:25 / 02.09.03
...and I think that may be a good time to suggest that this be moved to the Laboratory or the Conversation, the one because we are discussing a science, the other because it will get the largest responses and probably the most useful, since this is looking for experiences and recommendations rather than an abstract discussion - if people want to talk about therapy on a broader level, I think a new thread might be in order, to aovid this one being less useful to Harhoo than hoped.

I think Conversation might provide the most useful and numerous perspectives. Anyone object to that?
 
 
Nematode
07:03 / 03.09.03
Depends if you regard this as a science or an art. I would be inclined to the latter postion. I certainly don't think that one can objectively verify the efficacy of 'therapy', it is by it's very nature concerned with the inner world of the individual and so not really something that can be considered part of the scientific double blind validated world of objective reality. This must make therapy or study of the subjective interface an individual has with the objective world, whatever the hell that actually is, something related to culture: the inner collective and individual experiences of being who we are. Oh and while we're at it, Praying Mantis therapists if they are for real do not train for ten years in order to string you along into week after week on the couch for the money. Cognotive therapy is to my mind a kind of prozac therapy in that it doesn't really address the core issues behind internal disharmony it's remit is too narow i.e you have a problem here's a coping strategy. Lying there week after week talking about your mum for weeks on end is often a very good idea, or your dad, now why did you choose that name, do you feel we should talk about it?
 
 
Tryphena Absent
09:55 / 03.09.03
I've always lumped therapy in as a social science. It's not a straight science because it covers too many different types of discussion. Psychiatry is probably a science but psychoanalysis is probably more of an art thus it becomes a social science.
 
 
Nematode
10:37 / 03.09.03
But are psychiatrists offering therapy in any meaningful sense? Psychiatry is not a talking cure its an asess the chemical imbalance in the brain and have a pill. It derives its diagnosis from a doctors observation of the manifestation of disharmony rather than entering the inner world of the patient, which is the work of therapy. Psychiatry is looking from the outside, psychotherapy from the inside which is a massive difference. They're practically opposites, so I have to question lumping the two together.
 
 
I'm Rick Jones, bitch
10:46 / 03.09.03
Therapy works.

Or at least, it worked for me.

I forget exactly which of the many options I chose but my shrink was very awesome and all the girls fancied him and stuff so he was a man you could respect. A pleasant side-effect of therapy was that each session would give me a sense of zen calm for a week or so. Very glad my mother dragged me to the first session.

Speaking from personal experience, stay off the prozac if you need medication, it's a horrible drug.
 
 
pomegranate
13:36 / 03.09.03
Oh and while we're at it, Praying Mantis therapists if they are for real do not train for ten years in order to string you along into week after week on the couch for the money.
yes, i agree, that's why i said that the goal of therapy should be that you don't need to go any more.

Cognotive therapy is to my mind a kind of prozac therapy in that it doesn't really address the core issues behind internal disharmony it's remit is too narow
i think this can sometimes be true, that's why i said a multifaceted approach is good.

now why did you choose that name, do you feel we should talk about it?
is this question aimed at me for real? is this some sort of implied diss? just because we have different opinions?
...and if you want to know, i'll tell you, i think you'll be surprised. but of course that'd be entirely threadrotty.
 
 
Ganesh
13:58 / 03.09.03
One of the big problems with asking people to recommend therapies based on their own experiences is that its individual nature makes it highly subjective - but many are happy to generalise wildly on the basis of what did or didn't work for them. Such generalisations pepper this very thread.

If persistent low mood is your problem, I'd suggest reading Lewis Wolpert's 'Malignant Sadness: The Anatomy of Depression'. Wolpert is Professor of Biology As Applied To Medicine at University College, London, and had written extensively on psychological treatments when he himself had a severe depressive episode. 'Malignant Sadness' is interesting in that it covers most of the physical and psychological approaches to depression in an informed, evidence-based manner but is also anecdotal, immensely readable and not at all 'dry'.
 
 
Nematode
20:19 / 03.09.03
You feel an implied 'diss' perhaps we should focus on this.......
 
 
pomegranate
15:16 / 05.09.03
 
 
Regrettable Juvenilia
10:12 / 25.08.04
Bump. (I'm also going to suggest this thread be moved to the conversation.)

So it seems pretty obvious to me now that some kind of therapy is going to be useful, or even necessary, for me to sort bits of my head out and move towards no longer engaging in certain patterns of self-destructive behaviour blah blah blah. (One of the main reasons I think I might need therapy is my current aversion to it, which is almost entirely illogical and very vehement and emotional.)

But I'm still not clear where to start looking. I've been to the BACP website and looked at their search facility, but it still seems like pot-luck - am I supposed to pick one of the ones with the nearest post code, or just go with the most aesthetically pleasing name in the London area? And as for the idea of trying out a few - Jesus, I can't even do that when I go shopping, I'm very much a "take the first option that doesn't suck", only I don't know how to tell who that will be... Plus quite frankly I can't afford to shop around for therapists, especially not when some of them charge more for an initial consultation than their regular sessions...

Which brings us on to cost. No disrespect, I'm sure a lot of them earn their keep and need the money, but £30-£50 a session seems to be the norm, and that's - well. KERR-CHING. A lot of them say concessions are available for those on low incomes, but I suspect they mean incomes lower than mine. I mean, I do okay, but not so okay that dropping an extra £35 a week or even every two weeks isn't going to hurt. So should I just pick the cheapest? Do I risk getting someone a bit crap if I do?

I dunno... Someone convince me this is worth it...
 
 
STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK
10:29 / 25.08.04
To be honest (and I'll put my card on the table here, I've never been in "therapy" per se) I'd recommend going into counselling first- even if only as a kind of practice for what is essentially a very awkward situation. Again, ymmv on this- I've had three different counsellors in my time, one of whom was great but happened to coincide with my meds kicking in, so after about three sessions I figured (wrongly) there was no point going anymore, one who was a) incredibly dull and b) (more worringly/offensively) convinced that something absolutely terrible had happened to me during childhood (to be honest, after a few months of this, I felt like twatting him and yelling "are you calling my folks nonces?") and one, my current one, who thus far has proved incredibly helpful and, by a reversal of timing, did a lot to get me through the unpleasantness of coming OFF the meds.
But on a purely logistical level, it is VERY awkward to start with- I still find the idea of therapy intimidating, but not as much as a few years ago.
 
 
STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK
10:32 / 25.08.04
Although I feel I should add that I didn't go into counselling as a rehearsal for therapy- more as a less scary alternative to AA, so not sure how relevant my above post will have been. I'm leaving it in the hope that it's of some use, however.
 
 
Regrettable Juvenilia
10:34 / 25.08.04
Wait, what's the difference between counselling and therapy again? ARGH.
 
 
Goodness Gracious Meme
11:09 / 25.08.04
well, on this thread 'therapy' and 'counselling' are being used pretty loosely.

I'd say that, say in Stoatie's eg above, therapy is being used to mean
(psycho)analysis - eg Jungian, Freudian. It's more directive/scientific(as Anna says above), the analyist will ask questions. Think Woody Allen films for the cliche version. It's a broad churhc, though, with many approaches.

Usually (?) considered to be a long-term undertaking. I think. 'nesh?

Whereas counselling is, well, counselling: less directive, less of a science, more about the relationship beteeen counsellor and client than the specific school. Again a broad church, but the counsellor will ask fewer questions, in general, leaving you to do the talking...

Can be used short, medium or long term.

Think Dr.Melfi and Tony, she's a psychotherapist, which is often an intermediate practice, more structured than counselling, still more free-wheeling than psychoanalysis.

How about asking friends for recc's? Good luck with this.

Are you under 26? you might qualify for youth counselling which can be free/cheaper...
 
 
Ganesh
11:16 / 25.08.04
Okay.

The original poster draws a distinction between 'therapists' and 'psychologists' - which is, I'm guessing, an attempt to differentiate between psychodynamic psychotherapies and cognitive-behaviour type psychotherapies. Here's a (very) general overview:

Psychodynamic psychotherapies (frequently abbreviated to 'dynamic psychotherapies' or 'exploratory psychotherapy') are the stuff most of us imagine when we think of psychotherapy: little Austrian guys with beards and couches, saying 'tell me about your childhood'. There are a plethora of different schools - Freudian (yer actual psychoanalysis), Jungian, Adlerian, etc. - but the aim is generally the development of a trusting relationship which allows free communication and leads to understanding, integration and acceptance of self. It's not specifically aimed at 'getting you better', although there's often a tacit hope/assumption that increased insight might facilitate symptomatic improvement. It's usually open-ended, and usually goes on for several years.

The cognitive therapies (most commonly cognitive-behaviour therapy - CBT) are more commonly practised by psychologists (although, in practice, most practitioners are eclectic, and combine elements of several psychotherapies), and generally have a more 'clinical' feel. They draw on the likes of Beck, who developed the theory of maladaptive thought patterns - automatic assumptions, minimisation, selective abstraction, etc., etc. - forming self-destructive patterns of behaviour. Rather than exploring past/childhood experiences, cognitive therapists focus more on the 'here and now', aiming to identify and challenge unwanted thought patterns ie. they're more directly aimed at self-improvement, 'getting better'. Cognitive therapy is usually time-limited (a course of 12 sessions, say) and intensive, with 'homework' exercises between sessions.

Counselling is something of a catch-all term. Generally speaking, it's less formalised than psychotherapy, and supportive in nature - although a properly-trained counsellor may well incorporate elements of this or that psychotherapy, and might be more or less directive/motivational as the need arises. It can be brief or open-ended.

The important thing to consider is what you actually want. Are you looking for emotional/psychological support, perhaps during a particularly stressful period of your life? Is there a specific problem (depressive thinking, panic attacks, obsessional rituals) you want to focus on? Or is it the whole 'voyage of self-discovery' thing?
 
 
Goodness Gracious Meme
11:26 / 25.08.04
As for convincing you it's the right decision, I'm not sure I could or would wish to do that.

It's a heavy investment of cash, and can be one of time/personal energy. It's also a bit of a one-way door. Once you begin to develop that awareness, it can be hard to switch it off. It's also hard work and can bring up painful stuff.

On the other hand, if you feel there are things about yourself that you want to examine hard, have pointed at by someone in a safe environment, try to change, break or bend existing patterns, it can be a very good way to go about this.

It is however, not the only way. For example, I suspect many of the Temple folks could suggest/relate changing experiences from other practices.

(on the money, it does sound cherching, but yr paying for one-on-one service from a prof. How much would you be paying, say a web-designer, pr person etc?)

If you want to pm/email me, feel free.

But this is a decision that only you can take for yourself.
 
 
Regrettable Juvenilia
11:34 / 25.08.04
Ganesh: a) and b), I think. I can't think of many real reasons why this should be a particularly stressful period in my life, on the contrary really, but it keeps feeling like one; meantime, certain problems are either worsening or becoming tedious through repetition.

I'm not big on voyages of self-discovery. I'm not up for anything that involves repeating three things I like about myself every day before breakfast whilst walking barefoot in some grass. Reading the descriptions of the different approaches, I'm pretty sure I'm not up for any 'person-based' peeps: the phrase "unconditional positive regard " makes me shudder.

(I quite like the idea of a therapist drawing on the ideas of Beck, though. "You're not a loser, you've just got a devil's haircut in your mind" - excellent.)

How about asking friends for recc's?

The only person I can think of offhand who I know is currently having therapy in London is not someone I would trust to recommend me almost anything, let alone a theracounsellist.

I trust a lot of 'Lithers, though, so if anyone wants to make a recommendation they can PM me...
 
 
Ganesh
11:40 / 25.08.04
Um, to summarise:


Psychodynamic psychotherapy, dynamic psychotherapy, exploratory psychotherapy, 'therapy':
- Freud, Jung, Adler, Klein, Reich, neo-Freudians, etc., etc.
- 'voyage of self-discovery' aimed at gaining insight
- open-ended
- various schools, but most practitioners are at least slightly eclectic
- 'psychoanalysis' is a type of psychodynamic psychotherapy; classically, the term is applied specifically to the Freudian school

Cognitive psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioural therapy, CBT:
- Beck, Ellis
- based around the idea of maladaptive thought patterns underlying behaviour
- aimed at identifying and working on specific problems
- based in the 'here and now'
- time-limited ie. finite number of sessions, agreed at the outset

Counselling, supportive therapy:
- ummm, Deanna Troy
- loose term, often used to mean other things
- less formalised/structured than the psychotherapies, but may include elements of them, depending on the training and experience of the counsellor
- can be brief, medium-to-long-term or open-ended
- focusses on developing a supportive central relationship

This is a slightly simplistic overview: naturally, the distinctions can be blurred, and there are countless variations. Outcome (difficult to study in the first category) seems related to the strength of the relationship itself, unsurprisingly.
 
 
Goodness Gracious Meme
11:41 / 25.08.04
oh, and 'nesh's point about breaking down what you want from this encounter is a very good one.

Have a think about that, discuss with supportive people.

eg CBT has very good results on dealing with specific issues, it's about pattern-breaking/reprogramming. It suits results-focussed people, that's it's ethos. It's not wafty, or floaty.

Whereas I for example, have long term humanistic counselling, which works well for me. This is probably because I have sympathy with its ethos (to the opint of training in it!).

But mainly coz it satisfies my needs:
a combination of digging out and questioning really old assumptions, recovering and dealing with old memories, connecting them with current behaviours for change *and* ongoing support.

Which, as you can see, is quite a mixed bag, so a loose approach has space for me to do all of these.
 
 
Goodness Gracious Meme
11:54 / 25.08.04
nice summary, but nesh, really.

Deanna Troy?????

Counselling:

Person-centred: Carl Rogers, Gerald Egan, Peggy Nutiello

Gestalt - Frederick & Lore Perls(roots in Reich, among others)

Transactional Analysis(looks at life as transactions between self/self, self/others, self/ world) - Eric Berne - 'Games People Play'
 
 
Ganesh
12:05 / 25.08.04
Deanna Troy?????

Heheheh. That was just for you, Bengali...

Person-centred: Carl Rogers, Gerald Egan, Peggy Nutiello

Gestalt - Frederick & Lore Perls(roots in Reich, among others)

Transactional Analysis(looks at life as transactions between self/self, self/others, self/ world) - Eric Berne - 'Games People Play'


I agree that a lot of counselling is based on these approaches (particularly Rogers and Berne, I think). I suspect I'm guilty of thinking of them as specific psychotherapies (there certainly used to be 'gestalt therapists', for example) adapted for use in counselling. You're probably more up to date on the current situation in the UK, though; exclusively Rogerian therapists or transactional analyists do seem to be thin on the ground these days. These theories were probably always more suited to a less formal approach.

The 'I am a beautiful person' stuff Flyboy's describing sounds rather like a bastardised Carl Rogers, which was never really my thing. Sustained 'positive unconditional regard' is, IMHO, an impossibility (there are always conditions) - and I could never do that '3 2 1' thing with my fingers.
 
 
Bear
12:09 / 25.08.04
I have a totally naive question about therapy, isn't the aim of some of it to find out what's causing you certain problems/issues - if you work out what's causing the problem yourself shouldn't that be it? Can you do self diagnosis and repair on yourself? I guess that's slightly NLP territory..

I mean I know of certain things in my past that still effect me today but those things in the past don't really bother me they're actually quite funny so why would they still cause things to happen to me?
 
 
Ganesh
12:26 / 25.08.04
I have a totally naive question about therapy, isn't the aim of some of it to find out what's causing you certain problems/issues

Depends on the type of therapy (see summary above). Psychodynamic psychotherapies aim to help you gain insight into the roots of your problems, but this may or may not actually solve them. CBT, on the other hand, is less concerned with the past 'cause' of problems than with the underlying thinking/assumptions, and challenging them.

if you work out what's causing the problem yourself shouldn't that be it? Can you do self diagnosis and repair on yourself?

Sometimes, sometimes not. Some people just don't possess the psychological resources for honest self-exploration without first establishing a 'safe' professional relationship. Also, there's a popular belief that identifying the cause of a given problem solves that problem, but this isn't always the case. Sometime's it's necessary to develop mechanisms to cope with the problem.

I guess that's slightly NLP territory..

I think of NLP as an interesting offshoot of CBT.

I mean I know of certain things in my past that still effect me today but those things in the past don't really bother me they're actually quite funny so why would they still cause things to happen to me?

Because your self-exploration has been too superficial? Because you've focussed on the wrong things? Because they actually do bother you, but on a less-than-conscious level? Because they've been instrumental in the formation of maladaptive behaviour patterns you still follow today?

All of the above?

*shrugs*

I dunno...
 
 
Ganesh
12:42 / 25.08.04
Ganesh: a) and b), I think. I can't think of many real reasons why this should be a particularly stressful period in my life, on the contrary really, but it keeps feeling like one; meantime, certain problems are either worsening or becoming tedious through repetition.

Well... to what extent can you identify specific/discrete problems? Are you more interested in tracing those problems to their 'cause' or working to change them? Put simp(istical)ly, psychodynamic therapies aim for the former (with problem resolution being a happy side-effect, if it happens) and cognitive therapies the latter. Neither is a passive process; both can be intense, and involve hard work on your part.

The most common complaint about psychodynamic therapy is probably 'I've been paying for it for years, and I'm no better'. The most common complaint about cognitive-behavioural therapy is probably 'they weren't interested in the root of my problems'. You pays your money (or, if you're patient, you get your GP to refer you via the NHS route) and you takes your choice.

I'm not big on voyages of self-discovery. I'm not up for anything that involves repeating three things I like about myself every day before breakfast whilst walking barefoot in some grass. Reading the descriptions of the different approaches, I'm pretty sure I'm not up for any 'person-based' peeps: the phrase "unconditional positive regard " makes me shudder.

That's a kind of stereotypically Americanised reference to Carl Rogers's stuff. You're unlikely to find that degree of undiluted Rogerian therapy in this country. I hope.
 
  

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