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Finding A Cognitive Behavior Therapist?

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I feel sort of dumb in posting this. I mean I've run the gamut in trauma therapists in my area so you'd think I'd have found a CBT therapist by now, but no... They all want me to just talk about my trauma. I've done this ad nauseam and it's just like picking at a wound and not letting it heal.

So now I'm thinking that I need to try and find a CBT therapist and throw out my requirement that they be a trauma therapist. Ideally I'd be able to find both in one person, but nope, not in my area. I'm SO tired of every new therapist I see trying to get me to talk about it over and over and over again. They wonder why I still have symptoms but still say "talk about it". I'm very much of the mindset that this reinforces negative neural pathways and don't want to do that anymore. I want to learn new skills that change my mindset.

When I was first diagnosed I went to a therapy group that focused on anxiety and therapy was more like a class where I learned skills as opposed to a 45 minute "whine about the crap in your life" session where nothing is accomplished and nothing is resolved. (Not group as in group therapy rather a group of therapists who focused on treating anxiety through CBT). Maybe I can find something similar here? I need to start searching, but I'm so hesitant. I don't want a generalist who knows CBT and applies it as one of a plethora of therapy techniques.

Is this sort of therapy common? Or did I just hit on a good thing where I used to live and didn't even realize it? I'm kind of thinking the latter....it was started by a director at a top US medical school. Something tells me I'm going to be hard pressed to find anything similar where I am now.

Any tips on what to look for? Or do I just start calling therapists and tell them what I'm looking for?
 
So now I'm thinking that I need to try and find a CBT therapist and throw out my requirement that they be a trauma therapist.
I support you in finding a therapist who knows CBT; I'd still look for them to have comfort with emotions, since as you apply the skills to trauma, you may need someone who can emotionally relate and empathize with you. i'll directly ask them, or sometimes I can tell, by their presentation, if they can do CBT, and be empathetic, at the same time.
I'm very much of the mindset that this reinforces negative neural pathways and don't want to do that anymore. I want to learn new skills that change my mindset.
I agree! There is an important balance between verbalizing a stories, that heal, and verbalizing stories that reinforce the trauma. It sounds like you have a sense of this, for yourself. For the same reasons, I've made the same changes.
I went to a therapy group that focused on anxiety and therapy was more like a class where I learned skills
Sounds great. I'm wondering if there are any web based classes?
(Not group as in group therapy rather a group of therapists who focused on treating anxiety through CBT)
I've seen some classes that are for therapists and clients. For a class like this, you might check out a community college.
I don't want a generalist who knows CBT and applies it as one of a plethora of therapy techniques.
I have found both a psychologist and a psychiatrist who, who use primarily talk therapy with CBT , whichever the client likes.
Is this sort of therapy common?
In the city I live in, CBT is almost too popular. Many insurances and therapists like is, because it can easily be molded to 6-8 sessions, to get the basics.
Any tips on what to look for? Or do I just start calling therapists and tell them what I'm looking for?
Exactly, call. Let them know you want to build a new skill and mind set, to develop healthier mental frameworks,
for your recovery. If you call many, and then interview your top picks, you'll come away with a few therapists to choose from. Or, as was pointed out, you may find a Skype group.

Your choices totally make since to me, since I wanted the same thing: new skills after years of describing my past.
As long as the CBT person has abilities to tolerate emotional depth, it should work.Good luck!
 
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I endured several different therapists, all of whom wanted me to talk, but they never gave back anything in return. My turning point was a therapist who would talk back to me, give an opinion and open a discussion about why I felt the way I did. She worked on my logical side to diminish my negative thoughts surrounding being raped. I don't know whether that was basic CBT, or whether she was just amazingly adept at knowing what I needed. If I couldn't talk, she would talk, and draw me out of myself. Previously, if I didn't talk there was a very awful silence.

We seemed to discuss things rather than me doing all the talking. Honestly, I think I was very lucky, because we just 'clicked'. She seemed to instinctively know what I needed, where many others had failed. I don't know how I would go about finding that again. Sorry, I guess that doesn't really help in your quest, except to say that there will be someone out there, who just 'gets you', and knows what you need. The only analogy I have is that you have to kiss a 100 toads . . . .
 
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy has greatly enhanced my self-esteem, my ability to be safe in the world, and taught me how to stop fighting myself. It opened the door to being able to tolerate trauma therapy.

Talking about our traumas as much as we can push ourselves to helps our therapists identify "hot spots" and cognitive distortions to begin working on. It's also part of prolonged exposure therapy to decrease triggers.

It does require a lot of trust and a commitment to continuing to go back each session and speak about the feelings, thoughts, and symptoms it stirs up. But it does lay the necessary groundwork for trauma therapy.

I decided that I wanted to get well and that I would never let any "lack" in a therapist stop me from pursuing what I needed. My Cognitive-Behavioral Therapist wasn't well-informed on the latest treatments for PTSD, but we still made a real difference in my life by stabilizing me and my relationships.

I've never felt this functional, ever. I can't recommend Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy enough. I couldn't see nor fix my mental defensiveness which kept me stuck and repeating the same cycles over and over again.
 
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I decided that I wanted to get well and that I would never let any "lack" in a therapist stop me from pursuing what I needed. My Cognitive-Behavioral Therapist wasn't well-informed on the latest treatments for PTSD, but we still made a real difference in my life by stabilizing me and my relationships.

CBT was one of the best gifts I gave myself ever! My therapist was not/is not a trauma specialist. However, of the six I interviewed I liked her energy best - open, honest, empathitic, clear/firm without being authoritarian. I simply called six or eight, interviewed them on the phone for five minutes then asked for a free 15-20 minute interview, explaining that I wanted a long-term relationship. They all agreed to the interview without hesitation.

If you have a new trauma event (like I did) some annoying symptoms will return (nightmears etc) but with the skills that you'll learn are helpful for finding your way to move forward again.

Good luck!
 
They all want me to just talk about my trauma. I've done this ad nauseam and it's just like picking at a wound and not letting it heal. So now I'm thinking that I need to try and find a CBT therapist and throw out my requirement that they be a trauma therapist.

Could you say why you had a requirement that they be a trauma therapist, when you don't want to do trauma therapy? Why would them being a trauma therapist be important to you?
 
Solara-I totally agree with all you said in your post. I just left my T because I felt like all I did was tell her about my trauma and it only made my anxiety worse. She didn't tell me how to deal with it and I am super frustrated that that's all the T sessions seem to do.

But-I recently found a new T that said she wanted to start CBT. I'm totally new to it and am hoping to God it offers me some ways to cope.

Good luck to you! Let me know how you do with finding a CBT and how you think it helps.
 
A therapist who doesn't give you ways and methods to try and solve your trauma, isn't a trauma therapist. I wouldn't even say they're a therapist, period. The service is about them listening and helping you find solutions to the issues you're enduring... if they don't meet those two aspects, then well... they're just taking your money and you may as well go talk to the wall because it costs you nothing and you get the same feedback.
 
That is interesting that CBT is sometimes done in this way. None of mine was. It is exactly how DBT is recommended to be done. I know you said you found CBT much more helpful though.

Could you contact your old treatment centre and find out if they have a local referral for you? Sometimes there is someone heading up a concept and they tend to know where similar treatment model is in operation.
 
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