CBT

[CAJ1]

I am currently starting counselling sessions and also being taught CBT therapy to help me deal with issues in my past and to learn to change the way I think.

Has anyone here used CBT therapy & felt it benefited them in the long run?

[boxtops]

I haven't used it personally but I know others who have, and yes, the answer is yes.

[AdriSco]

I had CBT therapy six years ago and it has had long term benefits. Really recommend it.

[NOX]

Yes my wife introduced me to bCBT and NLP and really helped me sortt myself out- totally recommend it.

[ChocolatChip]

I have used CBT in the past, and after 6 months I felt completely different. Sometimes its difficult to implement some tasks but you get used to it.
At first it seems like 'how on earth could this help?' (I study Psychology and even I was cynical it could work for me.)
I can control my anxiety much much better now. My aggression has reduced significantly, and I am much better within myself. I 100% reccommend it!

[mazzywoo]

Hi
I had CBT and found it very useful. I still use the techniques I was shown and it really helps my anxiety. It took a bit of getting used to and it was hard work sometimes but for me, it worked well.

[Eve]

Yes and she was absolutely fantastic.

I had a drastic salary change with the recession so had to stop but if I could afford it now I'd probably still be seeing her as it made a huge difference.

It was probably one of the times I really needed to go but it wasn't an option financially at least the work she'd done helped me get through things better than I would have done before.

[tinkerbell23]

Id be SO interested to hear your experienve and others as ive often consideres this xxx best of luck to u hun x

[JonnyBoy12]

You have had motorbike Compulsory Basic Training to help you deal with issues in your life.

Or did you mean something else by CBT?

[David H]

CBT works where people have a cause-effect conflict in their interpretation of an issue, and are open to analysing it as well. Other people may well have the same situation but resist almost all challenges that things may not be as they believe, but simply by being allowed to talk about it (person-centred therapy) will then start working things out themselves. So it really depends on the individual and the therapists are best off trying the likely method and switching (as I do) when they see it likely to work better using other ways.

Unlike the original methods based mainly on the work of Albert Ellis, although 'homework' was offered, it was not an essential or fundamental addition, whereas the fairly recent merger with behavioural therapy seems more a feature of the NHS than actual therapeutic private practice, which tends more to be a collection of the traditional methods and the latest ones, depending on the interests of the therapist, plus many courses only teach one method so the therapist has little choice but to stick to what they were taught.

But where incorrect attribution and confusion is at the heart of the problem it's the best place to start, adding tasks is not what we were taught as many people have enough tasks in their lives and tend to see more as something else to fail to do or get wrong, and must be made clear it is not for our benefit but theirs. I offer the odd suggestion as an option when I know it will help, and always make it 100% clear I used cognitive (or even earlier 'Rational-emotive therapy) and anything I suggest is an extra that may help speed up their progress, but as confusion and lack of information is a fundamental basis of the majority of personal problems I've come across, intellectually undoing them is the primary method of undoing them.

[kat2206]

I am currently studying my Level 3 Counselling Degree, I can assure you that CBT can and does work absolutely great, however, the Counsellor takes the lead/or "owns" the sessions whereas Person Centred counselling is very much the Client owning the session and being able to fully explore their feelings and resolve their own issues. Some people do tend to prefer the Person Centred way however its all swings and roundabouts as some people maybe cant tap into their feelings at that moment and may need an extra helping hand where CBT comes into play.

I hope this helps?

[David H]

As far as I know (I'd need an observer to measure it directly) I naturally merged the two, as use cognitive therapy by instinct but know how many clients can reject what appears to be a direct attack on their beliefs, so present it in a person centred way when I use it (which is over half the total client time) and therefore appears to be possible to reconcile the cognitive part with still not taking the lead. Of course offering behavioural therapy as well can only lead in that part, unless as I do make it an optional extra.

Having been on a general course offering most main approaches and able to pick as many as suited and use one or two or integrative means I could fit this in with my training, but as I also do supervision find students who are tied to specific methods often prefer others or would rather mix things together either wait till they've qualified and do regardless, or if qualified already are aware and able to add other methods but terrified to breach their official rules.

Sorry to everyone else out there but did want to explain some added details for kat as I've found the profession to be pretty flexible in its application if required so possible in practice to put the work somewhere in the middle. I advertise the main methods I use and if someone (especially students who have no choice) to use one in particular I always will, but if someone's just got problems are happy whatever is done as long as it works. The best thing for everyone is try one and see how it goes and then if it doesn't suit you see what the alternatives are till you get one that does.