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Therapists - The Good and Bad you get asked/told


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I may have posted about this before, but I am keen to hear about the good and bad things therapists have said to you in therapy that helped you, made you feel relaxed, for example.

Good CBT

  • Introduced themselves and asked me how I like to be referred to, i.e.  Ashley, Ash
  • Set collaborative homework

 

Bad / Unhelpful CBT

  • Asked to make a worry diary every single week of therapy - Does it help for OCD
  • Failed to check homework or help address when couldn't do therapy
     

My plan is to use this feedback amongst a series of feedback I will offer to therapists during training and also to services where asked to give input.  So please keep adding to this over next few weeks.

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I have only had one therapist and she was terrible so not got any good stuff to feed back unfortunately! But in terms of bad things....

Reassurance - piles of it 

Talking over me / putting words in my mouth 

Not really engaging with what I was saying just giving stock responses 

Not working with me, not respecting my knowledge of my own situation 

Talking down to me 

 

All of these things not only made therapy pointless but also made me not want to get therapy ever again! 

 

Edited by gingerbreadgirl
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For me good CBT is for the therapist to spend adequate time assessing the patients issues and producing a map of them. 

I found it helpful to complete a set thought log between first and second visit, then the therapist could open a dialogue to establish what OCD issues I had and what other negative thinking distortions might also be inducing anxiety. 

Only when the therapist has a good understanding of the issues and how they manifest themselves in the individual can they set an appropriate CBT approach. 

Then drawing up a vicious flower for OCD to show how the cycle of distress operates. 

Bad CBT. 

Not listening to what the patient is requesting. Or giving their concerns space. 

Deciding to Impliment a standard process when something more tailored is required. 

Not explaining the difference in approach between challenging a thinking distortion in CBT and tackling OCD. 

Dismissing the benefits of meditation and mindfulness, as an addition to CBT, in reducing stress and aiding relaxation and sleep. 

Edited by taurean
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Good Therapy

I have never had CBT however I visited a really good psychologist years ago that made me feel so comfortable the first session that I was able to open my heart when I wasn't able to think clearly because of my OCD. I remember that I was extremely lost and scared that first session. She made me feel so welcome that my anxiety started to decrease and I was able to talk about how I was feeling.

Long story short, The first session is VERY IMPORTANT, in my opinion. 

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My staff counsellor is good, for instance I’d had some mindfulness sessions that I really hated and couldn’t get on with, so when I said I found it all a bit “Ab Fab”

she understood and helped me get that it’s the concentration on non goal related activity is the thing not all the  “ getting in touch “ stuff and just going for a walk and taking in your surroundings can work in the same way.

Also she remembers things I have said months ago,  and  manages to cut through any of my BS in a nice way.

Occupational health started bad with comments along the lines of  “ we are all a little bit OCD”,  but that may have been to see how I reacted, as they have been great too, and seem to have done their research.

 

Im also doing the Silvercloud online/phone thing, I’ve been quite impressed but it obviously depends on your supporter, mines been great so far.

 

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It's not just what they say to you that matters but their overall attitude / the way they come across as a [professional] person. I've seen clinicians who go on and on about how old they are, about how soon they're going to be retiring, and ones that yawn a lot! I think that to be a successful CBT therapist, you need to be able to motivate and inspire people to change, so you need energy, positivity, charisma, passion & enthusiasm. Or at least to be able to convincingly pretend that that you have the above! I think these are essential traits, and people involved in recruiting therapists should appoint staff who have these kinds of personas, at least for the short time they are with their patients.

Oh, and have the courtesy and respect to have actually read the patient's notes!

Edited by seekingERPnorthwest
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Wish there was a ‘rate my therapist’ app or glassdoor for therapist and counsellor companies. I would love to expose a long list of idiots. One in particular, a mother of my friend who had OCD also. No wonder she had ocd. Ughhhhhhhhhhhh

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