CBT

[lobsterface]

I've recently started seeing a private therapist for CBT and I'm finding it frustrating as it's very unstructured. What should I be expecting, does anyone know?

I found the idea was to get you to think about your thoughts that are affecting you then pick apart how they are untrue and/or unhelpful to you. Then it goes on the help you decide how best to combat these thoughts showing you different ways of thinking. Sometimes it's simple and there's a quick result but others may take longer.

There's a Depression For Dummies book that may be useful for you. I found it very helpful as it gives you insight by explaining the techniques and place to write about stuff and thoughts and pick it apart.

Oh and good luck! Sending you hugs!

How long have you been seeing your therapist? I would maybe consider trying another therapist. Depends on the issue maybe a combination of approaches may work best.

Thank you 😊 I've had cbt before and found it useful but i just feel like I'm leading the sessions and I don't like it.i have cbt for dummies and I kind of think doing it myself was more helpful than paying someone else to listen to me stumble my way through it.

Only a couple of weeks- the NHS wait is 2 - 3 months and it's just too long to wait but paying privately is incredibly expensive to not be getting a lot out of it

Im surprised as one criticism thats sometimes levelled at CBT is that it's too structured!

Generally each session should follow a loose structure ie review week, jointly set an agenda of what it would be helpful to discuss that session, and after discussion agree what you will do before neeting again ('homework').

More broadly, within treatment as a whole you should have had an assessment, then a formulation discussed, which is an idea or hypotheses the therapist will come to (ideally with your input) which can be specific or broad but which should loosely focus on ideas about how or why your problem/s developed, what is maintaining them, abd what treatment is likely to involve. This can be altered or amended throughout therapy but this should be explicit.

If youre not hsppy then do try and discuss this with your therapist even if this is awkward as it will help them to help you

Yes not always easy but every therapist is different and some you may gel with easier than others. But especially as your paying for it I would try to speak about what you want out of the session and what you expect etc.

I'm not gelling with mine. She doesn't seem interested in listening to what my issue is despite telling her whatever I try, nothing takes away the feeling of not liking who I am 🙁. Keeps on suggesting this and that but it's been 3 weeks and still low

I'm going to try a new one thinking - this one just isn't working out for me. I want structure and whilst I'm happy to do most of the talking when it gets to the point I'm watching her take 4 minutes to move a glass across the table only for her to say "what are you thjnking" and then I have to decide if it's acceptable to tell her I was thinking I was not going to break the silence first...