[swechter]

Hi! I'm new here to the forum, and hope someone can help out.

I just moved to Dallas, have been struggling with major depression and anxiety for the past year and a half. Thought I'd try to find a CBT therapist; however his approach to CBT and my psychiatrist's guidance are radically different. My therapist is focused on my "D.O."--(desired outcome) and whether it is realistic; my psychiatrist is focused on the opposite end--how I am feeling at the anxious/angry moment, my behavior, what I could do different, etc. They are coming at this from opposite ends. My therapist's perspective is definitely harder, coming from the end result and working towards getting there.

Is there anyone out there who know how CBT is supposed to work, whether I should find a new therapist, or just go back to psychodynamic work which I've done forever (hint, hint--tired of same old, same old). While my depression has gotten fairly balanced with the assistance of a new med, I am I am out of control with anxiety and anger--and bordering into depression again as a result.

Help, help!

Thanks!
Sharon

[with or without you]

I stalled out and got worse with CBT. That therapist got frustrated with me and referred me out because she felt I needed someone with a psychodynamic orientation. (I had switched to the CBT therapist after doing psychodynamic for many years.) She put the pressure on me quite quickly to find someone else. I got the hint.

Personally, I find the psychodynamic therapists to be more empathetic. The pdocs and therapists I have seen who are more CBT oriented seem to employ a "just stop thinking that way" strategy:

"I would advise you to try and 'divorce' yourself from your mother and sister's volatile relationship, it's not helping you."
My mother is 77 and she's the only one I've got, I can't just keep ignoring her phone calls for days.

"These thoughts are not helping you. Replace them with more positive ones." Easier said than done, pal.

I realize there is more to CBT than that, but personally, I can't stand it. It comes off to me as quick band-aids to complex problems. It's probably very good for someone who has an isolated problem like a phobia and they want to overcome it.

I don't know what else to say. I have always been a very deep thinker and deep "feeler" and psychodynamic makes the most sense to me because of my personality.

I don't discount the fact that CBT has helped millions of people.

[benzenering]

Do you journal about your sessions? I have found this to be helpful. I try to do it several days a week, thus keeping therapy going outside of the counseling session. It also reinforces what you learn. I also "practice" what I learn in session in my journal first before trying new things in real life.

[*Laurie*]

My first thought is that you need a medication to effectively treat your anger and anxiety. I believe in treating biochemical symptoms first, then using other methods (like CBT). Some people disagree, though. For me, if I am having symptoms that need to be treated with medication, all the CBT in the world is useless.

[JadeAmethyst]

I had long experience with CBT and exposure therapy....
it wasn't something that helped, and there was pressure to
get on with it, more pressure...so for me it didn't help.