[Abby]

I have just got hone from a horrid CBT meeting. The mental health worker was awful, really invalidating. He told me I couldn't do this therapy whilst continuing my other one and I was so angry because if my GP had understoood this she wouldn't have referred me to him as she knows I depend on my therapist. On top of that he said he could refer me for a CBT course and I asked what did he do then as I was of the understanding he was the CBT counsellor and he reported that he did a range of things. I said again he may want to re-explain his service to the doctors he works with as I had been referred to him for CBT and my GP had specifically mentioned it would fit in with my day off in the week! I told him that I was upset because now I had to wait again for additional help and this referral could have been identified quickly with a phonecall, as within 10 minutes he was referring me to CBT! He said my gp could have done this. On top of all this he kept asking what my issues were but not understanding when I said my emotions tend to overwhelm me. He told me that I had told him that I can employ strategies sometimes to manage my thoughts and by that point I felt like screaming at him that my thoughts aren't the main issue, my emotions are. I can pinpoint a negative thought and frequently tell myself how I am thinking and feeling isnt reality but sometimes I am so exhausted or I get so upset (like now) most, if not all, logical thoughts go. Immediately I have the urge to hurt myself. I want specific help with that, not therapy -I have therapy! He was also quite dismissive of my therapist and it seemed he thought she was incompetent if i'd been with her so long and still couldn't cope. It was just upsetting. He kept asking me if I wanted referring and eventually I said no based on how he had been with me, if his colleagues are like him...! He was also really combative to my frustration at being told one thing only to find out it was an assessment! It was the worst assessment ever! Plus he kept blaming my doctor saying she had written down I had a 'trust' issue but I explain to him she is well aware of my relationship and emotional issues but is a medical person not a counsellor so won't write that down on the system! Idiot. On top of all that he didnt know how to make our consultation private on the system and said I would need to talk to the manager about that - why doesn't he do that for me at my request. Should I put in a complaint? I really am sick of incompetent mental health professionals!!!

[lrt1978]

Sounds really frustrating hun, I've had CBT and the approach does focus on your thought patterns more then your emotions.

I hope it all gets sorted and you get the help you need xxxx

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

CBT focuses on recognizing your own thinking about whatever is going on so that you can see how your thinking affects your feelings. It is a way to slow down the flood of emotions we sometimes get. Works very well actually. So when the T talked about managing your thinking, he wasn't ignoring the feelings at all, but rather recognizing that if you can slow down and recognize your thought patterns (which is hard enough in itself), then perhaps your emotions would begin to become less overwhelming. That is very basically what CBT does. It doesn't ignore emotion, but instead works on those connections between our thoughts and our emotions.

[unlockingsanity]

It really sounds like it was overwhelming.

[Fuzzybear]

(((((((((( Abby ))))))))))

[anilam]

Many Ts (not only CBT ones) don't like to work in teams (client having two or more individual Ts). You being misinformed sucks but is not this CBT fault. Seems to me he was offering a referral to group CBT? I think is your T cannot help you with your emotions maybe you could give it a try?
That being said CBT doesn't work for everyone- I gave it a shot and hated it.

[vans1974]

Sorry to hear!! I'm not a big fan of CBT, since my thinking is my problem! I love DBT had find it much more helpful and beneficial! Best of luck!!

[here today]

So sorry you had this experience. Do you have advocates available to you where you live? Or maybe somebody in a non-profit, non-governmental organization to help you make your way through the system and get what you need?

[Abby]

Originally Posted by 1914sierra

CBT focuses on recognizing your own thinking about whatever is going on so that you can see how your thinking affects your feelings. It is a way to slow down the flood of emotions we sometimes get. Works very well actually. So when the T talked about managing your thinking, he wasn't ignoring the feelings at all, but rather recognizing that if you can slow down and recognize your thought patterns (which is hard enough in itself), then perhaps your emotions would begin to become less overwhelming. That is very basically what CBT does. It doesn't ignore emotion, but instead works on those connections between our thoughts and our emotions.

Thanks. I'm sorry if this post came across as CBT bashing because that certainly isn't the case at all. I don't know enough about it to know if it would help me but I was willing to try until today's catastrophe. I am open to anything that will help me; I guess being told that my thinking is the issue whilst not explaining how or why was part of the problem. He didn't explain CBT and when I asked for information about therapy he wanted to refer me to he went online and gave me a print out of their online front-page description. I could have googled that myself! I'm simply very disappointed by his general attitude, the waste of my time and the very uncaring nature of his 'assessment'.

Originally Posted by anilam

Many Ts (not only CBT ones) don't like to work in teams (client having two or more individual Ts). You being misinformed sucks but is not this CBT fault. Seems to me he was offering a referral to group CBT? I think is your T cannot help you with your emotions maybe you could give it a try?
That being said CBT doesn't work for everyone- I gave it a shot and hated it.

Thank you. I agree, it isn't his fault but his complete lack of empathy about how that may feel for me, is. On top of this I do believe if he wishes to gain appropriate referrals into his service that doesn't waste a patient time slot (which cost money, time, my energy) for both him, me and other patients on the waiting list, then he needs to explain his service appropriately to his referrers. That is his job and my GP's not for me to suffer due to. He was referring me to individual CBT. I'm so confused by therapy because I feel no one is helping me understand what is the best. I really like my therapist but I still am in a lot of depression, anxiety, self harm (although the latter has lessened). I don't feel able to move away from her because she is the only person I have that I can talk to at the moment. I need someone to talk to as well as practical tools to help me cope.

Originally Posted by vans1974

Sorry to hear!! I'm not a big fan of CBT, since my thinking is my problem! I love DBT had find it much more helpful and beneficial! Best of luck!!

Thank you. CBT vs DBT - is there a big difference? Why have DBT if there was already CBT? I'm confused.

Originally Posted by here today

So sorry you had this experience. Do you have advocates available to you where you live? Or maybe somebody in a non-profit, non-governmental organization to help you make your way through the system and get what you need?

I don't feel I'm 'sick' enough to ask. He said he could talk to my GP for funding for another type of therapy but I've been told I'm not unwell enough for that - I really don't think he'd have any sway over or extra information than my GP. At this point I was so upset by him I didn't want him talking to anyone about me because I thought he'd probably think I was really angry and horrid...which I was...but only because I'm so disappointed. He said he could get my GP to ring me also but I have already spoken to her, she told me last time this was my only option - well that an take an AD I've already taken before but stopped because we both agreed it "doesn't work" (her exact words).

I'm just upset by him and all of this. Honestly I shouldn't have gone, I was planning not to and I should have trusted my gut on this one. The only reason I went was because I don't want anyone to say I haven't tried.