[Hellion]

I have been attempting CBT therapy off and on since I was 15, and have never really had much luck with it...perhaps some here know that based on other posts I've made. So anyways I was wondering if anyone else has yet to find it useful...and what other types of therapy there might be, and if anyone's had good experience with that.

I suppose i can search some on the internet to find out more about that, but figured I'd see what people here might have to say on the matter.

[Raging Quiet]

There are so many! This may help;

Types of therapy - Counselling Directory



Person centred is popular in the UK after CBT.

[unlockingsanity]

I've had experience with CBT, psychodynamic, and relational psychoanalysis.

I've found for coping strategies, CBT can be helpful if you're open to trying new things.

To have your story heard, psychodynamic was good.

To feel understood and understand more about why I respond the way I do and have the confidence to make change and move forward with life, relational psychoanalysis (not the classical form or idea of psychoanalysis that most people think of where you lie on a couch, know nothing of your therapist, go five times a week, etc) has been the most helpful.

I really underestimated the importance of actually being understood by someone else. It has proved to be one of the most healing aspects of therapy and something I only found with relational psychoanalysis. I thought my psychodynamic therapist understood me (because he said he did...) but boy is it different when someone actually understands and accepts you.

[Mike_J]

I have been doing psychodynamic therapy, and have a great therapist and it has done SO much for me.

[brillskep]

CBT seems too narrow-minded to me. I don't doubt its usefulness but it is useful in certain situation, not so much for deep emotional or personality change, in my experience.

I've had amazing results with transactional analysis and analytic therapy. Art-therapy is great to use for its techniques. These are those I've had direct successful experiences with.

I think if you've already devoted so much effort to CBT without success, you should definitely try psychodynamic/analytic therapy.

Here's a reliable source for information:

About Psychoanalysis

Psychoanalysis has a double identity. It is a comprehensive theory about human nature, motivation, behavior, development and experience. And it is a method of treatment for psychological problems and difficulties in living a successful life.

As a general theory of individual human behavior and experience, psychoanalytic ideas enrich and are enriched by the study of the biological and social sciences, group behavior, history, philosophy, art, and literature. As a developmental theory, psychoanalysis contributes to child psychology, education, law, and family studies. Through its examination of the complex relationship between body and mind, psychoanalysis also furthers our understanding of the role of emotions in health as well as in medical illness.

APsaA's publication "About Psychoanalysis" is a valuable reference tool.


The psychoanalytic framework stresses the importance of understanding:

• that each individual is unique,
• that there are factors outside of a person's awareness (unconscious thoughts, feelings and experiences) which influence his or her thoughts and actions,
• that the past shapes the present
• that human beings are always engaged in the process of development throughout their lives.

Overview

• What is Psychoanalysis?
• Child and Adolescent Psychoanalysis
• Is Psychoanalysis only a Therapy?
• The Psychoanalytic Tradition
• Conscious/Unconscious
• Who can benefit from Psychoanalysis?
• Who is a Psychoanalyst?
• How do I find a Psychoanalyst?

About Psychoanalysis

Psychoanalytic therapy, imo, is the most intense and transformational type of therapy. It has been a tremendous help to me.

[growlycat]

I have a psychodynamic T and a CBT T. I have found for specific changes with faster results, CBT is great. However, I really needed the deeper work that psychodynamic therapy provided.

[sunrise]

My therapist is Family Systems and humanistic/existential (mainly)--he kind of mixes it up. He doesn't do CBT. What he does has really worked well for me.

If you've been doing CBT for a while and haven't made a lot of progress, then it makes sense to try another approach.

[blur]

while i haven't directly done family systems therapy i did a 12-step program based on family systems therapy and it was immensely helpful. basically, it helps you see how your whole family functioned, what role in the family you played, etc. for example, sometimes one child exhibits problems which are really a sign the whole family needs help. it isn't just about the one child having problems in a vacuum. that doesn't mean the whole family will get therapy necessarily but understanding the kid with the problem through how the whole family interacts. seeing how i took on the role i did and how that shaped me helped me to make some sense out of my problems. these 2 charts are from a 12-step/recovery perspective but show some of the roles children take on in dysfunctional families.

[Lauliza]

I have found a combo of CBT/DBT and some humanistic/ supportive therapy to be the most helpful for me. I tend to gravitate toward skill building personality wise but I also find that one strict approach is too rigid for me. So I prefer a T who is flexible and able to draw on a couple of approaches depending on the situation. I think even having a little bit of psychoanalytic theory in their philosophy, even if not in approach is helpful. Overall though, your personality and what you hope to gain from therapy will determine what works. Different people have very different expectations from a T, so it's important to know what those are when looking for a therapist.

[Hellion]

Thanks for all the suggestions, I will have to look into some of those...Perhaps I could talk to my current therapist about this as well. I have an appointment tommorrow, so perhaps I will bring up that I just haven't had much luck with the CBT approach.