Do you care?

I'm with you there. I hate CBT. It will NEVER work for someone like me. Goodness, if I could list out all the things totally useless and simplistic about it...

I love, love, love CBT. I love the logic of it. The cutting to the chase part of it. I was so overwhelmed and at a loss that the 'when you think or feel X, do Y' part of it was so helpful and really brought me back from the edge. I had no idea what it was when I started, and I think someone who strictly stuck with CBT would be of very limited help as a therapist. CBT helped me gain the tools I needed to start actually addressing my underlying issues.

Anyway, for me, the personal connection has been most important.

I so agree. I can only do so much talking and introspection. I love the way it holds a mirror up to your thoughts and behaviors so you can see what's working and what's not. It just helps me with a different perspective and helps me feel engaged. Like you, I see it as a tool. Someone who's a rigid, paint by numbers CBT T would not work for me, but ive never encountered one of those.

Interesting. Someone told me about a study conducted where "master" therapist from many orientations were observed conducting sessions and then rated by independent observers. I believe the study was to prove something about different types of therapies, but what it showed was more interesting. None of the "master" therapists followed the rules (the manualization of the approach). All of them departed from the "script," improvised, borrowed from other approaches, etc.

I care about their training and experience. I also want a therspist who actually wants to work with me rather than treating me as just a job and is capable of helping me.

Ttis is what most professors in my masters program have told us so far - that everyone starts with their own style or preferred therapeutic approach. But after working with a lot of people many Ts find themselves integrating different techniques and borrowing from a lot of other people.