I've been quite glad that my new T had never mentioned any theory, or also anything that was in any way labelling of me. For the first time she did in my last session. I'm not sure really how I feel about it - maybe it feels that it takes away from the realness of the relationship - we usually just talk, she is pretty good at understanding and spends time with me on my feelings. I guess if she is thinking these theoretical things then it lets me know what she is thinking, but I think I could probably do without it.

My last T talked quite a lot about dissociation. Now I look back on it I'm not sure I found it a helpful label. One day I'll probably ask new T whether she sees me as dissociative, I'm not sure that she sees me that way at all.

[Leah123]

I wouldn't like being referred to as dissociative. I dissociate, and I see that differently- it's an action, not an identity.

We don't talk theory often at all, and I too felt on occasion that theory was distancing when I needed empathy. Conversely, I've enjoyed and found it helpful to talk a little about theory here and to read up a bit, to have that framework to help contain and explain my experience.

So, discussion would be a lot more preferable to me than labeling.

[stopdog]

I want the woman to explain what she is trying to do to me when she talks. Whether that is theory or not. I doubt I would find me being labeled all that useful, although I believe most of them do label clients even if they don't admit it.

[gayleggg]

I find that when my T is talking about theory he is usually trying to explain what he sees in what I'm trying to relate to him about. I find it helps explain why I'm feeling the way I am. It also helps when he uses it to help explain what he thinks my psychiatrist is trying to accomplish. He doesn't use it a lot but I do find it helpful.

He doesn't use labels, except for bipolar, which is a given. And that's good, I'm not crazy about getting more labels.

I don't find studying or talking about theory useful at all. Mine went there one time trying to get me on the mindfulness bandwagon, but my eyes just sort of glazed over. I'm not a theory; I'm a reality.

I'm glad that others feel, similar to me, that a bit of theory may be ok, but it can be kind of distancing. I think ex-T had quite a lot of therapy students - she mentioned them to me. I I imagined that they probably really liked talking theoretically, and that ex-T liked doing it with them.

S.D. have you somehow chanced on one that can't put in to words why they do what they do? I've never asked my T this, but I think she would give a good explanation if I did. Surely most T's would?

I don't often discuss theory with T, but I'm afraid that I really like such discussions and find them very helpful. It's one of the ways in which my exT and I were badly matched - she didn't understand that mindset at all.

And when T acknowledged that the weird confusing state I have been experiencing since I was a kid was in fact disassociation, it was very, very positive for me. I felt like a real person rather than a pretend human!

I wouldn't like to feel labelled, though. I hate it when people apply labels to other people (I do it too, I think it is a fairly common human trait to want to simplify the complexity of people by classifying them, but I don't like it when I do it and I don't like it when people do it to me.) All people are more complex than any theory, and in therapy we should be able to have our complexities seen and appreciated. But I find that some theories sometimes explain the world in fairly recognisable ways, and I can't help being really fascinated by that.

[stopdog]

Originally Posted by Brown Owl

I
S.D. have you somehow chanced on one that can't put in to words why they do what they do? I've never asked my T this, but I think she would give a good explanation if I did. Surely most T's would?

Possibly - certainly I believe she can but simply refuses. The second one I see does explain and so I no longer use the first in that way - I limit the first so I don't wonder.

[Restin]

I have a whole bookcase of psychiatry textbooks that I've read, but just the parts that seem to pertain to me. I majored in clinical psychology the 3 yrs I went to college, and took extra hours in it. To be honest, I read up on therapy to head off any possible surprises about how my T is going treat my transference dependency. I have an inner child who is regressed in therapy to about 3 yrs. old and all wrapped up in the mother transference. I'm so afraid of rejection and termination, but also need to grow and mature about it.
So, I'm very careful not to talk technical to T, because the inner child will get left behind if we intellectualize too much. That's why my previous therapies failed. . I had little child transference but hid it under my psychiatric lingo.
Truly, I don't know how psychotherapy trainees talk about their child feelings to their analysts during their own transference. Most therapists go through their own analysis, knowing all the technical details, but also needing to discuss feelings of all kinds from early childhood on up. Rather embarrassing, I suppose.

As far as labeling goes, I'm whatever diagnosis my insurance is willing to pay for.

[growlycat]

Sometimes it comes up, and I appreciate when a T tries to explain it to me without dumbing it down. I don't like labels, so DX's can be off-putting though.

I DO like to hear about the latest research in psychology when it relates to my issues. It helps me understand something I can try differently, knowing that there is evidence behind the idea.

[kiwi33]

I used to go the a therapy group for people with mood disorders. The CBT approach featured prominently in it.

The clinical psychologist who ran the group spent some time explaining CBT theory - the CBT triangle, the labels for unhelpful ways of thinking (mind-reading, black and white thinking, etc) as well the concept of challenging those ways of thinking.

Most group members found this helpful.

I intellectualize a lot and use psych jargon as a means, hence I am making an effort not to talk theory.

My T has talked some theory with me, but only enough to get a common understanding of how she conceptualized my issues.

It's not used in my T accept perhaps a droplet here or there.
I find it interesting and something to think about. Thinking is good.

[divine1966]

I don't talk about theories with my t. My time with her is limited so talking about theories would take away from what I do need to talk about

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Lauliza]

I've talked about mindfulness and thought distortions, but that's about as technical as it's ever gotten. As a clinician in training we tell clients up front an in the literature but it's not an ongoing discussion unless the client wants clarification. It's very targeted treatment so the therapy follows suit. im my own therapy I've talked about mindfulness and have had CBT therapy in the past. So we talk about it but not so much that it gets in he way of the actual session, if that makes any sense. I would find that more distracting than helpful, unless I didn't see where the therapy was going and wanted some clarification. I've never talked about an inner child or anything like that in my own therapy or where I'm interning.