Lived Experience Forum

[Emz]

CBT being the current trend is used as the default counselling method by just about every counsellor and online therapy option avialable.

If you're finding that therapy isn't working for you, it might just be that CBT doesn't work for you.

Not every therapy works for everyone. Other approved therapies are proven to be just as effective as CBT, so they are just as likely to work.

Its unfortunate that because of the trend other options are forgotten about and are not as common, but they are out there if you're looking for them.

If things aren't working out, don't give up on counselling, give up on CBT.

Note: actually try it properly before you give up on it. Like I said, its just as effective as other therapies, its just that there is no cure for all, everyone responds differently to different things. One size does not fit all!

If you are on a tight budget, you can try a bit of CBT online for free. One place is called Moodgym.

How can you find other counselling options?
Hopefully you don't live rurally and have alternative options. The APS website has a 'psychology for the public' section where you can search for psychologists near you. Enter your illness and location and once the results pop up, you will find a side bar on the left where you can select your therapy of choice (plus other options, such as preferred language).

I wasted 6 years of counselling and hospital visits not realising that there were other options for me, don't do the same thing.
You are not 'non responsive,' you can recover.

[Former-Member]

Hi @Emz

Welcome to the forums, thanks for taking the time to post that... I think lots of people have experienced therapy that hasnt been beneficial to them in the past, so its so important to look for things that work for us as individuals as you say!

I'm not sure what exactly has worked for me in the past, but i think my psychologist has used a bit of an eclectic approach of different stuff and I've moved forward slowly. Mindfullness seems to be the new 'rage' or 'iin' thing but its been helping me in a variety of ways.

What has worked for you?

Hope to see you around,

LJ

[Emz]

Hey LJ,

Thats great to hear! 
I'm glad to hear you like the mindfulness. I have done a little bit of it as well and I find it really challenging but also SO helpful. 
I've been doing Acceptance and Commitment therapy mostly, but sometimes my psych will take snippets from other therapies. The other week we even did some Psychanalysis which was actually really useful. I wouldn't want to do it all the time though.

Thanks for posting,
Emily

[Appleblossom]

Good discussion starter @Emz

I have also heard that schema therapy can be effective .. but it is not touted much.

Sometimes .. a method that may good ... may be used to imply that a person is not responding or is resistant ... when maybe it is that the listening skills of therapist are biased and he/she is not able to relate to client.

[Jaz3]

So true, finding a good therapist is like finding a good dr.
You need to find someone you can work with to trust, and someone that has experience in your field of issues
That is, there is absolutely no shame in shopping around. Don't listen to anyone that tells you otherwise.
I'm not saying to jump ship of therapy gets uncomfortable because that's part of processing.
Try different types and research.
My therapist is a psychoanalytic psychotherapist abd uses atm is a bit of cbt integral family therapy and trauma based therapy.
Some use emdr,tapping,hypnosis, do what works for you!

[Emz]

Appleblossom I was interested in Schema but unfortunately I couldn't find anyone affordable in my area - not that it was a bad thing because I am very happy with ACT. 🙂
And thats a good point about therapists not listening.

That sounds insane Jaz3 (in a good way). You must have found a really good therapist! Are they really expensive? It sounds like you really know your stuff!

[Appleblossom]

Though I have been grateful to my therapists for keeping me alive.  Embarrassing me and them with gifts etc. I do believe that they often dont listen .. they may be overwhelmed with clients, their own lives, or simply listen through a fixed soundtrack with their own biases and not really relate to the person in front of them. 

[Former-Member]

My psychologist was really keen for me to try EMDR i think it was, but there is noone close enough (within 500kms!) who offers it and at the time i couldnt afford to do it regularly enough to make it worth while, and now i cant take that much time off anyway. 

I havent heard of Schema before, but the concept of schema is familiar to me as in the 80s there was a big teaching movement around schema and the brain theory concept.

I have been working on the mindfulness stuff and ACT at times with my psychologist, i find it really hard to do though, accepting but not reacting to thoughts is really hard! 

LJ

[Emz]

Appleblossum it sucks you've found that happen so much.
For my I have noticed all the counsellors that don't seem to listen are private psychologists and I have put it down to them not have a supervisor to debreif with, keep them up to standard and help them improve. 
One of the private counsellors I had seemed so lonely she would tell me all about her son and his disengagement from school and her. Talk about a role switch, I could barely get a word in!!

Thats too bad about the EMDR being too far away LJ. It sounds like it really helpful 😞
I'm the same with ACT but thats how I know its working. 🙂

[Appleblossom]

Yes some private people are not getting enough supervision ... which is why I prefer this forum and am less trusting of the expertise of the professionals.

EMDR was reccomended for me but I didnt have time or money to do it .. but I am mindful of eye contact issues and and body contact ... some eye contact ... is not friendly its staring down ... some is warm and connecting ... getting used to the difference ... which is great ... a long way from when I was a teen or young woman and mostly my head and eyes were down on the ground.  To look into anyone's eye was very confronting for me ... 30 years later .. I am doing better .. and I dont force my eye contact on others .. as I know notice other people lack of comfort with it also.

There are so many things to get used to in relating with others ... WE ARE ALL BEINGS WITH LEVELS OF PAIN....

I will research ACT a bit more.  Thanks @Emz