Where to start ?
Hi there. I’ve been on a recovery journey during lockdown, learning about my own traumas and discovering my unhealthy coping mechanisms, journaling and meditating and so forth. I have had dozens of therapists over the years and I am feeling quite bitter about the fact that not one of them asked what happened to me. Sure, I probably would have found it difficult to express, but shouldn’t they dig more into history? I’ve since learned that cbt (which every therapist I could afford would offer) is not a good tool for working through trauma. It’s more symptom management (a great one at that). Anyway, now that I can clearly see my patterns, I realise that I do need to talk to someone about all this. It was many years of complex trauma and I don’t want to dump it on my friends. (I also don’t want to dump it on a counselor but I guess if that is their profession…) and I have an issue of making light of things so as to not be a burden. Do you unpack your whole life story? Can I write it out and give it to them to analyse? (Joking!) I have so much in me that I have never said out loud that I really don’t know where to begin or if there is a correct way to go about this. Thanks so much for reading :) xx
@toughBlackberry5504 Yes, I agree with you, they should dig more into history.
However, I don't agree that the problem is CBT. Unfortunately, CBT therapists range in skill from symptom management and lifestyle tips at the low end to very effective trauma treatment at the high end. So, in my opinion, one place to start might be with a high-end therapist certified by the Academy of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies. Failing that, try to get a referral from one of their certified therapists to a trusted colleague. Specify before you book your first session that you need trauma-informed treatment that goes beyond symptom management.
If you no longer want treatment and you only want someone to talk to in depth, then there are Rogerian, Jungian and other analytical therapists and counsellors would be good at helping you to make sense of things. However, the process tends to be slower than actual treatment, and I don't, personally, know any good way to tell the low end (no better than listeners here) from the experts.
I think you're right, giving someone your written life story would not be best. Some people find that writing a few notes before each session is helpful, though, to stay on track.
It seems to me the correct way to go about it, if there is a correct way, is to be guided by the professional you are working with.
Perhaps chatting to listeners here could be of some help too. On the Browse Listeners page you can filter for experienced listeners to chat about PTSD/Trauma. If you'd like to chat to me, just click on my profile picture and message me.
Charlie
Thank you Charlie! Apologies for the run-on sentences. I didn’t mean to state that cbt is the problem, more-so that a lot of people who seek therapy are in a vulnerable place and do not know which kind of therapy they may need, and a lot of therapists unfortunately don’t dig enough. Thank you for the suggestions, I will look into those. I have been doing EMDR which has been fantastic but I realise I need another kind of talking therapy too (perhaps the jungian or other like you suggested)