Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

[naughtoj]

Can someone tell me what is the difference between CBT, counseling, psychotherapy, and psychiatry?


I am looking for a form of counseling/psych that will help me deal with issues from childhood BUT ALSO teach me how to deal with problems more effectively (and healthily) and see things differently than I am now.


Basically, I want a form of therapy that will improve on what I am today and not just make me focus more on what is wrong with me forever.


I was under the impression that a couselor just "listened" to you but did not really help you deal with childhood issues. I thought that you had to go to a psychologist for that and a psychiatrist for meds.

I don't know if I can deal with what is going on with me today without dealing with my past to some extent. What do you guys recommend? I figured someone may have experience in this....


Thanks!!

 

[Lunacat]

I have seen a couple therapists and the most effective one used CBT. You've pretty much summed up the differences between counselors, psychologists and psychiatrists. If you want to actively deal with past issues so you can improve on your life in the present, CBT is a great way to go.

David Burns has some good books that I would recommend. My therapists had me read Feeling Good and actually do the exercises in it and I felt it helped a lot. Here's a link to the book so you can see what I'm talking about.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A...8/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/103-0963786-2762224

Hope this helps!

Lunacat

 

[futurefitnessdyanmo]

So glad you asked this! I got my PhD last August and was trained exclusively in CBT. Counseling and psychotherapy are pretty much the same, words used interchangeably. A psychotherapist may be masters level or have gotten a PhD, be a clinical psychologist, counseling psychologist, or social worker, etc. That person may have trained in cognitive behavioral therapy, psychoanalytic, psychodynamic, etc. There is so much variety.

Psychiatrists have been to medical school and are doctors who specialize in psychological issues. All can and do prescribe medicine, whereas some may practice therapy more than others. Usually if you are wanting to deal with complex issues like childhood or learn skills for dealing with things now, a psychotherapist or counselor will be the way to go.

With that said, CBT is more oriented to the here and now and is very goal-oriented. Issues of the past are considered important as they may be influencing what is happening now, but the emphasis is going to be more placed on helping you identify current issues and employing various cognitive (helping you identify problematic thoughts, understand how they are affecting your feelings and behavior, and changing them to be less problematic) and behavioral (exercising regularly, practicing relaxation exercises, whatever is relevant) techniques. The exception is childhood sexual abuse or any trauma. These are past events that are going to be revisited quite a bit in therapy with a CBT therapist.

That's a lot of info, hope it helps!

 

[jillybean]

After being diagnosed with BPD, it was suggested to me to begin CBT. My therapist recommended this with great enthusiasm and conviction. She does not offer this form of therapy and the counseling facility she suggested is not covered by my insurance. I bought a book on CBT techniques by an author named Dr. Linehan, but something tells me a book isn't going to be NEARLY as effective as an actual person/group would be. Still, I'm gonna give it a try.