Re:choosing cognitions

Hi, again,

I was/am equating success in therapy with abuse. However, my cognitive distortions have been complicated by the fact that my (ex) therapist does a nontraditional type of emdr that focuses on needs... which feels more confrontative to me than the "standard" protocol. In other words, I don't mind addressing trauma and gore, but any mention of needs sends me into a tailspin. It is much easier for me to imagine a painful event being desenstized than thinking about the 'needs' inherent in the event... if that makes sense.

I'm not out of therapy, by the way. I did quit with my "ex" therapist, for several reasons: obvious transference issues, her inconsistency which aggravated the transference, her unique way of doing emdr, and financial considerations (I pay out of pocket).

It is my belief that sometimes it is best to simply step back from a situation and try to gain a new perspective. Seeing different therapists can supply valuable information on my own progress and possible future goals. I first noticed this when doing an intake for a therapy group: it quickly became evident how my "life story" has altered over six months of therapy. I would not have necessarily noticed the progress if I had not had to "reexplain" it all to a unfamiliar party.

I am supposed to do emdr tomorrow, btw. Wish me luck. :) Will be using more of a standard protocol which I expect will be less triggering to those parts of self that maintain "I don't have needs". I've done a great deal of EMDR, NAEM and reiki on myself... resolving many issues, memories, and largely desenstizing a phobia... so I have some sense of what "successful" emdr processing should feel like -- even though I never managed to "do" it with my old therapist.

Thanks for all your comments... I meditate and use "metta" (lovingkindness) meditation as a basis for most of the affirmations I do use. I find it connecting and calming. My version of Hay, I guess you could say. :)

Replies:

Re:choosing cognitions, by Sandra Paulsen Inobe PhD, 08/06/03 Re:choosing cognitions, by wondering, 08/06/03 Re:choosing cognitions, by Sandra Paulsen Inobe PhD, 08/07/03 ego state work, by wondering, 08/08/03 Re:ego state work, by Opinionated, 08/08/03 Re:ego state work, by wondering, 08/09/03 Re:ego state work, by Sandra Paulsen Inobe PhD, 08/10/03 termination, by wondering, 08/10/03 afterthought, by wondering, 08/10/03 Re:afterthought, by Sandra Paulsen Inobe PhD, 08/11/03 Re:afterthought, by wondering, 08/11/03

| Behavior OnLine Home Page | Disclaimer |

Copyright © 1996-2004 Behavior OnLine, Inc. All rights reserved.