Posted by Dinah on December 26, 2003, at 23:45:19
In reply to Re: You know what might be interesting? » Dinah, posted by mattdds on December 26, 2003, at 20:01:24
If you aren't sick enough of me already...
My much disliked biofeedback therapist told me at the first (and best) of our three sessions that there were three parts we would be dealing with - thoughts, feelings, and body. He said that the biofeedback portion would work on changing my body reactions and that doing so would change my feelings and thoughts. He said that the CBT portion of his therapy would work on changing my thoughts, and in doing so change my feelings and body reactions.
What he failed to say was that you can also work on changing your feelings, and that that would change your thoughts and your body reactions. The more traditional therapies work on changing your feelings. So in the first example I gave, I felt my anger and I also felt my therapist's caring stance towards me. I could remember the feelings of other fights and also the continued safe relationship. The current feelings and remembered feelings changed my body sensations by relaxing me, and changed my thoughts. Hey!!! You can be angry while you still have a caring relationship! I know this! I can feel it!
I've heard that there are different ways that people have to learn. That some learn better visually, some kinetically, some through hearing. Perhaps therapy is the same way. Some learn better through their body (behavior therapy?), some through their thoughts (cognitive therapy), some through their emotions (the other therapies). And perhaps most of us learn best with all three modes used optimally.
poster:Dinah
thread:293462
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20031221/msgs/293665.html