Posted by Amelia_in_StPaul on April 27, 2009, at 12:21:05
In reply to my therapist is taking a new position, posted by desolationrower on April 25, 2009, at 1:52:15
hello again d/r
Reading what a post you wrote above about small talk and reading garnet's response...I have a question...have you tried group therapy? And especially, have you tried DBT? It was originally used for borderline personality but it so successful it is now used for anxiety, depression, etc.
Basically, it's CBT, but focusing on inner states not just inner thoughts, and using coping skills to deal with those. The big component of it is group--you learn these skills with a group, and part of the group process is using those skills in group, as part of the group process--whereas with CBT, its you and your therapist, and what your therapist tells you to go out and do, on your own. DBT is the whole package, though, because at the same time that you are doing group you also have your own DBT therapist, with whom you can focus on your individual issues.
One of the modules in DBT (there are four, and it is a year-long process--so each module is a few months) is about interpersonal relationships. A huge part of that is assertiveness, but its not some hokey thing. It's about actually learning the components of assertiveness and practicing using them. There is also a module on distress tolerance. For those of us with social anxiety (at one point I had it so badly it was social phobia), tolerating the anxiety is a huuuuuggggeeeeeee part of the problem. ERP is sometimes not helpful because it requires that you saturate yourself in the anxiety--that is the treatment--and you're right, it's d&mn scary. DBT asks you to learn to confront anxiety, but with tools, tools that help you self-soothe, distract, do a whole bunch of things to make it alright, to push through it.
Please google it. I really think DBT could help with what you're dealing with.
poster:Amelia_in_StPaul
thread:892684
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20090421/msgs/893028.html