Quotes on Therapy

[David Baxter]

https://kungfupsychiatry.com/article...tment-as-usual

In my community, I can find 10 therapists who primarily provide supportive psychotherapy for every 1 therapist trained in and willing to provide CBT. Most community therapists, even if they are excellent at delivering CBT, Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), drift away from rigidly adhering to those models and end up performing a blended therapy. Some of these blended therapies would best be described as supportive psychotherapy, especially if no homework is given to the patient between sessions.

To be fair, some clients are resistant to certain therapies and some are simply resistant to doing homework of any kind between sessions. The therapist has to know not only what works but what will work for a specific client, and that is often the primary reason for moving to blended or modified therapies.

[Daniel]

Or, as they do here, just bring in the horses which would be quite grounding if I didn't already have so many animals.

I was surprised to learn my insurance could pay for a reiki provider who also provides horse therapy. At least trying to not get kicked by the horse could be exposure therapy

[Daniel]

"The job of the autonomic nervous system is to ensure we survive in moments of danger and thrive in times of safety. Survival requires threat detection and the activation of a survival response. Thriving demands the opposite-the inhibition of a survival response so that social engagement can happen. Without the capacity for activation, inhibition, and flexibility of response, we suffer."

― Deb Dana, The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy: Engaging the Rhythm of Regulation

"The Polyvagal Theory provided us with a more sophisticated understanding of the biology of safety and danger, one based on the subtle interplay between the visceral experiences of our own bodies and the voices and faces of the people around us. It explains why a kind face or a soothing tone of voice can dramatically alter the way we feel. It clarifies why knowing that we are seen and heard by the important people in our lives can make us feel calm and safe, and why being ignored or dismissed can precipitate rage reactions or mental collapse. It helped us understand why attuning with another person can shift us out of disorganized and fearful states. In short, Porges's theory makes us look beyond the effects of fight or flight and put social relationships front and centre in our understanding of trauma. It also suggested new approaches to healing that focus on strengthening the body's system for regulating arousal."

~ Bessel van der Kolk

[Daniel]

Trauma in the family is always in the rear-view mirror, transformed and resolved only when it is finally acknowledged and addressed.

~ Freeing Ourselves from the Ghosts of Our Past

[Daniel]

"Psychotherapists have a role to play not just in the area of mental health, but in social justice as well. There’s a richer journey there and I think a lot of therapists are frustrated just dealing one person at a time at a time with the results of a society that just doesn’t know how to support people in being more fully human. You can be in your therapist role but also be part of a social change effort that is linked directly to the clinical work that you’re doing."

~ Steven Hayes

[Daniel]

Tell clients in their first session that you value feedback. Encourage them to reach out to you with any difficulties or disappointments that come up during the therapy process. Letting them know you will listen to what they have to say can help foster a strong therapeutic relationship. Being open about disagreements can help prevent resentment from interfering with treatment.

~ GoodTherapy

[Daniel]

"Can it be that we are training a cadre of professionals who are especially adept at curing fears of snakes and spiders and peculiarly inept at treating conditions of demoralization after they have been carelessly diagnosed as affective disorders?"

~ William Schofield