Something that I would say is relative to my own recovery, is the question about how do you move beyond your past experiences, and what is needed to do so-hence why I found this to be of interest.
Read
more: Do I have to re-live my trauma to overcome it? Asked by Anon (By taken from http://www.choosehelp.com
by Arthur Matthews - MA
LPC NCC DCC Counselor/Therapist
Various
therapies a psychologist suggests to help move past traumatic things from your
past without having to 're-live' them such as in "depth therapy" like
psychoanalysis and other psychodynamic approaches
Dialectical
Behaviour Therapy (DBT) - Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT)
treatment is a cognitive-behavioural approach that emphasizes the psychosocial
aspects of treatment. The theory behind the approach is that some people are
prone to react in a more intense and out-of-the-ordinary manner toward certain
emotional situations. DBT theory suggests that some people’s arousal levels in
such situations can increase far more quickly than the average person’s, attain
a higher level of emotional stimulation, and take a significant amount of time
to return to baseline arousal levels. The therapy has four components:
Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Distress Tolerance and Emotional
Regulation.*
Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) - For
patients with chronic pain, hypertension, heart disease, cancer, and other
health issues such as anxiety and depression, mindfulness-based cognitive
therapy, or MBCT, is a two-part therapy that aims to reduce stress, manage
pain, and embrace the freedom to respond to situations by choice. MCBT blends
two disciplines--cognitive therapy and mindfulness. Mindfulness helps by
reflecting on moments and thoughts without passing judgment. MBCT patients pay
close attention to their feelings to reach an objective mind-set, thus viewing
and combating life's unpleasant occurrences.**
Rational
Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) - Rational Emotive Behavioural
Therapy was developed by Albert Ellis and was one of the first cognitive-behavioural
therapy approaches. RET posits that our emotions result from our beliefs, many
of which are irrational, and thus cause us to suffer unnecessarily. The RET
therapists will question the client's beliefs to help use her natural ability
to think clearly. The therapist will then encourage her to change her actions
to align with her new, rational beliefs to relieve her emotional problems. This
active approach often includes homework assignments.**
Solution Focused Brief Therapy - Solution-focused therapy,
sometimes called "brief therapy," focuses on what clients would like
to achieve through therapy rather than on their troubles or mental health
issues. The therapist will help the client envision a desirable future, and
then map out the small and large changes necessary for the client to undergo to
realize her vision. The therapist will seize on any successes the client
experiences, to encourage them to build on their strengths rather than dwell on
their problems or limitations.**
Gestalt Therapy - Gestalt therapy seeks to integrate the client's behaviours,
feelings, and thinking, so that her intentions and actions may be aligned for
optimal mental health. The therapist will help the client become more self-aware,
to live more in the present, and to assume more responsibility for taking care
of herself. Techniques of gestalt therapy include confrontation, dream
analysis, and role playing.**
Many would suggest
EMDR or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprogramming; however, this does
involve an element of recalling the past and can involve psychodynamic
interjection so be wary of jumping into this form of therapy without discussing
in detail your expectations with the provider. The benefit to EMDR is that is
has been suggested to reach results somewhat faster than many other forms of
talk therapy.
It may be possible
that the retelling of your experience causes such distress in session because
you did not form an effective therapeutic bond with the provider. Perhaps they
pushed you too fast or failed to validate the depth of your emotional
experience. Obviously I can't critique because I wasn't there. I would suggest
that you keep trying because you can recover and move on. But it would be a
mistake to think that you will never feel uncomfortable in session. Therapy
should be challenging and can be emotionally draining. Be open and honest with
your therapist and let them know when you need to take a break or slow things
down. A good therapist will listen and work with you to keep you engaged in
therapy and shouldn't push to the point of you wanting to leave and never come
back
