T Not Effective for C-PTSD - How to Pick T

I liked my therapist, and she was helping me with work stress. Things were going well.

Then she uncovered childhood abuse and C-PTSD. It stresses me out to talk about it. Now the anxiety that was getting better is getting worse.

Basically, she just kept using CBT. She says she does DBT but I know what it is, and she doesn’t, except for a lot of acceptance statements.

I would be talking about work, she has to interject that this is because of the way my mother treated me, which then a) makes anxiety wash over me and b) knocks me off track. Then, she offers me no coping mechanism. That’s it. That’s her help for me.

She basically explained that she wants me to know there is a reason for how I’m feeling (in response to me telling her this is bothering me). She continued to do this at my next appointment.

This is when I realized she’s got little more than deep breathing and replace a negative thought to offer.

How do you find an effective T for PTSD?

What do you feel works?

I am looking into DBMR after reading here. I hope that is a good answer, but I suspect it isn’t the only answer I’ll need.

Thank you!

Can I know with CBT and DBT, how does your therapist work with you specifically? I have asked my T quite a few times on how will she works on me, since I have C-PTSD as well, but she says vaguely that I am being put on a "Trauma Model." I am confused.

My T calls DBT “just CBT on steroids.” I don’t agree

I went to a NAMI group last night, and the leader talked about DBT being a lot better because it teaches radical acceptance, distress tolerance, and more mindfulness. Someone else chimed in and said it also gives homework and that it is a lot t of work, whereas CBT is more talking with a therapist.

My T gives me deep breathing exercises and to practice replacing a negative thought with a positive one. On my difficulties looking at certain people, to look at their foreheads instead.

There have been other suggestions, but mostly she is asking me how I’m doing and she empathizes.

On my spending all my time on the internet to avoid anxiety, she says that is OK it is a coping skill.

On me sleeping in the recliner, same thing, it is a coping skill.

On me talking about stressful work situations, she tells me this is about my childhood, and that’s too upsetting. It throws me off track. It doesn’t help. I don’t want to talk, have today tied to past trauma, and receive empathy. It isn’t helping; I’m getting worse.

I’ve read about CBT; she isn’t helping me reframe the traumas. I don’t know how to do that.

I want to break spending so much time on the internet, and I want to sleep in my bed. I want to be OK to live life with less fear and anxiety.

I do have a new therapist I’m going to try at the end of this month.

I personally think it's best to find a therapist that either specializes in trauma or at least has experience with it.My T not only specializes but also has over 30 years of experience.

He tried whatever he thought would help me most.Since my traumas varied so much,so many different types of abuse and trauma,for some it was DBT,some CBT,some ACT(acceptance and committment theray) and everything else in between,even EMDR for one specific trauma.

I was happy he changed things up by what he felt was needed.

Um, there's a lot more to CBT than what your T is doing. I have had huge progress with CBT. You can get workbooks for CBT that will help you as much as the T will, IMO. I have tried DBT but didn't like it as much as CBT. I think sometimes which works better kind of matters on your personality.

That said, if you want to try DBT, go for it. I have heard from others that it's been very helpful. I do think you could try CBT and actually do more, because it's so much more than changing negative thoughts and deep breathing. I mean, it is a lot about recognizing your cognitive distortions, but it's not just about changing one thought as it happens.

There aren’t many effective t’s for PTSD over here

“Trial and error” (or nothing at all ) meanwhile “we get worse”



I think you’ll have better luck over your side of the pond. I’m keeping my paws crossed for you

Thank you for your replies I am getting the sinking feeling that it is harder to find a good therapist than it is to find a good doctor.

Hi Fuzzy!! I'm so sorry you have soooo much trouble getting help, in so many ways

Seesaw - interesting on the CBT. I said to my T that I was thinking of getting a book on CBT, and she said I didn't need to because I already have a book on DBT therefore it is not necessary. Hmm...

I'm probably not describing everything that my therapist was doing, but yeah, I don't think she was doing much really. I don't doubt this isn't descriptive of CBT. I felt that she wasn't working very hard.

Believe it or not, she was better than my previous therapist. He gave me a handout that had been copied so many times the text was getting distorted. His only angle with me was that I had catastrophic thinking and he would point out the words I was using and tell me not to use those, as per the instruction sheet he had given me.

I'm beginning to wonder if it is hard to find someone.

I hope this next therapist I'm seeing works out--she does CBT, DBT, and EMDR. I might have to pay out of pocket instead of use insurance because most therapists don't take my insurance. This might be part of the problem.

RubyRae - this next therapist I'm seeing does have trauma and PTSD in her profile. She has grey hair (I was looking for evidence because she only looks maybe 40 in her picture) and over 30 year of experience.

I too am on trauma model therapy. its a therapy technique that does not limit a client and therapist on what they can and cant do. its more working on the symptoms as they arise instead of lumping a person into one direct type of therapy. it combines many kinds of therapy depending on ones own individual problems....

example I have stress problems so instead of saying ok we are going to do DBT or Emdr or what have you. my therapist and I work on many angles .....

relaxation techniques, breathing techniques, grounding techniques, cognative behavior techniques, DBT, art therapy, music therapy... and more....

in other words its more individualized, relating directly to what my problem areas are but yet has structure to it, homework and other elements too.

Key tones... I see you in the US and if you're in a larger metropolitan area do a search on psychology today for therapists who specialize in trauma. Then look at their modalities make sure that they use EMDR, CBT, DBT, etc. Treating complex PTSD is not a one-size-fits-all. You need to use a combination of modalities to best help the client.

My therapist will do EMDR for a few sessions and then we work on cognitive reframes some days it's just talk therapy mainly based on CBT and other days he adds parts of DBT in. Rinse and repeat depending on my mood and what is bothering me most of the time. He also got me to go to a DBT class for 2 hours every week that has been very helpful in combination with therapy twice a week. I therapy is also does prolonged exposure therapy which he says he usually uses with any remaining residual effects after EMDR.

This is good advice! Thank you!!