Advice on private CBT

[Snoodlester]

I've been told I have GAD, and I'm on a waiting list with the NHS for CBT - have been for a couple of months. I'm not 100% sure, but I think they said when I do get to see/speak to someone it'll be a total of 6 weekly 1hr sessions.

I've been recommended a private therapist by a friend and they charge £75 for an initial 2hr session, and then £50 per 1hr session thereafter. Although some clients need less time, they say the average is 16-20 sessions. That would make it rather expensive - especially as I've just been made redundant.

I'm wondering if people can let me know their experiences of this.

Thank you, Sue x

[StaffordEd]

Hi

Welcome to the site.

I have no personal experience of CBT but from what I have read makes a lot of sense. What has happened is the old mind has gone on the rampage by turning rational thoughts into irrational behavior. Its very good at that, as basically you have just lost control of your mind ( not lost your mind )

CBT analyses the perception of your thought process and tries to address the imbalance.
Your mind is trying to turn any thoughts you have into negative one's and no matter how hard you try you end up giving in. This becomes a downward spiral.

This is an article I found hope it makes sense.

Cognitive therapy (CT) is a type of psychotherapy developed by American psychiatrist Aaron T. Beck. CT is one of the therapeutic approaches within the larger group of cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) and was first expounded by Beck in the 1960s. Cognitive therapy seeks to help the patient overcome difficulties by identifying and changing dysfunctional thinking, behavior, and emotional responses. This involves helping patients develop skills for modifying beliefs, identifying distorted thinking, relating to others in different ways, and changing behaviors.[1] Treatment is based on collaboration between patient and therapist and on testing beliefs. Therapy may consist of testing the assumptions which one makes and identifying how certain of one's usually unquestioned thoughts are distorted, unrealistic and unhelpful. Once those thoughts have been challenged, one's feelings about the subject matter of those thoughts are more easily subject to change. Beck initially focused on depression and developed a list of "errors" in thinking that he proposed could maintain depression, including arbitrary inference, selective abstraction, over-generalization, and magnification (of negatives) and minimization (of positives).
An example of how CT works is this: having made a mistake at work, a man may believe, "I'm useless and can't do anything right at work." Strongly believing this then tends to worsen his mood. The problem may be worsened further if the individual reacts by avoiding activities and then behaviorally confirming the negative belief to himself. As a result, any adaptive response and further constructive consequences become unlikely, which reinforces the original belief of being "useless." In therapy, this example could be identified as a self-fulfilling prophecy or "problem cycle," and the efforts of the therapist and client would be directed at working together to change it. This is done by addressing the way the client thinks and behaves in response to similar situations and by developing more flexible ways to think and respond, including reducing the avoidance of activities and the practicing of positive activities (called Mood repair strategies). If, as a result, the patient escapes the negative thought patterns and dysfunctional behaviors, the negative feelings may be relieved over time.

Medicine alone just masks the underlying problem.

I am seeing my doctor in two weeks and I will bring CBT up with him.

Its good to see you taking such a positive step.

Keep chatting we would love to hear how you get on.

Best wishes

Ed

[Tessar]

Hello sue. I did cbt about a decade ago & luckily had private health insurance at that point. I have recently been seeing a counsellor to work again on similar things. She does her first session free (30 mins - so you can both see if you feel it will work for you & that you are suited to each other). Then after that it's £45 per session. £50 would sound ok to me, the length of treatment can depend entirely on the nature of the problems & how easy or not you find to challenge those beliefs & amend your way of thinking. I strongly recommend CBT but feel you do need to do "enough" sessions to ensure you really have mastered the art shall we say and improved enough to keep going independently. Its so hard to estimate how many sessions you might need, that is always the difficulty. It involves plenty of hard work from you and some sole searching as well I would believe but it is entirely worth every bit of effort you put in. If you go into it with a positive mindset then the likelihood is you will find it successful. Hope this helps!!

[Anna C]

Hi Sue

I found a therapist in my area by googling bacp, they wil have a list of therapists in your area. It will tell you how much they charge and maybe you could visit a few first until you are happy that you will feel comfortable and be able to open up to the person.

I knew it was a lady counsellor that I wanted to talk to, mine is £35 but I suppose it depends on where you live. I have been seeing her for a while she does cbt and she is brilliant. Good luck and take care.

[steveo]

I would have to argue with what Anna C has to say here I'm afraid.

The BACP qualification is absolutely awful. Don't expect your medical issues to be discussed if you have a cheap BACP 'CBT' therapist out.

If you want PROPER CBT then you need someone who has BABCP qualification and you can search for someone on here - http://www.babcp.com/Default.aspx

I've had both and there is one heck of a difference between the 2 qualifications!

The BABCP trained CBT therapists are more expensive but are properly qualified with what you need.

You will pay alot less for someone who has a 'CBT' training from BACP but you won't get your problem sorted unless you just want someone to talk to.

---------- Post added at 16:54 ---------- Previous post was at 16:52 ----------

This backs up what I have to say - http://cbttherapist.com/dir/accreditation/

---------- Post added at 16:57 ---------- Previous post was at 16:54 ----------

http://www.bacp.co.uk/iapt/cbt.php

And have a read of this on the BACP website.

Interestingly Q6 states you can have a 1 day introduction course or 2 - 5 day skill course. Do you really want to try and tackle a problem such as GAD with someone who has done a short course?
Avoid BACP if you want proper CBT.

[Snoodlester]

Thanks guys, that's really helpful - and interesting too to read the articles Steveo. My therapist friend is on the CBT accredited website so that's reassuring.

Sue x

[Tessar]

Steve, that's quite interesting because at my initial counselling appointment, my counsellor was very clear that she only had limited CBT skills. Her skills lie in transactional analysis & some other areas (including BACP, but she also has degrees & other things backing it all up).
As it happens my CBT was provided by a very qualified therapist (she was a forensic psychologist with all sorts of qualifications to her name). By the time I saw her she had retired from main stream practice & did a few days a week doing CBT. I felt in awe of her at times because I knew how qualified she was (but that was just one of my hang-ups that reared its ugly head in my sessions, doh).
It was an amazing experience. We worked not only on my background and where my problems originated from but also on making sure I learned how to challenge my unrealistic beliefs and views that I was still holding into from the past. She didn't come cheap, 10 years ago it cost £85 a go (but as I said below I got it privately on health insurance through my job). Had I been paying there is no way I could have afforded to see her. In that respect I know I was very lucky that my employer offered this perk.
I suppose that once you learn how to use CBT properly, and that can take time, it's a joint effort between you and your therapist or counsellor but in the end, its you applying the skills.
Perhaps for top up sessions, you could do what I have done which is seek out a counsellor who could help with what's going on in your life now and/or the issues hanging over from the past. At the same time you could use the CBT skills in life generally. That's pretty much where I am at now. Having the back up of my counsellor has given me the safety net I need to help myself.

[steveo]

I learnt alot about CBT during my nursing degree.

When my breakdown first starting in Jan, my mum panicked and found a CBT therapist near me who came round to my house.

I have a very clear understanding of what CBT is so I was very confused that she decided to structure a plan of how to fill up my days and keep me occupied and when I discussed my panic attacks she would dismiss it. I had a couple more sessions with her and realised that this was absolutely counter productive and not helpful and she knew very little about anxiety, agoraphobia and depression.

I then seeked out another CBT therapist and he then told me about the different accreditations. This CBT therapist tackled my anxiety and agoraphobia too using a proper CBT model.

Unfortunately there are more 'CBT' therapists with the lower accreditation than proper CBT therapists that use a MODEL and without knowing the difference between BACP and BABCP, people are not getting the correct treatment. I worry that there are a lot of people who said that they have tried CBT and it hasn't worked, when in actual fact there are people who have seen people with a days training.

I'm not here to name and shame but when my mum googled CBT Cardiff for me she found this lady - http://www.rhiannonsargent.com/ and in all honesty, it says CBT and its a top google search result.
Absolutely NOTHING we did was CBT.

I am very against these BACP 'CBT' accreditations.

If the admins allow me, I would like to write a proper post to let people know the difference between the 2 accreditations and what to look for when looking for a CBT therapist. If an admin reads this and would like me to write an informed article on this, drop me a PM and I will be more than happy to do this for a stick thread.

[Tessar]

Again Steve I find what you say interesting. You may well have hit the nail on the head there because I was surprised when people have said that CBT didn't work for them. I know that any therapy is always better if you have good bond with the therapist but regardless of that, if the treatment provided doesn't properly fit the condition(s) being treated its unlikely to work. Now that I have had CBT, I can see what you are talking about in the differences, but for anyone who is new to it, the whole thing must be very confusing.

[Snoodlester]

I have to agree with you both. I was confused how one could say 6 sessions is enough, when another thought 16-20 more appropriate. It also seems 'misleading' to select a therapist if they're cheaper if you didn't know the difference - better to pay the extra for someone who's fully qualified.

[NoPoet]

I get mine through Anxiety UK. £25 for a face to face session, but my therapist is something special and we have been having behavioural therapy for aspergers for 6 months. I think in all that time I might have had 6 sessions, the rest of her support has been by email and phone calls that she has not charged for.

Finding the cause of my difficulties has made it relatively easy to improve on my own, something I could never do before.

Getting a good therapist who is experienced with mental health issues is crucial - you don't want an NHS "trainee".

[annette1]

I agree with going with a more qualified therapist.

I was diagnosed, by my GP with PTSD in 2008 & initially had 6wks counselling therapy - CBT at my GP surgery, this was extended to last 6mths but i wasnt making any progress. In the end she said she was out of her depth & my symptoms were just getting worse.

My GP suggested I be referred to community mental health team only for me to be told there was a 6mth waiting list to see a psychologist and as they dont accept patients diagnosed by GP's it would be a year before I could get any therapy. With this in mind my gp suggested I look for a private psychologist but she was not allowed to recommend anyone, what a ridiculous situation.

Well I took a risk, googled ptsd therapists in my area & luckily fell on my feet! Bristol Trauma Clinic is run by psychiatrists & psychologists. My psychologist put me at ease from the first phone call with her. The difference in counselling & psychotherapy is tremendous, we used EMDR & a number of other talking therapies according to how my ptsd presented itself at the time. It was tough & it took me a long time to trust my T but I have no regrets, it is expensive but you are in control & never left feeling time is running out. Another bonus of having a private therapist is some of them are happy for you to contact them between appointments. I found that very helpful just knowing she was at the end of the phone if things got too difficult, I only rang her a few times but could also email her. Therapy isnt a cure but it goes along way too it.

I continued with therapy for 3yrs, at first weekly, then 2 weekly & so on. I haven't seen her since July last year & am pleased to say I am feeling very stable in fact well enough for my gp to agree to me reducing my medication.

If you can afford to go private try to think of it as an investment in the rest of your life, you only have one, time to live it! :yesyes:

[Bekzie]

Some great advice and very good information here :) I found it helpful too

[Kells81]

I'm really struggling finding a private therapist at the moment. They are so expensive so I want to make sure I get the right one.
I've looked at lots on the Internet but I'm still not sure what to do-I want a proper CBT therapist but I'm going round in circles!

[Tessar]

annette, your story is great. you have done so well.
your advice is spot on.
i think one of the key bits (that goes through my mind when people are given a limited number of appointments) is that from my experience, it is better when therapy is open ended and the time to wind it down, becomes apparent as you go along.
I'm seeing my counsellor at the moment; have been doing so for a year. I keep feeling like I should be getting better more quickly & worry I am taking too long over everything. But she has told me I can carry on coming as long as I feel it necessary.
Because I have done CBT before (mine took a similar amount of time to yours) and because of that, it's been ok seeing a counsellor.
AS you put it, an investment in your future. that is very very true. I am so glad I did cbt/therapy & that's why i recommend it to others.

[little wren]

How much are people willing to pay for therapy? Money is an issue so would you prefer to pay more for an experienced therapist and see them less often (e.g. once a fortnight and for a shorter time e.g. 6 sessions) or see a cheaper one and be able to see them once a week and for longer? Any thoughts...?

(Just saw this thread...)

[Sparkle1984]

I get mine through Anxiety UK. £25 for a face to face session, but my therapist is something special and we have been having behavioural therapy for aspergers for 6 months. I think in all that time I might have had 6 sessions, the rest of her support has been by email and phone calls that she has not charged for.

Finding the cause of my difficulties has made it relatively easy to improve on my own, something I could never do before.

Getting a good therapist who is experienced with mental health issues is crucial - you don't want an NHS "trainee".

That sounds good. When you pay £25 for a face to face session, do you have to travel to a particular place, or does the therapist travel to a place that's convenient for you? Also, can you get sessions outside of standard working hours (such as evenings or weekends)?

[little wren]

Thanks steveo for posting inf on BABCP - I went on their website and accessed therapists in my area...

I feel really anxious about contacting a therapist (I am housebound and have OCD) and so a therapist would either have to come to my home or it would be over the phone. I am still nervous about people being in my house. I have emailed all 3 in my area explaining my situation and asking their fees. Do I then see all 3 and then choose one I think I can work with? I have never had private therapy and don't know how it all works when you are a paying client. Any advice would be appreciated.

I am still doing Robins CBT4Panic which is great - but I keep getting stuck - I let the fear get in the way and it is such a lonely road by yourself to try and tackle being housebound.

ps I think reading between the lines of the posts it seems people are willing to pay more for an experienced therapists. Just see them less often?

[SeroxVet]

Posted earlier by Steveo..http://cbttherapist.com/dir/accreditation/ (http://cbttherapist.com/dir/accreditation/)
Reading this link may make your head sore (it did mine), but it appears to be something anyone who is thinking of paying for CBT sessions needs to read carefully. Quite frankly this whole area ("industry") needs to be much more tightly regulated IMHO as there is clearly scope for people to, eh, not quite get what they think they are paying for.