Posted by Dinah on May 24, 2009, at 12:46:25
In reply to Re: CBT is not very popular around here. Why? » Dinah, posted by Amelia_in_StPaul on May 17, 2009, at 21:26:22
There is a religious concept, Hindu I think, that has always struck me as being unbelievably wise.
The idea is that there is more than one path to God. In this case, four. Action, devotion or love, knowledge, and meditation or transcendence. If you think of your journey to God as being a way to get to the top of the mountain, there are four ways to get there. All are perfectly valid. But since we all start at different spots on the bottom of the mountain, and since we all have different gifts, God gives us more than one way to reach him.
I've found the idea applicable to many other things in life besides religion. If you consider "wellness" to be the top of the mountain, therapy provides us more than one path to get there. Since all of us start with different temperaments, different life experiences, and different ideas of what well might look like, there is more than one type of therapy to help us along our path. With a bit of stretching, one might even be able to define the different types of therapy as belonging to one of the same groups as the original religious concept. Or you might add a few others.
Some of them might take a bit longer than others, and not fit in the sixteen week study models. But that doesn't mean that for a given individual the path isn't the best one for them to true and lasting wellness, and improved everyday functioning.
If I had to pigeonhole my therapy, I'd say it was based more on the path of love and devotion. Knowledge wasn't the right path to get to wellness through the obstacles of my personal challenges. I needed something far more visceral and experiential. And perhaps even more transcendent.
What has been best for me at any given point has changed. And my therapist's greatest strength (along with his phlegmatic disposition) is an ability to sense those needs and help me guide myself where I need to go.
I wouldn't at all disrespect or invalidate your opinion or experience. But there are other opinions and other experiences that I also validate.
Dialectics?
poster:Dinah
thread:894981
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20090515/msgs/897417.html