# Describe Your CBT Experience



## james25 (Jan 1, 2010)

I'm wondering what appointments with CBT therapists are like for people with SA. Have you seen a therapist for your SA? What kinds of questions did he or she ask during your first visit? How can you prepare to make the most of your first visit?


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## odd_one_out (Aug 22, 2006)

The therapist I used to see (and the only one I found adequate and nice) for CBT spent the first appointment taking my history. She covered all areas such as current functioning, education, relationships, and upbringing. She also asked what I wanted the sessions to consist of. I suggested a mixture of CBT and general counselling. During the sessions, she would be pleased when I designed my own CBT worksheets or adapted the ones provided, and she made copies to give others.

If I were to see another therapist, I would insist from the outset that they help me design specific goals that are concrete and attainable, taking into account my preferences, abilities, and disabilities. This was the area in which this therapist was relatively weak.


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## james25 (Jan 1, 2010)

Thanks odd_one_out. It sounds like it definitely pays to prepare a bit in advance of your first session.

What's a typical interval between sessions? Two weeks? A month?


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## Miss Meggie (Nov 19, 2009)

I could go into detail. Or just...

See my blog.


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## james25 (Jan 1, 2010)

Thanks for linking me to your blog. As I mentioned in a comment to one of your posts, it's very helpful to see what CBT's all about in practice.


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## Tweedy (Jan 10, 2010)

*skips over to read Meggie's blog* :boogie


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## Smokin87 (Feb 28, 2010)

What does CBT actually entail? I really don't know much about it, sadly.


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## james25 (Jan 1, 2010)

Basically, you: (1) figure out what you have trouble with, (2) figure out what thoughts make those things troublesome; (3) come up with ways of eliminating those thoughts; (4) do the things you have trouble with and put your strategy to work.

http://www.socialanxietysupport.com/treatment/products/3.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_behavioral_therapy


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## Smokin87 (Feb 28, 2010)

james25 said:


> Basically, you: (1) figure out what you have trouble with, (2) figure out what thoughts make those things troublesome; (3) come up with ways of eliminating those thoughts; (4) do the things you have trouble with and put your strategy to work.
> 
> http://www.socialanxietysupport.com/treatment/products/3.html
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_behavioral_therapy


Thanks, mate.

Thats a big help. I'll read up on it, for sure.


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## odd_one_out (Aug 22, 2006)

james25 said:


> What's a typical interval between sessions? Two weeks? A month?


They would always attempt to make the sessions weekly. This was on the NHS. However, during my most recent course of CBT, they were unable to provide a sufficient number of sessions for my case complexity; therefore, the therapist tried to space them out, making them every 2 weeks or more.


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