Experiencing CBT from the Inside Out: A Self-Practice/Self-Reflection Workbook for Therapists

298 Pages·2015·8.28 MB·English

ebook
THE GUILFORD PRESS
Feedback from Self-P ractice/Self-R efection (SP/SR) Participants
“Before SP/SR, I had an intellectual understanding of CBT, now I really know what it
feels like! I am a therapist of many years’ experience, but after doing SP/SR I have a very
different and deeper understanding of the CBT approach than at any point in my career.
I now see CBT through different eyes and practice it with a different level of compassion.
Having been through this experience, I now believe strongly that every trainee and
experienced therapist needs to do SP/SR. I now truly appreciate the level of honesty
and effort required in the completion of apparently simple tasks like setting goals or
completing questionnaires.”
—SP/SR participant, Ireland
“I found SP/SR very useful. It was the first time I have had to complete a course that
has had such a ‘hands-on’ part of the training. It was a great change to develop insight
into my own processes and make the time to consider how and why I was feeling the
way I was. This training component also cemented the theory we were reading and
learning, and provided me with an insight into how the clients feel when asked to engage
in cognitive therapy. I feel I shall be more enthusiastic in introducing the model into
therapy than I initially was when I started. I shall be more enthusiastic when addressing
the importance of homework completion.”
—SP/SR participant, Australia
“[SP/SR was] . . . very useful—c hallenging to go through CBT interventions for oneself.
Increases understanding and empathy for the clients and their work, and increased
insights into my personal beliefs and related behaviors and how these limit my life;
introduces the possibility of challenging and changing these.”
—SP/SR participant, New Zealand
“SP/SR is a really powerful tool! It helped me to move away from ideas of inadequacy,
which I had held on to and believed to be real for many years. I was doing SP/SR for
the sake of it and I never expected it to affect me the way it did, both professionally and
personally.”
—SP/SR participant, Ireland
“What have I learned? . . . I thought I knew a lot about CBT, but looking back now, I only
knew the surface of the iceberg (so to speak). This subject is a wonderful introduction
into cognitive therapy . . . not only has it been useful to me in terms of my work, but also
in my personal life. I have learned and been able to identify my strengths and weaknesses
and come to terms with who I am and where I want to go in life.”
—SP/SR participant, Australia
“Even now while reviewing this process I have had aha moments! I’ve decided it’s OK to
be more true to yourself. Hiding vulnerabilities doesn’t really get you far. I can recognize
when I’ve done this both at home and at work. For example, playing down that I don’t
want to progress in my career so I never have to try. Or playing down how much I want
a family . . . I can laugh at this now. But my aha moments have been emotional ones at
times. Not so much because of work stuff but recognizing how it has held me back in my
personal life in the past.”
—SP/SR participant, England
“I found the SP/SR component of the course really useful. I started off (as you may
remember!!) very skeptical and suspicious, wondering where this level of analysis fit
within an academic course. My reservations were not about the value of this sort of
‘discovery’ and self-a wareness for us as clinicians and as people, just where this fit in
the curriculum. . . . Just as SP/SR was essential for some professional insights about CBT
unobtainable by other methods, similarly I had to experience the process of SP/SR in
order to know its value.”
—SP/SR participant, Australia
“I have to say that I have gained such a lot of insight into what it might feel like from the
clients’ perspective when they pitch up for help and that this experiential process has
helped me to change lots of small things about the way I interact with clients, how I
explain things, and the compassion I feel.”
—SP/SR participant, England
“Both self-p ractice and self-r eflection were the pivotal components of the course. Without
them, it would have been impossible to achieve the level of understanding that comes
from applying the material in a meaningful and critical way. For me personally, it was a
chance of self-d iscovery that unearthed some amazing facets about the way I deal with
my problems, as well as a true test of the cognitive-b ehavioral methods of intervention.”
—SP/SR participant, Australia
“I have always related to CBT—it made sense to me so I really wanted to work with it.
However, SP and SR have shown me what parts of my understanding were more at a
surface level. SP/SR . . . greatly increased my understanding of how the techniques used
are experienced by clients (particularly someone with no concept even of what CBT
involves) and perhaps how these techniques work, not just a rational explanation of ‘why’
they work.”
—SP/SR participant, Australia
“I think it was extremely valuable, both personally and professionally. I don’t know how
you can practice if you have not experienced what it is like yourself, how you can have
any understanding or be able to anticipate what people are going to go through or what
their own resistances and dilemmas might be, if you’re not prepared to do that yourself.”
—SP/SR participant, Australia
ExpEriEncing cBT from ThE insidE ouT
sElf-pracTicE/sElf-rEflEcTion guidEs
for psychoThErapisTs
James Bennett-Levy, Series Editor
This series invites therapists to enhance their effectiveness “from the inside out” using self-
practice/self-reflection (SP/SR). Books in the series lead therapists through a structured three-
stage process of focusing on a personal or professional issue they want to change, practicing
therapeutic techniques on themselves (self-practice), and reflecting on the experience (self-
reflection). Research supports the unique benefits of SP/SR for providing insights and skills not
readily available through more conventional training procedures. The approach is suitable for
therapists at all levels of experience, from trainees to experienced supervisors. Series volumes
have a large-size format for ease of use and feature reproducible worksheets and forms that pur-
chasers can download and print. Initial releases cover cognitive-behavioral therapy and schema
therapy; future titles will cover acceptance and commitment therapy and other evidence-based
treatments.
Experiencing CBT from the Inside Out:
A Self-Practice/Self-Reflection Workbook for Therapists
James Bennett-Levy, Richard Thwaites, Beverly Haarhoff,
and Helen Perry
Experiencing CBT
from the Inside Out
a self-practice/self-reflection
Workbook for Therapists
James Bennett-Levy
Richard Thwaites
Beverly Haarhoff
Helen Perry
Foreword by Christine A. Padesky
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ISBN 978-1-4625-1889-0
To Concord—Ann, Melanie, Gillian, and Martina—
whose clinical skills and friendship
made my years at Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre the richest of times
—JB-L
To Sarah for her encouragement and understanding,
and to all the staff within First Step
who have supported SP/SR and been part of a joint process of learning
—RT
To Errol, best friend and fellow traveler,
and to all the Massey University CBT postgraduate diploma students,
who have taught me so much
—BH
To my parents, whose pride in me never wavered,
and to Dave for the support and space provided,
especially through this journey
—HP