What Does CBT Therapy for Anxiety Look Like?

[Indianamom2]

DD is doing therapy (for 1 hour, once a week) at a large counseling center local to us. Her dev. pedi referred us to this center and told me that she was recommending CBT therapy for her anxiety.

DD has been going for about 5 sessions now. We started with one lady, only to be told on our second session that she was leaving the practice, so we were transferred to another lady (this after a good 6-7 month wait to get in). We've seen the "new" therapist about 3 times now and I just really don't know what to think. This therapy business is completely new to me. DD most definitely at least has generalized anxiety disorder. She needs some help, but I'm not sure we're getting CBT (or anything) accomplished. Add to this that we will now be moving into a temp. building in the coming weeks, and then moving yet again...and I'm not getting a good feeling about this therapist/center.

If you or your child has done CBT therapy in particular, can you tell me what the sessions were like? What happened on a typical day? Did you have exercises to do at home? Did you just talk about seemingly random topics?

Also, is anyone familiar at all with a technique called "EMDR"?

Thanks for any guidance you can give!

[vludmilla]

Oh boy, I hope that your CBT therapist is not the one who is talking about EMDR as it is NOT an empirically supported treatment and no serious, well trained CBT therapist would ever use EMDR. cbt therapy should be very structured and involve homework.

[Indianamom2]

Oh boy, I hope that your CBT therapist is not the one who is talking about EMDR as it is NOT an empirically supported treatment and no serious, well trained CBT therapist would ever use EMDR. cbt therapy should be very structured and involve homework.

Um yeah....that's kind of what I was afraid of. The EMDR was completely unfamiliar to me and when I looked it up just briefly at home, I was not impressed and even more worried about whether we're getting what we're looking for here.

Thanks.

[cvanbrunt]

I pm-ed you.

[pinkmomagain]

I think many therapists say they do CBT, but don't really do it. We are really happy with the therapist that dd1 is seeing now. I would call around and speak with therapists on the phone...describe your child's issue and ask exactly how it would be addressed in therapy. Don't use one whose answers you don't like. The therapist we are seeing now definitely gives direction about what dd should be working on between sessions. Occassionally I feel like I need to get the discussion during a session back to the matter at hand, but rarely. The therapy is very results-oriented.

I've had no experience with EMDR.

[DietCokeLover]

I would be extremely hesitant to have a child participate in EMDR therapy.

[Indianamom2]

I think many therapists say they do CBT, but don't really do it. We are really happy with the therapist that dd1 is seeing now. I would call around and speak with therapists on the phone...describe your child's issue and ask exactly how it would be addressed in therapy. Don't use one whose answers you don't like. The therapist we are seeing now definitely gives direction about what dd should be working on between sessions. Occassionally I feel like I need to get the discussion during a session back to the matter at hand, but rarely. The therapy is very results-oriented.

I've had no experience with EMDR.

Thanks. This is pretty much my plan from here on out. I've never had any experience with any type of therapy/counseling, so I really didn't know what to expect, but so far I'm not really satisfied with the experience. I don't want to be spinning my wheels on DD's behalf and I just keep getting the feeling that we are barking up the wrong tree so to speak, with this therapist.

[Indianamom2]

I would be extremely hesitant to have a child participate in EMDR therapy.

If you don't mind me asking, why? I was totally unprepared when the therapist started in on this technique, so I knew nothing at all about it. I'm trying to learn all I can before next Thursday! Please feel free to give me your gut feeling/educated opinion/clinical opinions! I'm all ears and initially already sceptical.

[lilycat88]

EMDR for anxiety in a child. Can't see it.
PTSD and/or trauma is the only application I'm aware of or have known anyone use it for. I've not done it but know others who have. I'm generally a proponent for some of the more alternative therapeutic methods but I just don't see child anxiety and EMDR.