Dear Lost soul:

My self help reading closest to seeking therapy in 2011 was reading Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Dummies. Because I liked that book and the workbook exercises included, when I did look for a therapist following my new marriage being in trouble, I googled CBT therapists and came across this particular therapist. He was a CBT therapist but worked with another therapist who was big on Mindfulness and she taught him the latter. In his therapy plan  for me he incorporated CBT and Mindfulness.

First session was a long free session (he often went way beyond the customary 50 minutes per session, no extra charge). Following a few sessions and following his consultation with a psychiatrist I was seeing (I was on psych meds at the time), he put together a plan for me, complete with his diagnosis of me, objectives and ways to achieve those objectives. His whole way of going about therapy was scientific, organized, according to a plan that he revisited and adjusted over time.

He gave me homework following every session including handouts to read with or without exercises, guided meditations (theme- mindfulness) for me to do. He emailed me the homework assignments after the long sessions, following figuring out what the best assignment for me would be. At times, including the time I was out of the country, he kept an email communication with me ongoing, again, no extra charge.

He gave his work all that he had, holding nothing back, offering all the information and input he thought would be helpful. He wasn’t perfect, but he sure tried hard. He was humble, empathetic, professionally dressed.

He was honest with me. He had my health as his first priority in the context of therapy with me. So yes, the relationship with him was such that I could clearly see that he cared a whole lot for my well being. I trusted him, knowing he went out of his way and did  all that he could for me.

I have never tried EMDR therapy, googled about it at one point when a member mentioned it here, but forgot what it is about.

anita