We live in a world where we can receive information the very
instant something happens. We live in a country where many of us can go out and
buy things when we want (within reason, of course!). Because of this, we live
in society that thrives on instant gratification and the expectation that
things will or should happen quickly.
This happens frequently in the therapeutic setting. Parents
come in with their child and have the expectation that the clinician, as the
professional, will fix that child and do it quickly! Patients come in and
expect to learn this form of therapy quickly and that it will make them better
without effort. The problem is that this type of therapy does not work that
way. This type of therapy actually teaches the skills that are needed for the
patient to help themselves. What does this mean? It means that the child and
parents need to work together with the clinician to reinforce the taught skills
as well as learn an effective way to get the behaviors they want from their
child. It also means that the patient has to use the 4 P’s for the most
effective treatment possible. What are the 4 P’s? This is pretty much what we
need to be successful not only in treatment, but in life.
Patience –
Learning how to recognize well learned, ingrained irrational thoughts is not
easy. It is difficult to learn how to change those irrational thoughts into
rational, calm thoughts. Calming self-talk and being patient with yourself will
go a long way.
Practice –
Yes, it takes practice. Just like it took a great deal of practice to learn how
to walk, ride a bike, write a paper, and drive a car, it takes a great deal of
practice to be able to challenge your well learned irrational thoughts and
change them. The more you practice, the better you will get at this. The better
you get at this, the better you will feel!
Perseverance
– Keeping with the “P” theme, you will be required to pledge yourself to
the techniques that you will learn. You will need to be purposeful!
Motivation, commitment,
stick-to-itiveness, and refusing to give up is what is
important! All good things are worth the work. Changing your irrational
thinking and having the result of feeling better is worth the effort!
Progress –
The above 3 P’s will result in a great deal of progress toward feeling better.
Look at the testimonials on our webpage: www.necbt.com,
and you will see the progress that previous patients report.
Interpersonal Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is highly effective. If you have patience, practice and perseverance,
you will make great progress toward
a healthier and happier you!
Bonnie Lillis, LPC
Bonnie Lillis is a Psychotherapist with New England Center
for CBT (NECBT), located in Glastonbury ,
Connecticut
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