Testimonials

P1: SP/SR…greatly increased my understanding of how the techniques used are experienced by patients…and perhaps how these techniques work, not just a rational explanation of “why” they work.  In a strange way, I feel “closer” to the cognitive model…As “scientific” health professionals, a majority of our knowledge comes from listening to people’s research findings/following tried and true methods yet somehow it is still vicarious.  Not that I am knocking our channels of learning and research, but I believe things are more powerful when we also experience.  Through the process of SP/SR I am not just accepting a therapeutic model on some eminent person’s say so/a lot of research which tells me it is effective, but I am experiencing its worth and also shortfalls firsthand and making my own judgements…In turn, this has allowed me to feel more genuine with my understanding and I feel this is fed back implicitly to my patients.

P2:  SP/SR has made me more convinced that CBT is a good therapy – I could see the process working, not just the outcome.  I have a better idea of why it works.  With so many other therapies being promoted I was starting to wonder whether it really was techniques/principles that made the difference or just the therapeutic relationship.  I can see the importance of the therapeutic relationship – more than previously – but I think I can better see the role of the relationship vs. the therapy itself.

P3: I have always related to CBT- it made sense to me so I really wanted to work with it. However, SP/SR has shown me what parts of my understanding were more at a surface level. SP/SR didn’t necessarily increase my knowledge of the CT model but greatly increased my understanding of how the techniques used are experienced by clients (particularly someone with no concept even of what CT involves) and perhaps how these techniques work, not just a rational explanation of “why” they work.

P4: In general I have to say that I won a lot out of joining the group. It led me to reflect a bit more on processes during my sessions with clients and I feel more understanding when clients don’t do their homework.   I think that I interpret undone homework differently now. I think I have a better understanding of subtle signs of resistance to change and I understand the necessity of behavioural experiments more than before.   I used to think that cognitive change would lead to behavioural change. Now I think that behavioural changes are necessary to either facilitate cognitive changes or to support/provide evidence for cognitive change.

P5: Although I already knew that emotions are a result of our interpretations of events, this situation gave me a good example of that from my own experience.  So rather than just “knowing” about this phenomenon I “realised” it – the difference between understanding the concept at a head level and gaining an unquestionable, full-bodied experience of understanding.