RE: Re: ACT's attack on CBT @ randy:-)

[Guest guest]

I

find no disagreement with anything you have said. And probably have no reason

to say any more from the therapist perspective here.

From: ACT_for_the_Public [mailto:ACT_for_the_Public ] On Behalf Of Randy Burgess

Sent: Friday, October 07, 2011

12:44 PM

To: ACT_for_the_Public

Subject: Re:

ACT's attack on CBT @ randy:-)

Hi , (and anyone following this thread still) -

I'm not arguing against therapy having value, nor that

any particular therapy is per se " bad " therapy. Nor

that therapists view their work as teaching clients

to floss better. (And I have nothing against flossing,

by the way. It's important.)

But based on my experience inside & outside of therapy,

and on listening to the experiences of more people

than I can possibly count, and on the literature of

many different modesl of therapy, I would argue that the

therapeutic circle of influence and light as commonly

conceived, applied, and understood in a wide variety

of settings is really quite narow. And often pushed

aside once it is over - even by people who " move in

and out of therapy. " A willingness to re-enter therapy

does not necessarily mean that therapy is seen as part

of a whole life.

Again, I am really not trying to diss anyone or say

that therapists should stop their good efforts. Quite

the contrary, I would encourage them to continue.

Rather, I am talking about a view of the culture at

large and where people see themselves fitting into it

and where therapy fits into their lives as defined

not only by themselves, but by what therapy says about

itself.

And I think we are fooling ourselves if we think that

therapy as it has commonly been practiced comes anywhere

near to satisfying the human thirst for meaning and

significance outside of " mental illness, " trauma, life

catastrophes such as addiction or divorce, etc. Some may

argue that this is not the role of therapy - which I would

say only proves my point.

Re-read the beginning of the 1999 ACT book and see if it

doesn't gesture towards something similar to what I am

saying. Or read pages 199-200 in " Mindfulness For Two, " under

the heading " Entering a Different Sort of Conversation. "

A different sort of conversation is a conversation of

the type that ought to be useful to just about everyone -

whether or not they are in therapy - and that does not

necessarily take place just *because* someone is in therapy.

- R.