I have been looking for a therapist for a long while now, but it is difficult to find a good one. Does anyone have experience with therapists in Holland? Does anyone know a good therapist?
Also , when I told my doctor that I was looking for a psycho-dynamic therapist he told me those people only do years long analyzing. I don't think he understood what I meant. How can I explain it better in dutch other than psyho-dynamisch intensief op korte termijn?
I wish I could help! But I can say that your doctor is not completely wrong. A psychodynamic therapist, which Sarno recommends, specializes in analysis. Whether it takes years or not I think is up to the particular case. If you wanted to be more specific you could say that you're looking for a therapist that deals with the issues of somatization or psychosomatic illnesses (which isn't completely the way Sarno describes it, but it's a way that the external world or medical world might better understand it).
I am with a psychodynamic therapist and it's worked. We work to analyze what happens in the present and see how it relates to the past. Then we take that understanding to try to reframe how I look at things and to try and change my habits.
I live in Holland also and i ran in to same problem. Basically the Sarno knowledge is very hard to get through. I spoke to a lot of professionals but always and and always they came up with the possibility that there might be something wrong with the the back and one can live with this "handicap". Although we are a free minded country, the health care is often very conservative. Fully refuting the physical is something i never heard.
Somatization or psychosomatic is the right word to use although the definition of that does not match the Sarno definition. For example my doctor says that the stuff i have is because of stress but in the same sentence she says that i'am a long person and the muscles are weaker because of being long. Nonsense of course. I think in the states there are more doctors who have heard of this approach and are more familiar with the principals. A small group but anyway.
You need to find a therapist who has experience with this. In my opinion he or she should be able to: 1) help you with FEAR in relation to pain 2) help you with FEAR in relation with your thoughts about so called structural causes of pain. There is nothing wrong with your body and a therapist must have that as a basic conviction. 3) help you with your anxiety disorder (i belief that TMS is caused by an anxiety disorder) 4) help you break the chronic backpain circle (avoiding etc) 5) help you with more getting in touch with your feelings 6) and he or she can combine CBT and analytical psychology. 7) must have knowledge about recent research on this subject
The most important thing is that (in my opinion) 1 - you exclude serious stuff 2- there is nothing physical wrong for you as a basic conviction 3- get rid of the fear 4- be aware of your thoughts/feelings 5- recondition your belief system about your complain
A therapist (in my opinion) must treat you from this platform. Again, my experience is that those are hard to find in Holland. And belief me i checked it a lot.
Maybe you can email me in dutch or we can have a talk on the phone. You can email me via my profile.
looking for help in the Netherlands
Posted - 09/23/2008 : 08:16:03
