Psychotherapy of pain: plan.

I like CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) because it is systematic and specific. Do your usual differently, regularly and consistently, and the result is guaranteed.

Of course, for a successful psychotherapeutic effect, a certain level of character maturity and what is called in pedagogy “a degree of learning ability” are required.

Fortunately, in most cases of my counseling and correctional work, the proposed elements of cognitive behavioral therapy have a positive effect.

As a rule, most of the problems that clients present with boil down to emotional discomfort or suffering. No matter how a person substantiates these unpleasant sensations (anxiety, depression, difficult relationships, a feeling of loss of control and adequacy…), the main reason can be designated as PAIN.

We are working with this phenomenon.

PAIN PSYCHOTHERAPY: PLAN

1 . Determine the purpose of the interaction.

When it comes to psychological pain, we are faced with difficult-to-bear emotions, resistance, prejudices, ambivalence, acute sensitivity, increased vulnerability, powerlessness, excessive tension, etc.

If the goal is to remove these troubles from life, what will remain in it?

Pain is essentially a danger signal. It draws attention to those thoughts and behaviors that need to be changed. She, like a beacon, illuminates the area that does not allow you to feel comfortable.

Therefore, we will have to face the pain, take this “bitter pill” and move on to the next stage: “ Yes, it hurts and something needs to be done.”

2 . Learn to understand what is happening.

By taking pain for granted, describing and exploring painful experiences, we learn to distinguish between its types, forms and consequences. This means that we can more easily understand what is required to eliminate it.

It’s like mastering the alphabet and learning to read fluently.

For a new response, it is important to distinguish reasonable pain from worries, a deep wound from a superficial one.

Therefore, we turn on GPS tracking of our well-being and move on.

3 . We begin to connect with ourselves.

Let us remember the bio-psycho-social organization of man.

We have our own physical threshold for pain sensitivity, individual relationships and learned social reactions.

Feeling pain and, as a result, worrying is normal biological psychology. And conditioned reactions, such as the habits of a mother, friend, or other authoritative person, which we often rely on and unconsciously acquire, are important to evaluate critically.

Therefore, we start a Diary of Painful Situations and conscientiously fill it out for 7 days, until the next consultation.

4 . Let’s analyze .

We learn to observe and understand which reactions cause pain and make things worse. We designate and call them by name, for example, “my favorite trigger is unconditional responsiveness.”

We recognize what gets in the way of living a successful life, what strategies I have learned, and how what I do relates to how I feel.

This BREAKTHROUGH (usually occurs at 3–4 sessions) can be expressed in the realization: “I am tearing my soul/taking to heart something that is not actually happening” or “I am reacting violently for no reason,” etc.

What does a breakthrough bring?

A deep understanding of what is happening, the ability to separate harm from benefit, monitoring activity (your own and others), the ability to quickly regulate the quality of life.

And this is important to go through. For change.

5. Coping with pain and consequences.

The final 5th session (although behavioral and skill therapy begins with it) is a “break of the pattern”, a real cognitive collapse.

A person gets scared when he sees naked pain. Panic attacks, for example, are an automatic reaction to unconscious fear. And increased anxiety is a defense against painful feelings.

Therefore, it is important to master and master relaxation and mindfulness techniques in order to provide yourself with SOS help.

Here is a minimum of “Breathing Techniques for Self-Calm” that can significantly alleviate suffering.

After realizing what is happening, the pain “releases”.

In most cases, at step 5, a clarification of the worldview occurs, and for some, this awareness becomes the beginning of serious life changes.

6. We begin behavioral correction (10–12 sessions).

This is training in pragmatic thinking, assertiveness (confidence, defending one’s position), mastering problem-solving skills, appropriate reactions and other tools and principles for achieving quality of life.

Let’s go and do what is painful/scary/excruciatingly disturbing. First in imagination, then in reality.

The psychologist acts here as a support, a support in testing new behavior, and psychotherapy “ prepares for the worst ,” forming a certain “ stability and tolerance.”

7. When completing the work, it is important to check the criteria: that a rethinking of pain has occurred, that tolerance to suffering has arisen, that a state of comfort has been achieved, that the ability to receive pleasure has appeared, that there are actions that lead to the desired.