Therapy at LDS Family Services

[Guest]

Does anyone here have first-hand experience with therapy at LDS Family services? Either individual or marital? 

[Palerider]

Does anyone here have first-hand experience with therapy at LDS Family services? Either individual or marital?

Not sure what you are looking for but I can tell you as a former Bishop I have experience with it and while serving my wife suffered a breakdown and we went to LDS Counciling for a year or just a little over. We didn't go because of marital issues ... What caused her situation was issues from her past.

[Guest]

Would you say it was a good experience?

[cdowis]

I understand that , in our area in the South, church social services no longer do does personal or family counseling.  They can refer you to private counselors.

[Str8Shooter]

Does anyone here have first-hand experience with therapy at LDS Family services? Either individual or marital? 

 

It is a wonderful resource.

[prisonchaplain]

Ironically, psychologytoday.com has a "find a therapist" tab.  You can filter for religious preference, and LDS is an option.  The Seattle area had 1.  Salt Lake City, UT had at least two-dozen. 

[Guest LiterateParakeet]

Eowyn,  I'll send you a PM. 

[NeuroTypical]

Does anyone here have first-hand experience with therapy at LDS Family services? Either individual or marital? 

 

Yes.  Both.  Pretty positive experiences, for both me, my wife, and both of us together.

[Palerider]

Would you say it was a good experience?

Yes it was a good experience.

[scdoyle]

My whole family, 7 of us, went to LDSSS for therapy and loved it

[thoughts]

There are times when it is good to have an LDS therapist.   But it si far more important to have a fully competent therapist who is themself emotionally healthy.  

 

If you are dealing with anxiety or depression, look for a professional who does cognitive behavior therapy, which is the only research proven intervention for those with teen depression, and one of two for PTSD, and also used effectively for adult depression and anxiety and other issues.   Many therapists claim they do it, few actually do it with fidelity.   You'll have homework, it won't take more than a few months, and you won't talk very often about past events.

 

I think the lds family services experience is about the same as any therapeutic experience.  Some counselors are good and a good fit for the problem and client.   The same counselors might be a bad fit for another client or problem.   It can take a couple of sessions to know whether you can establish a therapeutic bond, and if not you'll need to try another counselor. 

 

I didn't think my LDS Family Services counselor was appropriately trained and I didn't like what I saw as his incorrect expressions of gospel doctrine and righteous expectations.  But I did witness some really great work with an unmarried mother through the agency once.

[Urstadt]

Eovyn,

There is other research proving therapeutic interventions for anxiety and depression: dialectical behavioral therapy, psychodynamic psychotherapy, transference-based psychotherapy, positive psychotherapy, rational-emotive behavioral therapy, solution-focused therapy. Over 85% of practicing clinicians are eclectic anyway (sadly).

Regarding CBT for depression: an article* was posted this year about how the effect of CBT is failing, and has been steadily since 1978. It only has a success rate of about 25-38% (depending on which meta-analysis you read). So, look at it as an option to see if you're drawn to it, but it's not the only game in town and you may find something else that works better for you.

But, for marital family, you will want to consider Structured Family Therapy, Imago Therapy (my favorite of these types), Adlerian therapy, Object Relations Therapy- basically the therapies designed for marital and family therapy.

And how long it takes will actually depend on you (or whoever you're asking for), and what it is you're (or they're) going through. Any therapist with any kind of worthwhile experience will tell you, and a vast majority of literature from multiple disciplines supports this, that true change takes time and is very painful in the beginning. So be ready for that but don't get discouraged; it's part of the process.

Let me know if I can help any other way.

*Johnsen, T. J., & Friborg, O. (2015, May 11). The Effects of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as an Anti-Depressive Treatment is Falling: A Meta-Analysis. Psychological Bulletin. DOI: 10.1037/bul0000015

[thoughts]

*Johnsen, T. J., & Friborg, O. (2015, May 11). The Effects of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as an Anti-Depressive Treatment is Falling: A Meta-Analysis. Psychological Bulletin. DOI: 10.1037/bul0000015    Here is the link:  http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/2015-20361-001/

 

And it is worth the read before you discard CBT.    Yes this study reports falling effects, but that may be because of the quality of the treatment delivered, rather than CBT not being effective.   Many therapists claim they do it, but few actually do it.

 

PP, please post the research proving any other intervention is effective for depression and/or anxiety, or teen depression.

[Urstadt]

PP, please post the research proving any other intervention is effective for depression and/or anxiety, or teen depression.

 

The World Health Organization

 

The Cochran Collaboration

 

Recognition of Psychotherapy Effectiveness by the American Psychological Association.

 

Chambless, D. L. & Ollendick, T. H. (2001). Empirically supported psychological interventions:

Controversies and evidence. Annual Review of Psychology, 52, 685-716.

 

Seligman, M. E. P., Steen, T. A., Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2005). Positive psychology progress:

Empirical validation of interventions. American Psychologist, 60(5), 410-421.

 

Baardseth, T. P., Goldberg, S. B., Pace, B. T., Wislocki, A. P., Frost, N. D., et. al. (2013).

Cognitive-behavioral therapy versus other therapies: Redux. Clinical Psychology Review,

33, 395-405.

 

Shedler, J. (2010). The efficacy of psychodynamic psychotherapy. American Psychologist, 65(2),

98-109.

 

Glenn, C. R., Franklin, J. C., & Nock, M. K. (2014). Evidence-based psychosocial treatments for

self-injurious thoughts and behaviors in youth. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent

Psychology, 0(0), 1-29.

 

Weston, D., Novotny, C.M., & Thompson-Brenner, H. (2004). The empirical status of

empirically supported psychotherapies: Assumptions, finding, and reporting in controlled

clinical trials. Psychological Bulletin, 130(4), 631-663.

 

James, A. C., Winmill, L., Anderson, C., Alfoadari, K. (2011). A preliminary study of an extension of a community dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) programme to adolescents in the looked after care system. Child & Adolescent Mental Health, 16(1), 9-13: 10.1111/j.1475-3588.2010.00571.x

 

Gross, J. J. (Ed.). (2014). Handbook of emotional regulation (2nd Ed). New York: The Guilford Press.

 

And it is worth the read before you discard CBT.    Yes this study reports falling effects, but that may be because of the quality of the treatment delivered, rather than CBT not being effective.   Many therapists claim they do it, but few actually do it.

 

Yeah, they do suggest that as a possibility. But, it really is that clients are losing faith in it, as the authors of the article also suggests. CBT is just better as a secondary theory, not a primary one.