CBT vs. Autisitc-friendly CBT

Thanks for this which I saw yesterday and ordered this and it just arrived. I have recently started CBT and had my 3rd session on Monday, since when I've been in turmoil, so I hope this helps.

Thanks Iain  I'll give them a look.  Safe journey.

Hi Damojo  I've just had a bad experience with a CBT appointment - started a new thread on it.

maybe give it a look

Damojo said:

Does anyone have experience or knowledge of CBT with and without such "adaptations"?

Sorry I don't have time for a detailed answer (I'm waiting for my flight at the moment) but the following links give a lot more detail:

https://www.psychreg.org/cbt-autism/

Here’s How We Can Adapt Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to Accommodate for Those with Autism

For an interesting, if weighty read, the following deep dive covers a lot:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6150418/

Adapting Psychological Therapies for Autism – Therapist Experience, Skills and Confidence

Hehe - I like the down wind bit :-) Having 2 dogs helped us get around the lonely bit.

I'm a physio so appreciate the concern about yoga and dodgy backs!

Not what one does but how one does it is perhaps the best approach to exercise :-)

Phased said:

bovine assisted therapy

Cow Bonding Time (CBT)

Oh, I don't doubt that if one can work with horses, one can work with other animals on farms. I've nothing against horses, either, I just need to stand upwind of them. They always seem such sensitive souls.

I grew up with a dog as a pet. It lived to a ripe old age (around 20, I think). I like dogs, but I decided not to "own" one myself. I think I'd over-empathise and worry how it would be feeling when left alone at home.

I'll probably give the goat yoga a miss. I have a dodgy back.

Please excuse my joining in here, I know of a few people who find great comfort by being with with horses - including one late teenage who clearly get lots from it :-)  my first instinct was for humor (OK that says something about one of my default social strategies... ) re: bovine assisted therapy - did a search and yep such a thing exists why was I so credulous!  seems that cows are most attuned to women for whatever reason.  I am fortunate to share the house with 2 dogs as part of the family.  There is the enormous sadness that their lives are so much shorter in time than human on average - that said great therapy for attenuating to emotions and also for exercise :-)  PS Goat yoga?

radiofred said:

working with horses

Thanks for the assist, radiofred. I'm really glad that's working for you. Unfortunately, the smell of horses is one of my triggers! I could probably do cows, though, so maybe there's hope for me yet.

I have done CBT on the NHS - about 5 years ago (during Covid times, so it all had to be over the phone)....It didn't really work for me. 

What has worked is Equine Assisted Therapy - essentially, it combines working with horses (all on the ground - not horse riding) and traditional CBT techniques.

Crucially, it is in person (and in horse ) and the therapist has worked with countless clients with autism (and other neurodiversities). It has been incredibly effective for me, simply because the horses are so intelligent - they can pick up on, and often mirror, human emotions - It is great for learning boundaries and understanding how my thoughts, feelings and actions impact on those around me.

Highly reccomended!

I recently did a "basic level" course with local NHS services.  They had me do some questionnaires picked up on anxiety and depression then somehow ended up focusing on the anxiety bit.   Hmmmm... can't say I was particularly impressed as one of the strategies used was that I was required to identify how I felt under particular circumstances then try some "grounding techniques" and see if that changed how I felt under those circumstances.  I kind of already knew that I struggle to identify cognitively what emotion I am experiencing so can't say I particularly found that easy.... Maybe coincidence but I am getting a little better at working out how I feel now....  Anyway I would suggest doing a little research into alexithymia and it's correlate with autism based on my experience - this might give an insight into one questions to ask and what to expect if this applies to you too.

I suppose the key thing for them to be able to appreciate and adjust to are the cognitive differences that are broadly characteristic of autism compared to neurotypical.  Google says these are:

"a preference for detailed vs. holistic processing, differences in speed and depth of intuitive processing, challenges with social cognition and understanding non-literal language, and altered patterns of functional brain connectivity" 

So at the very least they'd need to understand that there's not much mileage in looking for rapid intuitive processing from an autistic person as part of the therapy unless it is on a topic of special interest that you're already into!

This book is popular here:

The Autistic Survival Guide To therapy

By Steph Jones

uk.jkp.com/.../the-autistic-survival-guide-to-therapy