Dear Dr. Burns --

You seem to be a very involved, structured and positive therapist. It has been difficult to find a therapist that fits this description. I've seen a couple of "cognitive therapists" but it only ended up being traditional talk therapy. No one has been able to be consistent with the three column technique or other strategies.

I am very knowledgeable about your strategies but I easily lose focus and get confused. I need guidance and consistency. What do you recommend therapy wise? How or where do I find a competent therapist?

DBs Answer

Dear friend,

This is one of the most common questions I get at this site. Many people want to know how and where to find a good cognitive therapist, or a good therapist in general.

First, you can look on my website referral page. You will find a couple referral lists there for cognitive therapists in various regions. This is a good place to start.

R

Unfortunately, only a tiny fraction of cognitive therapists are listed there. What are your other options?

You can call the local psychological, psychiatric or clinical social work associations in your region to ask for help. You can also call the corresponding departments at any local universities to ask. Finally, you will find several centers for cognitive therapy listed on the my referral page. You can email or phone them and ask for help. They will sometimes know of someone in your region.

My books can help you learn these methods as well, although they are not intended as a substitute for therapy with a mental health professional. There have been five published outcome studies on my book Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy. The book has been used as an antidepressant with no other treatments. The researchers have reported that two-thirds of the depressed people who were given the book improved or recovered in four weeks with no other treatment.

Here's a reference to one of their many research studies. It summarizes four previous studies and provides new data from a three-year follow-up on these patients:

Smith, N. M., Floyd, M. R., Jamison, C., and Scogin, F. (1997). Three-year follow-up of bibliotherapy for depression. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 65(2), 324-327.

Of course, you can link to the books at this website:

Book Information Page

The Ten Days to Self-Esteem is a systematic, ten-step program for learning cognitive therapy individually or in groups. A group leader's manual is also available. This book presents a brief and a somewhat simplified version of cognitive therapy.

I have recently completed the Time-Life multimedia version of cognitive therapy. It includes several new books, along with a videotape and five audio tapes. You can read about it by clicking here

I wish I could do more. I have been frustrated by how hard it can be to find a therapist who adheres to these methods in the way they are intended to be administered.

Finally, I would like to emphasize the importance of the written Daily Mood Log, which is a five-step process you do on paper, not in your head. When you write down your negative thoughts you can more easily attack them, one by one.

All the best,

David Burns, MD