Group CPT: Changes Cause Major Concerns

Due to the doc being sick in the middle of February, I didn't get to attend group CPT for over a month.  I was really looking forward to talking about all the good and bad that has happened over that time with the doc and the guys in group.  To my complete dismay, some other doc walked into our group and announced that he was covering the group while our regular doc was away.


He didn't even know that our group was a CPT group.  He didn't know that our group was current conflict only and had invited a veteran from a different generation to the group.  The regulars from my group were absent.

The meeting was a total disaster.  The doc wanted to talk to us about all the the techniques he used and promoted them heavily.  He pushed Emotional Freedom Technique (from everything I've read about that and 'tapping' makes me want to wonder if he got his license out of a cracker jack box) and some sort of thought interruption therapy.  When you are having an intrusive recollection, you verbally shout "STOP!".  It's supposed to interrupt the recollections.  Then you have the freedom to 'replace' the recollection with a positive memory.

It took every ounce of effort I had not to laugh in his face.  Anyone who has had an intrusive recollection knows that they call it 'intrusive' for a reason.  It overrides all other cognitive processes.  I could see how his therapy could work with obsessive thoughts, but that's not what an intrusive recollection is.  He just didn't get us at all and I wanted to scream.

All I know is that they better not plan on fucking up our group by putting this wackadoo, therapist in charge of the group.  He didn't even attempt to stay to the treatment type that the group was there to learn.  If this is the result of the hiring mandate put out by the VA administration, I think we'd be better off without.  It astounds and appalls me that they are allowing pseudoscience into the VA.  It's dangerous and has not met even the most basic burden of proof.

For more information, Visit This Website.