Thank you for your comment! I appreciate the feedback and application of an integrated approach.

Best Regards,

Margo

Thanks for your insightful post. I too am a CBT-trained therapist. I regard CBT as sort of an umbrella, a starting point, under which I progress with each new client based on their individual needs. I’m also a strong believer in collaboration with other providers as well as family members.

For example, say I have a client who suffers from depression but is also self-medicating with alcohol. My integrated approach would involve the following:

1. Communicate with his physician to make sure there isn’t a physical condition (e.g., hypothyroidism) that may be contributing to my client’s depression.

2. At some point early in our sessions, and with my client’s permission, have key family members join him in session. More often than not, the adjunctive information they provide fills in some key gaps in the client’s self-reported history.

2. Refer the client for a psychological evaluation, if indicated, to obtain specific diagnosis and to determine if referral to a psychiatrist for medications is recommended.

3. Refer him to a psychiatrist, if so recommended in his psych eval.

4. Commence CBT to address his depression while concurrently employing MI to help him transition from abusing alcohol to developing more appropriate resources for managing his mood. MI, as you know, works very well within a CBT framework.

I believe that effective psychotherapy/counseling involves a blending of art and science as well as collaboration with family and other healthcare professionals.

Thanks again for a great post!