The Kitchen Shrink

Frankly, I'm very surprised there haven't been any comments here yet. Your posting is provocative and exciting in what ISTDP promises to offer: a relatively brief psychodynamic treatment that is both highly efficacious and cost-effective. (Though I find that integration of such experiences can take more time.) And one that can be experimentally measured and empirically validated as well, if not better than, cognitive-behavioral therapy. That is very good and encouraging news in the war being waged against psychotherapy these days. (See my coming post.) Nice work!

I believe this is the Davanloo training. Yes, it seems quite powerful - the provoking of and unleashing of suppressed anger can be powerful. I think that triage is important. This is not for everyone - I believe the instructors were focusing on personality disorders in my training, but perhaps I'm remembering incorrectly. It also requires the therapist to be basically an a-hole, as I recall, which is not something I'd like to turn myself into (poking with a hot iron on the deepest wounds of a person in pain. I suppose they argue they are breaking through resistance.) And while the instructors gave reassurances that none of their clients had actually acted out their rage in session or afterwards - I'm not so convinced of safety.

As a survivor of CSA, recovered memories and subsequently, a journey through the justice system and obtaining my BA in Psychology from the University of Saskatchewan, I have maintained a strong interest and ongoing personal need for healing.
Dr. Stephen Diamond states that a person's anger is important and should not be denied. I strongly agree. In my healing journey, one of the most productive days I encountered was taking a baseball bat to an old car and expressing some of the rage I carried for years. That rage is now anger which I am still after twenty years attempting to understand and channel in appropriate ways. From a personal situation, my anger is presently focused on psychiatrists and psychiatric wards where rage is treated with medication and ECT. How barbaric. Society has a natural aversion to anger and that aversion is leading us to our doom.
Dr. Wang is right on the money with ISTDP. In my process of recovering memories I relived each instance of abuse full technicolor. I saw, heard, smelled and felt each of the events. I did this with the aid of a very loving and terrified husband who supported me on every step of my journey.
Sadly, while offenders are offered shelter, food, and "rehabilitation" at the expense of taxpayers, survivors are left alone to not only try and find appropriate help but are also hindered by having to pay for said help should they be fortunate enough to find it. Should they be unfortunate enough to enter the psychiatric world, they will leave unempowered, labeled and dependent on medication. How can I help in this war against survivors?