Can you recommend a good cognitive behavior therapist?

[Anonymous]

Specifically for help with impatience, anger, etc. I need help figuring out how to take a step back before snapping at my kids & husband. NWDC/Bethesda preferred. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

If you're willing to go to Falls Church, Dr. Claudia Lineweaver at www.northernvirginiacounseling.com is excellent. She deals with a variety of issues and uses cognitive therapy. Her number is [phone]. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

These might help:

http://nacbt.org/searchfortherapists.asp

http://web.mac.com/charlesmansueto/BehaviorTherapyCenter/Welcome_.html

[Anonymous]

the current washingtonian has a section on psychiatrists/psychologists/ counseling, including recommendations on CBTs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Specifically for help with impatience, anger, etc. I need help figuring out how to take a step back before snapping at my kids & husband. NWDC/Bethesda preferred. Thanks.

I saw Wanda Rappaport and adored her. I am literally a different person now because of the CBT I did with her. I worked with her for a year, about seven years ago, so hopefully she is still practicing:

Wanda Rappaport Phd
2440 M St Nw Ste 512, Washington, DC 20037-1498
Contact Phone: [phone]


Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Thank you. The last recommendation sounds perfect, but I appreciate all the replies.

[Anonymous]

to the 15:22 poster - how often did you see dr. rappaport - ie, once a week for a year? did she give you 'homework' to work on in between? what were your sessions typically like? trying to understand if this kind of therapy would help me. thank you!

[Anonymous]

15:22 here.

I saw her once a week for about 8 months, then once every two weeks for 2 months and then once a month for two months, until she told me that she enjoyed our conversations and was happy to keep seeing me but that she didn't think I needed to come anymore.

At first, the homework she gave me was about breathing. I was (and am to a large extent) a perfectionist and on the anxious side, and at that point, i was having anxiety attacks and was feeling very stressed. So my homework was about breathing at first, and then she gave me some relaxation exercises to do, which I did twice a day, every day, for several weeks (I still go back to these exercises in my stressful periods). As I calmed my body down and began to be more centered in myself, then we could work on things like how I could learn to ask people to help me rather than thinking I have to do everything myself, cutting myself slack on things, cutting my husband slack, being better about putting myself forward for things without fearing rejection, being a nicer and more supportive daughter and friend, etc. For a while, it was one step forward, two steps back. Then it became two steps forward, one step back. And finally, I was able to move forward with just occasional stumbles.

As I said, initially, our work was on my anxiety attacks - the immediate need I had that prompted me to go to her. So our work was very "here and now" focused. After the urgency of the anxiety calmed down, then we were able to dig back into things to see how my perfectionism and how my obsession with doing everything "right" was limiting my life in so many ways. We did spend some time talking about what in my childhood may have led me to be like this, but by and large, the focus of CBT is on changing the NOW, so it was a case of digging at the past to make sense of/change the present, not just for the sake of dredging the past.

I enjoyed working with her. One thing I would add is that CBT is best for people who really want to work and are ready to make changes. If you're ready to do the work needed to make you stronger or healthier or whatever it is you want to be, it may well be a great approach for you.

Good luck!