Trouble finding therapist

Hello everyone,

Several years ago i've gone through substantial part of SEP program to get a relieve in hyperacusis/wrist pain. These problems are now gone in a major degree. The problem that persisted is that my body developed substitute symptoms such as OCD, anxiety and dry eye. These were a lot easier to live with compared to wrist pain, so initially I accepted it for the time being. The problem is that these symptoms are more intense now.
I want to meet a therapist to help me find unprocessed emotions, that I couldn't found last time, and speed-up the process. The problem is - I live in Warsaw, Poland, and I haven't found any therapists in the "Practicioners Directory" TMS Wiki page, who work in my country. Nor searching google for TMS/MBS/PPD practicioners in my area give any results. The only couple I found were specialising in Total Biology and Recall Healing, which is - i suppose - similar to TMS. They are only physicians, not psychoterapists. On the other hand there are ISTDP therapists available there, who went through specific psychoterapeutic training. Who will be a better option in this case?

Best regards

 

Dr. Sarno’s chief psychologist, who helped him develop his tms treatment program and oversaw the other psychologists who subsequently worked in Sarno's clinic, was trained in ISTDP.

 

I used EMDR therapy, not for help with TMS symptoms, but for help with the fear/anxiety and to help me progress with the emotional work I needed to do.
Here is EMDR Poland https://emdr.org.pl/en/home-en/ (PTT EMDR | Polish EMDR Therapy Association (PT EMDR))

 

I've had a somewhat similar course to what you're describing. What has happened with me, and perhaps will with you, is that the psychological symptoms may simply settle with the passage of time and some further self reflection. That may be the large part of what's needed. Now that you're aware, just let time pass (that's from Claire Weekes). I share your frustration (rage in fact) with the difficulty of finding a psychologist. Besides having many dead links and waiting lists months long, most of the providers on our forum do not accept any form of insurance. Private pay only. Outrageously, that's natural in our society, because the medical industry, including the mental health industry, is not in business to heal people. The industry's goal is profit, and there's no profit in healing people with knowledge, reading books, journaling, etc.

So in many cases, a psychologist who knows Sarno's work might help, or might help speed things up. On the other hand, they come up with a lot of common things, like this: the believe that oneself is bad, unworthy, selfish or unwanted in some way (shame schemas); overly aroused perceived danger signals when none to little is present (vigilance schemas); deep seated feelings of helplessness, weakness, and vulnerability that are terrifying to face. They all amount to the same thing, which if you read carefully, Sarno talked about in his books. Personally, I paid $2,500 to tell you what I summarized in previous 3 sentences.

In a book by Bruce Ecker and others, Unlocking the Emotional Brain, there is a contributing psychologist from Poland: Monika Ciechowicz

She's a child psychologist, but who knows, maybe she would see adults too, or know someone in Poland who does.

 

This makes sense , especially the shame issue. I have not seen this addressed, anywhere, in a while. Something to think about,

 

I found this to be the most impactful passage of Bruce Ecker's book: A learned model or construct of oneself as bad, unworthy, and unlovable is the very source of the feeling of shame.

Sarno states the same many times in different ways. Suffice it to say that we all have some version of this. If the program is not installed by our early caregivers, then it comes from society, and is reinforced by society in any case. After some version of the message "you are unsafe," some variant of "you are bad" is probably the second most common message in daily life (all mostly unconscious). It's a vile concept, I absolutely hate it. We internalized this garbage because we feared rejection as small child, there was no choice as a matter of survival. Letting it go could release/unwind tremendous psychological energy.

 

Thank you all for the responses, your help mean a lot for me.
I mustered up the courage and finally enrolled in ISTDP therapy. Today is my first session, and I'm a little bit stressed about it. Wish me luck!

 

Congrats! What might be helpful is after each session take some time to journal how what you felt or learned in the session emotionally about yourself applies to Dr. Sarno's understanding. "How does my experience today help me understand my TMS?" Many people have success with therapists who don't know about TMS, but the person connects what they are learning to their own growing understanding of "why I have symptoms." "How does this apply to my symptoms?" Making the connection between therapy (and other) emotional experiences to the TMS theory is fundamental in my experience. It isn't just about feeling more. You might review the SEP sections and see if any of them jump out at you as well, as you feel more emotionally. Or engage in other resources like the Currable Ap.