An Alexithymic Therapist in Victoria Australia

[Lisa Testart]

Hello!

I just thought I would introduce myself.

I have alexithymia and I am a therapist. 

Using an immersive parts therapy (Resource Therapy), coupled with intense skills based coaching and emotional training, I have found that Alexithymia responds to a multi-pronged approach focussing on the underlying trauma and repressed emotional issues, which in turn open up the internal personality structure to the possibility of change and growth.

It's a fascinating thing to see people blossom and grow into their confidence and strengths, and I thought I'd say hi, let you know there's someone out there who sees you, and that there is a way forward.

xxx

[Blanca Magaly Cardenas]

Would you mind sharing a contact information ?

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[Lisa Testart]

Hi Blanca,

I am located in Gippsland, Victoria, and my website is www.loving-therapy.com or email is in...@loving-therapy.com 

My other work is in the legal profession: www.witnesspreparation.com.au

My website is undergoing a change, so it's not very reflective of the work I do at the moment.

People can find me on facebook at The Alexitymia Therapist, or The Alexithymia Unicorn :-)

I also have a FB education and support group for individuals and therapists who want to understand this better at facebook.com/groups/thealexithmiaunicorn

Cheers,

Lisa

[Nick Glover]

Hello

There is no evidence I know of that 'immersive therapy' reduces or resolves Alexithymia.  If there is published evidence

that this therapy has been found to work, then put source on this forum. 

Nick Glover

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[Lisa Testart]

Hi Nick,

I am sorry I was not clearer. I did not state that this is what resolves or reduces symptoms, simply that it is a modality I use in conjunction with the other work I do with clients.

Let me explain it so there is no misunderstanding.

You are quite correct to say that immersive therapy doesn't resolve or reduce Alexithymia. 

The reason why it is a necessary adjunct to the work with clients is because clients don't just present with a standalone condition. Just because a person has Alexithymia doesn't mean they don't have depression, or trauma, or PTSD, or any other issue impacting on their life, and working on those issues is actually one of the first things we do in session. 

The immersive modality I use is Resource Therapy, and you are more than welcome to read more about this fascinating personality theory here: www.resourcetherapyinternational.com

We are all made up of personality parts/states/resources, with everyone having a wealth of internal parts making up their personality. There is research indicating that some neurological pathways responsible for processing of emotions are thought to become atrophied in people with Alexithymia.

In Resource Therapy we work with the personality parts of clients to facilitate a change process, but I have never yet found it able to work on any issues directly linked to Alexithymia. For instance, a feeling vocabulary can't be brought to life - I know, I have tried to use RT to work on my own Alexithymia without success.

The value of using a brief, issue-based, immersive parts therapy with a client presenting with Alexithymia is that we are able to resolve, reduce, and stabilise the peripheral issues while helping the client to develop and work on the practical skills that need addressing.

I had a client just last week presenting with PTSD symptoms after narrowly avoiding being hit by a car. 

Once that was addressed with RT, we were able to begin working on the Alexithymia. 

RT works at a subconscious level with the personality part holding onto unwanted feelings, emotions and behaviours, regardless of the ability of the client to have any memory recall - it works even with a client who lives with dissociative amnesia and has no trauma memory or recall.

The purpose of RT is to normalise the part, taking the intrusive feelings, emotions or behaviours from Implicit Memory, to Explicit Memory and allowing any trauma or intrusive issues impacting on their life aside from the Alexithymia to be resolved early in our sessional work to improve the cognitive and emotional receptivity of the client. Once feeling calmer and lighter when issues from the past are worked on, the ability to focus on the practical skills based work becomes easier. 

I've included some articles and references if anyone is interested, and I have pasted an explanation of implicit and explicit memory from the one of the attachments.

Implicit Memory

Implicit memory is described as memory that impacts an indi- vidual without his or her conscious awareness (see Schacter, 1987). According to the Ehlers and Clark cognitive model (Ehlers & Clark, 2000), individual differences in the salience of traumatic cues at the time of the trauma result in differential priming of perceptual cues, privileging traumatic stimuli with a processing advantage. This model posits that individuals with PTSD may orient readily to idiosyncratic trauma cues in the environment, and have difficulty shifting their attention away from these cues. These cues may be activated with extremely brief exposure to cues, or to cues which only partially or tangentially resemble the original stimulus. The heightened perceptual awareness may then trigger memories of the trauma via cue-driven, involuntary retrieval. Thus, according to this model of PTSD, the susceptibility to perceptual priming, or implicit memory, for trauma cues will

contribute to PTSD symptom development and maintenance in survivors of trauma. A survivor of an assault, for instance, may not understand what triggered a recent flashback, without realizing that someone near her was wearing the same aftershave as her assailant. In this example, she would have unconsciously oriented to a trauma cue (the aftershave), and experienced involuntary retrieval of the traumatic memory (the flashback).

Explicit Memory

The Ehlers and Clark cognitive model of PTSD also posits that trauma survivors with PTSD will evidence decreased explicit memory for traumatic stimuli as compared to survivors without PTSD and nontraumatized controls.

Explicit memory, or concep- tual priming, consists of memory that has been integrated into the autobiographical memory in an organized fashion. Increased ex- plicit memory for traumatic material competes with stimulus- driven implicit memory for traumatic material. Thus, increased explicit memory for traumatic material can inhibit implicit mem- ory (which facilitates involuntary, cue-driven retrieval) for this material, decreasing the symptoms of PTSD."

- CITATION

Minshew, R., & D’Andrea, W. (2014, June 2). Implicit and Explicit Memory in Survivors of Chronic Interpersonal Violence. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0036787

I am glad you asked the question and put me to the challenge. I will also attach a reference / bibliography list for you if you are interested in further reading. It's easy for people to create bogus claims to heal and so on. I see this around me all the time. You are right to challenge and I welcome the opportunity to discuss it further. 

As a person who has an extensive trauma background from lived experience, including severe dissociative amnesia, structural dissociation, suicidal ideation, ADHD, major depression, Crohns Disease, Myasthenia Gravis, childhood sexual abuse AND Alexithymia, I would never make any claim to be able to remove Alexithymia, but it can be managed, and reduced in severity through education, understanding, and doing practical things to expand comfort zones and step out of avoidant complacency.

Cheers,

Lisa 

[Lisa Testart]

I forgot to say that in Australia, Resource Therapy is an advanced form of Ego State Therapy as taught and developed by Professor Gordon Emmerson.

xxx

On Saturday, September 29, 2018 at 5:50:37 PM UTC+10, Nick Glover wrote:

[Mimosa UK]

Hi Lisa
Thank you for this! I will look into it! But on first reading it looks so interesting. I think we can be so drawn into ‘evidenced based’ thinking in our left brain society that we forget that discovery and curiosity came from .....somewhere else. I suffer from alexithymia and have had child hood trauma and chronic trauma. I study psychological trauma now at post grad and am now thinking of following the counselling route. So your post is quite inspirational!
Thank you
Lou

[Nick Glover]

Hello

To those in the UK and Australia  -  its good too see a forum on Alexithymia. Its a highly neglected condition.

It can be linked to trauma, but also to illnesses such as cancer, arthritis, lupus, medically unexplained symptoms,

increased and or chronic pain, etc. It is also often present in Alcohol / drug addiction, Autism, depression, BPD, etc.

Alexithymia is thus associated with many well known other conditions, but it can also occur without past trauma (psychological).

The main characteristic of Alexi is that it inhibits emotional expression (verbalizing of emotion), often with a poorer self recognition of emotion, poorer articulation of emotions, poorer self awareness or poorer awareness of others emotional states. Sometimes Alexithymic people 'avoid' emotional words to discuss or name their own emotions. 

The 'good' news is that it can be treated therapeutically, but not in a simple way. Mentalization therapy can help, interpersonal therapy too,

group therapy, etc. (I would tend to avoid therapies that show no track record with this condition). 

Lower cost and or free therapy is more available in the UK, clearly less so in Australia.  In the UK, I would approach the WPF or the Tavistock clinic. 

The bad news is that few clinicians work directly with Alexithymia, or even recognize it.  It responds better to psychotherapy more than to everyday counselling, and medications are not effective. It effects men and women almost equally, and is found in around 10-12% of the general population, but is higher in mental health populations, and (oddly) also high in University students.  

Many children and adults with Autism also have Alexithymia  -  the latter often is not diagnosed when the Autism is diagnosed. Therefore often linked Alexithymia is again either under-recognized or simply left untreated. This is a problem (also) in that Alexithymia does not resolve itself 'naturally'. 

I would always advise that you see someone who is well trained / qualified therapeutically, & who really knows about Alexithymia, and yes it can be (separately) diagnosed.  The key issue is the client's motivation to seek help, choosing the right therapists, and possibly committing to 20 or more sessions. The treating therapist should be familiar with using / uses the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (Tas-20). 

There are many easily to obtain articles on it, and some books (see Amazon books). 

I hope this simple information helps. Clearly there should be more recognition and understanding of this debilitating / genuine condition.

Nicholas Glover

Psychotherapist

(Australia)   

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[Blanca Magaly Cardenas]

I have a question to all people who are reading this, 

Is it common for a person with alexythemia to need to take anti depressants and anxiety medicine for the rest of their life? 

I am taking this medication. I started taking it a month ago. I was feeling like I was running out of "fuel" and I was left emotion less to the point that i wanted to commit suicide so I got on medication. 

I believe I am alexythemic because my parents never validated or attended my emotions. Not once. 

I am 22 now. I even went to an autism test just to make sure I was not autistic, but the test was negative. Alexythemia is definitely under looked. It has taken over my whole personality and mentality and it is a distinguished and unique condition. I am mentalizing my emotions and trying to do self therapy, as well as talking to my therapist about my childhood to help me understand it more. 

It is very hard. I live in the US and I know no body that specializes in this or understands this well. 

Thank you all for giving me a space here, to express myself. 

Sincerely, 

Blanca Cardenas 

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[Nick Glover]

Hello

Appreciated your personal story re Alexithymia. I do not think medication is as common for say Alexithymia as much

as say is for chronic depression or anxiety symptoms. Medication will not relieve or reduce Alexithymia but might feel ?? temporarily 'soothing' for some. I treated maybe 4-6 people with marked Alexithymia who were not, when I saw them, trying to deal with by medication. By treated I mean psychotherapy. But if also had clinical depression, well many took something for that. 

On the other hand, I would never say stop medication. I might informally suggest a modest dose only (just say one medication as many help with both anxiety and depression anyhow, so don't often need one for each condition). Your Dr is best person to discuss medication with, more so than Forum members from a safety /  professional point of view.  Your Doctor should know something about Alexithymia and might know a useful therapist or organization. Many psychoanalytical training centres is US offer reduced cost therapy, also groups. 

I would think there would be therapists including analysts who could help. If can find a modest cost one (or via insurance). A group would be cheaper, and interpersonal group therapy (fairly common in USA) has been found helpful for Alexithymia. Helpful within say 6 months of. Some maybe need more.  Mentalization is likely helpful too, but don't think DIY approach is as helpful. But if is helping should be able to use meds more sparingly. You just need someone who believes in Alexi, they don't have to be a super-expert in to get help from. 

Yes Alexi is not always linked to Autism, just as linked to trauma, un-validating Parents, depression, Alcohol, illnesses, etc. 

Mindfulness can help somewhat - and is free. 

Hope this helps slightly.   take care. 

Nick Glover

Psychodynamic Psychotherapist 

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[Mimosa UK]

Hi again. I have been seeing a psychotherapist for a few years now and I do feel that alexithymia has been a barrier to recovery from child hood trauma. Mine also due to lack of validation of emotions as a small child. However I do feel I am getting in touch with my bodily states more and more and able to pick up on their cues. My therapist will often pick up on my states before I do and we try to discuss them.....I believe this is more sensorimotor psychotherapy style....(Pat Ogden). The next stage for me is getting the right vocabulary for my bodily state.....this would normally be learnt as a child so it is a matter of learning for first time. It’s like being parented all over again.....sorry, I mean parented properly for first time.

[Mimosa UK]

Also, just to add, I do notice a correlation in my ability to recognise and, more importantly acknowledge and self validate my bodily sensations, with a decrease in frequency of unexplained physical symptoms such as rashes on skin. My chronic back pain is linked to pent up emotion and I have more recently had phases where I have no pain at all. ( I have had every test to rule out anything physical) So when I talk about the self validation, I think this has only come with internalising my therapist. It has taken a long time to build up trust, not surprising at all, but I think this plays a big part in recovery and it’s just not automatic that one will gain this in any therapy session in a set amount of time. The brain is very malleable, at age 22 ( I think the last post said) and , even at my age (50) it has every chance of creating neural pathways that are there waiting to be connected. ‘The neuroscience of human relationships’ Cozolino, is a really interesting book and makes you realise how key close human relationships are in our brain development as a baby/child. But also beyond that....my relationship with my therapist will be my key to my recovery.

[Nick Glover]

Hello

Very good to see 'Mimosa' talking about how therapy is helping  -  This is a great example of someone's determination, combined with using an appropriate therapeutic resource. 

This is really the only real way to tackle Alexithymia. Not easy but worthwhile. 

The development of trust (in the therapeutic client-therapist alliance) is clearly a developmental ally to this person's courage to change

Nick Glover

Psychotherapist

On Sun, Sep 30, 2018 at 7:56 PM Mimosa UK <lou6...@gmail.com> wrote:

Also, just to add, I do notice a correlation in my ability to recognise and, more importantly acknowledge and self validate my bodily sensations, with a decrease in frequency of unexplained physical symptoms such as rashes on skin. My chronic back pain is linked to pent up emotion and I have more recently had phases where I have no pain at all. ( I have had every test to rule out anything physical) So when I talk about the self validation, I think this has only come with internalising my therapist. It has taken a long time to build up trust, not surprising at all, but I think this plays a big part in recovery and it’s just not automatic that one will gain this in any therapy session in a set amount of time. The brain is very malleable, at age 22 ( I think the last post said) and , even at my age (50) it has every chance of creating neural pathways that are there waiting to be connected. ‘The neuroscience of human relationships’ Cozolino, is a really interesting book and makes you realise how key close human relationships are in our brain development as a baby/child.  But also beyond that....my relationship with my therapist will be my key to my recovery.

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[Mimosa UK]

Thank you for your comment Nick. I do feel positive about recovery and also have highly avoidant states so finding this site is good for that conflict inside me. It helps to directly address the alexithymia part of me. My therapist is very integrative so it’s only when I really think afterwards (or look back at my therapy log - 4 years of it) that I can sort of see what and how he was addressing different sessions. Of course, sometimes I’ll have no idea when I’ve dissociated. My awareness and interest of his methods has increased since studying trauma too. And now I am aware that I can intellectualise too much with him and avoid talking about myself, so even through studying trauma I have found a way to take it all away from myself. Avoidant clients can be very challenging I know!

[Alex Down]

Lisa Testart - I was really impressed by your response to Nick on this. I was diagnosed in my 40s with Autism Spectrum Disorder and I also have Alexithymia. Despite this, (or maybe because of it) I've had a successful career so far as an engineer. What advice would you give me about Resource Therapy when I inherently resist any form of change as it makes me uncomfortable? I do have depression and anxiety so I should be motivated to get help, but the help looks like it's going to cause me distress and I'm not sure it's worth it.

I live in Canada, or I would have booked an appointment to talk to you in person.

Thanks,

Alex

[Nick Glover]

Hi Alex

First I like others appreciate your openness re your post.  As you know many people on the Spectrum have Alexithymia issues too. 

Resource therapy seems o.k. - most therapies are are pretty equal in effect.  However two things to bear in mind; One, there is no evidence for that approach, but more important is, that Alexithymia (more so when linked to AS) is not something that would usually be very responsive to a brief or time limited approach (which resource therapy is, briefer approach).  Most therapists unless unethical would not try (take you into) a time determined brief therapy for a issues that needs much longer to repair, reduce properly, let alone something like resolve.  There is no ideal therapy foe Alexithymia, no amazing one at all ..  but those who have helped people with, in genuine way, would agree its a longer term therapeutic project.  I like and respect time limited therapies if not too pushy, but does not work for Alexithymia.  If was otherwise say any good therapist could help, the therapist (and the relationship) is more important than model of therapy by far. However Alexithymia is even in good hands not a short term therapy journey . Say once weekly therapy - think talking 2-5 years as a average. Depends on whole range of factors exactly how long.   The idea is to get an improvement that lasts. Hence something worth the time, effort, and money.  

You can always email Graham Taylor in Canada ..  he is one of the foremost researchers / therapist re Alexithymia.  I hope this helps at least insofar as realism goes.  Cheers

p.s. I have very similar diagnostic profile myself. also was a qualified 'public service' employed U.K. Psychotherapist for many years

Good luck, 

Nick Glover

Psychotherapist (retired). 

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[Regan Dow]

Thank you Nick- that does help. One of my fears is that this is not going to respond easily to any kind of treatment (when Autism is involved reactions are different) and I don't want to do therapy if it's not going to help very much given the distress it's going to cause. And although the time-frame you provided is long, it seems realistic. Do you know where in Canada Graham Taylor lives? I don't want to risk seeing someone who isn't very good at their job....

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[Nick Glover]

Hi .. not sure name of person I am responding to ..  as name not on end of message.  Graham Taylor, I think, lives in or around Toronto. However he is retired and does not see clients.   Unless you dead set against .. I would actually consider group therapy run by someone who is a full member of the American Group psychotherapy Association (AGPA).  Properly qualified, etc.  Plus its more affordable.  If set in individual therapy, then someone broadly psycho-dynamic, a modern psychoanalyst, or someone interpersonal.  Another useful model is  Mentalization.   So far only group psychotherapy has demonstrated track record for improving Alexithymia (e.g. evidence for).  If was me I would seek once weekly and try 6-9 months then review where your at (any progress I mean) ?

but 2 years or more might be required. But start with say 6-9, 12 months. then review with therapist, plus yourself, any thoughtful / supportive partner, etc. 

There are / will be solid psychotherapists or analysts in Canada, and as I said do consider a 'suitable' Group. 

Your aim, if you agree is to reduce the Alexithymia.  There is a evaluation of it called TAS-20 ..  any decent therapist will use this as helps to see what changes occur (Alexithymia score, etc). 

If your ok with the / your AS - focus on the Alexithymia aspects. But good psychotherapy (decent warm  empathic / non-silent / Therapist) can somewhat help in AS too.  Not resolve of AS of course, but way to explore it, become more aware, maybe reduce more difficult / stuck bits. Or say function better.  

If working is not a huge problem that is a pretty good sign anyhow.  

I always worked with same conditions too. Not always easy but did. Hence I could and did afford therapy. I had maybe 8 years of, but in 3 separate bits. Not all at once.  Try to find someone can afford, and who you can feel comfortable with / trust. If they have never heard of Alexi .. move on !     

If you go to American Group psychotherapy Association website should find couple of active Therapists in most parts of urban Canada too.  Or say look for some decent looking Canadian body of Psychotherapists'. Or,  a modern type psychoanalyst  (go to you tube and type in 'modern psychoanalyst' to see what I mean. Just go for once weekly, twice weekly at most. 

Hope this helps a bit.

cheers

Nick Glover  

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[Nick Glover]

PS, good therapy, paced well .. supportive should not cause too much or excessive extra distress.  Crap therapy might, but good well paced therapy will not or should not create excessive (further) distress.  If it did .. move on !

Nick 

On Wed, Jan 16, 2019 at 10:45 AM Regan Dow <rega...@gmail.com> wrote:

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[Mimosa UK]

Hi Nick,
Just wondering if this group is still active? I’m not sure how these groups work. I wanted to ask a question but will wait to see if this is live.....
Louise

[Nick Glover]

Hi Louise

thanks for contact .. you asked a good question .. I have not heard anything from the Alexithymia group (members) for at least 4 months .. so either there is some lesser service .. or the admin for 'group' gone ?  .. though is, or was. 230 or so members .. 

Or as you think .. is not live anymore .. really don't know.  Are you in Australia ?

Can I assist you 

Cheers, Nick Glover

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[Nick Glover]

Hi Louise

If you toggle on Alexithymia group .. shows some info on Google groups ..

seems were 15 exchanges of contact in Feb this year  .. then zero till a handful last month / now, e.g. 2-3 exchanges (our exchange = 2 right now.  (most) Active members list is only about 10 people .. but membership number about 240.

Maybe Admin members will say what is happening ...  hope Admin might clarify why no activity much since Feb this year ?

cheers, Nick

On Mon, Sep 9, 2019 at 6:03 PM Mimosa UK <lou6...@gmail.com> wrote:

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[Mimosa UK]

Hello Nick
I am in the UK. It was a question for you and other therapists who treat alexithymia really. I wasn’t sure if the site had stopped, so was just checking. I am doing a piece of research on ..... still narrowing down .... treating alexithymia with people with early trauma/childhood trauma. Looking at evidenced, positive treatment outcomes. I have completed a mini search but will need to do a full scoping review to see the amount of evidence available to see if it is a viable question (for a systematic review). I am studying psychological trauma. I am interested in what your understanding is of the amount of evidence there is in this area? Or any light you can shed on this ?
Louise