I went to a Psychiatrist a few months ago for a mental health assessment. She said that I don't need medications but that there are some real issues that I need to work out, from things that have happened to me in the past. When I brought up the Mormon church, she hesitated and then said "yes, I have several other clients with those same issues". Her expression was one of acknowledgement that there are some valid issues of mental health there that need to be worked out. She referred me to a counselor in her office since she doesn't do the counseling part herself.

So I started seeing this counselor. We've met three times now. That's been long enough for her to know a lot about me, and for her to start making some recommendations to me. It was interesting that when I described the pre-1990 endowment ceremony to her, she seemed shocked and possibly even skeptical (she tried to mask it but I am good at reading people), when I described the blood oaths to her. I couldn't detect any bias on her part though, just perhaps some attempts to mask her surprise about the content of the old temple ceremony. I said, "that really happened", and "just look up mormon blood oaths on the internet yourself". In that meeting, she said that my patterns of expression might indicate some level of bi-polar disorder, and she asked if I wanted to review the possibility of getting a medication for bi-polar disorder. I told her that I want to avoid any psychotropic drugs unless I absolutely need them. In that discussion, she also asked if I would consider "re-framing" some of my experiences. She didn't suggest the direction that such reframing might take. Has anyone here been asked by a counselor if they could reframe their experiences? I don't want to dismiss her suggestion. Maybe there is merit in her suggestion. I don't see any value to sugar-coating my experiences in how I myself see them. Can anyone here suggest a healthy reframe? I've got a lot of anger about how the church mis-led me for several years and I told her that. Less anger is probably a good thing. I don't know if that's where she was going or not.

I went to therapy for three years. The church was the central issue in my sessions. I was on meds and therapy. Reframing is not sugarcoating your experiences. I was put into a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy situation and that was what I needed. It is used in PTSD patients. I had issues before joining the church with rape and other issues. The idea of being "made clean" after baptism was one of the reasons I joined. It was the 70's and I just wanted to forget the past. Well, little did I know every man I dated in the church looked at me as damaged goods so I picked the one who would abuse me and leadership blamed me. Anyway the story continues to go south.

Back to CBT, ask your therapist about it, research it. If this looks like the right thing for you, a therapist with experience in this type of therapy is a must. I can reframe my experiences and I learned to control my responses to triggers. I am now out of the church and of course there are times I look back and the anger begins again, but I can now deal with it by "reframing" and not burying it inside of me. I feel free and in control. Good luck, it gets better.

Never heard of reframing with regard to therapy and had to take a quick look at various sources. I feel like I have done that on my own to some degree with a few things in my life but what your therapist has in mind may be different than what I am identifying with.

I used to have severe panic attacks due primarily to claustrophobia. They became manageable and gradually decreased to being very rare. The worst was on an airplane and was so unbearable I could have easily jumped out at 35,000 feet.

What I would call the reframing, was finally realizing that after they came on strong, they gradually subsided within about 25 minutes. So now they had been reframed with a light at the end of the tunnel. They were still awful, but were now framed in a positive way by understanding. I felt a smidgeon of control finally which is what is at the core of most of our problems I believe--a feeling that we are not in control and at the mercy of something outside of ourselves.

I don't see this as viewing a challenge from more angles which fosters some new options.


I also eventually started getting outside when they happened, going for a walk, or picking out objects to look at rename as a distraction.

My issues pale in comparison most likely to what you are going through. I have never been in therapy and maybe my experience won't be helpful to you at all in deciding where to go from here, but if you start a reframing technique and it isn't helping and you stop pursuing it, then at least you have decided that, you have controlled that. The technique sounds good to me though, depending on whether your therapist is actually good or not. Just cuz they have a license doesn't always mean they are the best as you know.

P.S. I find the issue with not being believed about the blood oaths suspicious.

I am not a psychology major but have taken a lot of 'community classes' in associated areas.

First let me say it is good of you to admit to going to get professional help. I am surrounded by people very much in need of it but it is a 'taboo' for them so it is hard to help them. I have taught a few techniques to my grandkids that 'fear' many things such as getting shots, etc..

Actually, my life has been much better using the various techniques I have studied. All people with goals (that should include us all) or those without goal (they really need some help) could be helped by some of these techniques as many things in our way probably relate to some 'negative feelings'.

All my techniques 'reframe' by significantly reducing any 'negative feelings' associated with any issue that seems to continue to come up in our lives. The issue is never 'forgotten' but the 'negative feelings' can and should be or it 'could' cause more problems in your future. I have seen fellow students literally burst out in tears over past issues then with the help of the techniques I have studied be able to talk about it without 'extreme negative feelings'.

Most things do not get solved by applying any technique one time but periodically when necessary.

The major techniques I use are 'tapping problems down' and 'visualizing them then destroying them'. ,

Good luck!