By Howard Rosenthal, EdD
on 12/23/14 - 4:28 PM
It's a shame for you not to write a book when many therapists do it so easily. The problem: Most psychotherapists know about as much about the publishing business as they do about building a nuclear power plant. When I listen to therapists talk about writing their first book I generally hear something like, "Gee, I'd like to write a general, counseling, psychotherapy, or self-help book." Let me assure you that the general counseling, psychotherapy, or self-improvement books are some of the...
By John Sommers-Flanagan, PhD
on 6/27/14 - 12:00 PM
We have an American cultural norm to disrespect teenagers. For example, it’s probably common knowledge that teens are: Naturally difficult Not willing to listen to good common sense from adults Emotionally unstable Impulsively acting without thinking through consequences Wait, most of these are good descriptors of Bill O’Reilly. Isn’t he an adult? Seriously, most television shows, movies, and adult rhetoric tends toward dismissing and disrespecting teens. It’s not unusual for people to express sympathy to parents of teens. “It’s a hard time . . . I...
By John Sommers-Flanagan, PhD
on 2/25/14 - 1:24 PM
In 1975, Herbert Benson of Harvard University wrote that to achieve a “relaxation response” you only need four ingredients. These included (a) a quiet place, (b) a comfortable position, (c) a mental device, and (d) a passive attitude. Benson’s relaxation response was, of course, roughly equivalent to the meditative mental state. His work presaged the mindfulness movement in psychotherapy. He identified a psychological place of exploration, discovery, and acceptance. His research linked the relaxation response to a variety of physiological...
