Search Results for: lena firestone

Why Domestic Violence Occurs and How to Stop It

…lusion of connection between a couple, what my father, psychologist Robert Firestone, has referred to as a “fantasy bond.” This dynamic feeds into a sense that another person can make you whole and is responsible for your happiness. These two dangerous belief systems set up an environment for abuse. While women are more likely to experience domestic violence, forms of abuse occur between all kinds of couples, whether of the opposite or same sex, m…

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Suicide Prevention Advice

…oved one “step back from the edge.” Suicide Prevention Tips: Read Dr. Lisa Firestone’s tips for how to help someone at risk for suicide. Coping Suggestions for the Suicidal Person The Do’s and Don’ts of Suicide Prevention Helper Tasks: How You Can Help Someone Who’s Suicidal Suicide: The Warning Signs Suicide: How You Can Help Someone at Risk Busting the Myths About Suicide   The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline If you or someone you know is i…

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A New Slant on Vulnerability: Strength Not Weakness

[This blog contains excerpts from an interview with Dr. Robert Firestone by Fred Branfman, political activist and author of Voices from the Plain of Jars] Part I: Fred Branfman: In our culture the idea of being vulnerable is associated with being fearful, anxious, and weak. For example, politicians and business leaders tend to project an air of invulnerability. In contrast, one of your central ideas is that vulnerability is an adaptive and desira…

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The Secret to Happiness and Well-Being

…sh their goals. This approach to life represents what my father Dr. Robert Firestone has identified as being in an adult mode, in contrast to maintaining a childish stance or adopting a parental/ judgmental point of view. He sees these characteristics as essential elements to being an emotionally healthy individual. The idea that resilience is one of the primary keys to well-being is backed by Dr. Salvatore Maddi’s 35 years of research into “hardi…

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How to Find Your Happiness

…process of differentiation developed by my father, psychologist Dr. Robert Firestone. I explain these steps in more detail in my blog, “Becoming Your Real Self,” however to summarize they involve: Separating from destructive attitudes that were directed toward us that we’ve internalized Differentiating from negative traits of our parents and influential caretakers Breaking free of the old defenses that we built to cope with negative childhood even…

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Are You Sabotaging Your Relationship?

…a tendency to form a “fantasy bond,” a term coined by my father Dr. Robert Firestone. The fantasy bond is a defense that allows us to feel as if we’ve joined with another person. This illusion of fusion can make us feel safe and secure, but it actually undermines our most vital feelings of love. What happens when people retreat into fantasy is that they let the form of the relationship replace the substance. They start to relate as a unit, present…

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Free Yourself from Your Inner Critic – A Weekend Retreat in Ojai, CA

…14 Where: Private Retreat Center in Ojai, California Instructors: Dr. Lisa Firestone and Joyce Catlett Description: Each of us has an “inner critic” judging our every action and instructing us on how to live our lives. But how much are we letting this inner critic control us and sabotage our goals? Are we living our own life or are we living based on someone else’s expectations or prescriptions for our life? Are our actions based on what we really…

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Do You Confuse Admiration with Love? Tales of a Covert Narcissist

…apist recommended that I read Conquer Your Critical Inner Voice, by Robert Firestone, Lisa Firestone and Joyce Catlett. There I learned methods for challenging this compulsion. By working through the journaling exercises, I gradually modified my defensive ways of relating to men, which had included building up a relationship partner, which was a disservice to both of us. Here are some other insights I gained from reading the book that may be helpf…

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Learn the CPR of Suicide Prevention Webinar Resources

Here you will find resources from Dr. Lisa Firestone’s September 11, 2014 Webinar “Learn the CPR of Suicide Prevention.” The slides from the presentation, video clips, books, films and additional mentioned resources are all available here. Missed the Webinar? Watch now: See slides from “Learn the CPR of Suicide Prevention” here See a full list of upcoming Webinars with Dr. Lisa Firestone, here * All Webinars are provided by The Glendon Associatio…

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The Inner Voice that Undermines Your Relationship

…r voices and the defensive behaviors these voices regulate,” said Dr. Lisa Firestone in her book Conquer Your Critical Inner Voice. How does the critical inner voice try to undermine a relationship? Take look at the scene in Annie Hall where the main characters, Annie and Alvy, have just met and are having a glass of wine on the balcony of her apartment: ALVY: So, did you shoot the photographs in there or what? ANNIE: Yeah, yeah, I sorta dabble ar…

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