…hy is it so hard to stop procrastinating? We all possess what psychologist Robert Firestone describes as a “critical inner voice.” This “voice” is like a mean coach, critiquing our performance, questioning our abilities and encouraging us to stray from our goals. People who procrastinate tend to have a loud and active inner critic. They may hear self-hating thoughts like, “You won’t do it right, so why do it at all?” or “Don’t take a chance. You’l…
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…rson… Learn More 3) Fear of Intimacy As my father, psychologist and author Robert Firestone, wrote in his article “You Don’t Want What You Say You Want,” “Most of us profess that we want to find a loving partner, but the experience of real love disrupts fantasies of love that have served as a survival mechanism since early childhood… Pushing away and punishing the beloved acts to preserve one’s negative self-image and reduces anxiety.” Our fears s…
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…licts. Conversely, both Dr. Solomon and my father, psychologist and author Robert Firestone, argue that when death awareness isn’t denied, but recognized, we can use it to promote peace and compassion. The idea that, as humans, we are all in the same boat (“all be it a sinking boat,” as Dr. Solomon points out) promotes a sense of equality and togetherness. The acknowledgement that our physical selves share the same fate, and that we all hold the s…
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…or many reasons, both personal and professional. For one thing, my father, Robert Firestone, has written extensively about the ambivalence inherent in every mother-daughter relationship. His descriptive accounts of the dynamics operating in the mother-daughter bond were published in Compassionate Child-Rearing (1990) and are explained in a chapter in our forthcoming book, co-authored by Joyce Catlett, The Self Under Siege: A Therapeutic Model for…
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…e approach to increasing differentiation, a four-step process developed by Robert Firestone, Ph.D. that involves: 1. Breaking with internalized thought processes, that is, the critical, hostile attitudes toward self and others. 2. Altering the negative personality traits in oneself that represent an incorporation of the aversive traits of one’s parents. 3. Identifying and relinquishing patterns of defense formed as an adaptation to painful events…
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…er Siege: A Therapeutic Model for Differentiation co-authored by my father Robert Firestone, Joyce Catlett, and myself. To me, Irving’s appreciation and love of people’s differences, his acceptance of the diversity of human sexuality are a tribute to the values of nonconformity, tolerance and inclusiveness. As one reviewer noted, “Irving isn’t a moralizing writer, but he is a moral one.” In a guest essay on Amazon.com, Irving describes the sexual…
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…eepen connection. In this introspective and enlightening webinar, Dr. Lisa Firestone will describe how adopting certain principles can help couples use this time to not just survive but to thrive. Drawing on more than 30 years of research, theory, and clinical experience with couples, Dr. Firestone will explore how each person’s internal defenses formed in childhood are often at the root of the deepest conflict or distress in their relationships,…
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…ences and realize our unique value in the world. In this Webinar, Dr. Lisa Firestone will explore the many ways people hold themselves back from being who they really are and living the life they truly desire. What drives a person’s self-limiting and self-destructive behavior? How can they overcome the inner critic that holds them back and keeps them from achieving their goals? This 90-minute presentation will explain an innovative, therapeutic mo…
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…w Download slides from the webinar here. Watch Drs. Daniel Siegel and Lisa Firestone discuss the different patterns of attachment If you’re interested in receiving 1 home study CE Credit for this webinar, you can purchase it here. More Info Here In this Webinar: Please join Dr. Lisa Firestone for a free, one-hour webinar that will: Introduce participants to the fascinating science of attachment theory Explain the powerful role of attachment in sha…
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