Search Results for: Robert Firestone

psychology strained father son relationships

The Psychology Behind Strained Father Son Relationships

…hostile and impatient presence in his mind. The American writer and poet, Robert Bly, gave voice to similar sentiments in his poem, “My Father’s Wedding 1924”, “…his skin was bark-like then, made rough to repel the sympathy he longer for, refused, and didn’t need.” These descriptions are representative of how men recall their fathers relating to them. But even more striking than the obvious damage and wounds, is the repressed longing. Many men ar…

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Invisible Child Abuse

…ren. The damage they sustained in growing up, whiles seemingly subtle, has debilitating effects on their self-esteem, impairs their personal relationships, and severely limits their vocational pursuits. The program features Dr. Robert Firestone and personal accounts of a number of high-achieving men and women. Broadcast nationally on PBS Network. Format: Instant Streaming or DVD   Instant Streaming Rent $14.95 | Purchase $29.95 Buy Now DVD $39.95…

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7 Behaviors That Ruin a Relationship

…oneness with a relationship partner, a concept elucidated by my father Dr. Robert Firestone. When couples enter into this type of bond, they substitute a fantasy of being connected in place of real relating. They start to put form over substance, and the relationship starts to deteriorate. The degree to which an individual in a couple enters into a fantasy bond exists on a continuum. In the beginning, people usually open up to one another and rela…

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True Love or a Fantasy Bond?

…Fantasy Bond is a concept developed by my father, psychologist and author Robert Firestone, to describe an illusion of connection people form to create a sense of safety and security. As a relationship becomes more intimate and more important to us, we start to feel vulnerable and afraid that things will change. Our worry that we will be hurt or rejected is often apparent to us. But there is another element that threatens us of which we are often…

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How Standing Up for Yourself Helps You Fight Depression

…depression means taking on this inner voice or “anti-self.” My father, Dr. Robert Firestone, created Voice Therapy as a therapeutic approach to conquer your critical inner voice, and in our book of that tile, which I co-authored with my father, we discuss specific ways people can start to challenge this inner enemy. Here are some of the valuable steps that can help people to start to recognize and counter these destructive thought processes. 1. Id…

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Just Be Kind: The Only Relationship Advice You’ll Ever Need

…eparate people. They begin to form an illusion of fusion or what my father Robert Firestone termed a “fantasy bond.” They start to overstep each other’s boundaries, replace substance with form and diminish real, personal interactions. Although it isn’t a conscious process, when a couple forms this type of fantasy, they stop engaging in small acts of kindness or even showing care and concern for each other.Without realizing it, couples form a fanta…

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You Don’t Really Know Yourself

…bility. Nevertheless, working through these issues is a worthwhile endeavor because it enables a person to live a full and integrated life. Read more about Voice Therapy in Robert Firestone’s forthcoming book, Overcoming the Destructive Inner Voice: True Stories of Therapy and Transformation….

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thinking positively

Thinking Positively: Why You Need to Wire Your Brain to Think Positive

…iness, better health and more optimism and positive emotions. According to Robert Emmons of the Greater Good Science Center, gratitude allows us to celebrate the present, blocks toxic, negative emotions, makes us more resilient, and increases our feelings of self-worth. Gratitude is like a muscle; the more you utilize it, the stronger it gets. There are many effective gratitude practices. For instance, you can keep a gratitude journal or a gratitu…

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Conquer Your Critical Inner Voice: An Adjunct to Clinical Practice

…that can sabotage, diminish, or undermine us. Psychologist and author Dr. Robert Firestone often refers to this internal enemy as an “anti-self” or “critical inner voice.” Learning to deal effectively with the “critical inner voice” is central to all areas of life: personal development, healthy relationships, self-esteem, and career success. This CE Webinar provides participants with an introduction to Voice Therapy, a technique that can enhance…

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How Embracing Vulnerability Strengthens Our Relationships

…unwilling to be vulnerable hurts our connections to others. My father, Dr. Robert Firestone, often refers to the inner dialogue that personifies these psychological defenses as our “critical inner voice.” The critical inner voice is a destructive thought process that acts like an internal parent and tends to assess, judge, undermine, and insult us as we move through our lives. “Don’t show her who you really are. She’d want nothing to do with you,”…

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