Search Results for: Robert Firestone

Video: Dr. Lisa Firestone’s Thoughts on Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day Articles by Dr. Lisa Firestone: How to Not Feel Let Down This Valentine’s Day When I think of Valentine’s Day, I inevitably think of February 15. That’s the day that people come in to work or meet friends for coffee and talk about the events of the previous evening. Some excerpts I’ve heard in … Read More » Advice for Valentine’s Day: Amplify the Romance in Your Relationship We’re all familiar with the complaint that Valentine’s D…

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Dr. Lisa Firestone On The Fantasy Bond

…Dr. Lisa Firestone on the Fantasy Bond…

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Fantasy Bond 101

…and interferes with a person’s movement toward individuation and autonomy. Robert Firestone writes, “Existential dread impels us to form illusory connections, hoping to recapture the infantile sense of safety, security and omnipotence provided by the original fantasy bond. We are subconsciously looking to a significant person or other external source to guarantee us immortality much as we imagined our parent could. The fantasy bond that was formed…

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Courage, assertiveness, critical inner voice, vulnerability, Dr. Robert Firestone, Psychalive

A New Slant on Vulnerability: Courage Not Conformity

…ountry skiing, extreme sports. What do you mean by the term “courage?” Dr. Robert Firestone: The courage to live according to your principles, and to tolerate the pain or the anxiety of being different from other people, of being creative, of living a unique existence; the courage to face death with equanimity. To stand by one’s beliefs is part of that, too. It takes courage to stand behind one’s beliefs when they run counter to a society or a gro…

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Bonus Episode: Steps of Voice Therapy

…that often arise from this therapeutic technique. Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | TuneIn | RSS…

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Self-consciousness

Self-Consciousness: How to Reduce Self-Consciousness

…n we reduce our self-consciousness? 1. Stand up to your inner critic Dr.’s Robert and Lisa Firestone have written extensively about how to overcome your critical inner voice. The steps include: Identifying your specific voices Reflecting on where these negative thoughts may have originated Responding to your inner critic with a realistic, compassionate point of view Understanding how your voices influence your behavior Challenging self-limiting or…

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Can Love be Learned?

…want to lose the security of being in a relationship, so we form what Dr. Robert Firestone refers to as a “fantasy bond.” The fantasy bond is an illusion of connection that allows us to maintain the form of a relationship, while losing our loving feelings toward our partners. There are many ways to keep a relationship healthy and avoid the trappings of a fantasy bond. For one, we can have integrity in maintaining the ideal qualities in ourselves…

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Sex and Love in Intimate Relationships

…of many couples’ problems. In Sex and Love in Intimate Relationships, Dr. Robert W. Firestone and his coauthors explore the dimensions of healthy sexuality and love. Drawing on their 40 years of combined clinical experience and a unique longitudinal study of couples and families, they propose that sexual problems are largely related to defenses acquired through painful childhood experiences. They describe the effects of the core defense, that is,…

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PTSD, Iraq Veterans, Veterans mental health

As Iraq Ends, a New Battle with PTSD Begins

…them. In Conquer Your Critical Inner Voice, a book I co-authored with Dr. Robert Firestone and Joyce Catlett, could be a first step in identifying and overcoming the critical inner voices that keep people stuck in a negative state of mind. In order to fully recover from PTSD it is important for individuals to seek help and develop a sense of resilience. Breaking the patterns of self-destructive thoughts and behaviors can help people get unstuck….

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Combating Destructive Thought Processes

…their individual needs and priorities? In this book, clinical psychologist Robert W. Firestone sets forth his theory of the “critical inner voice,” a self-critical point of view that people have internalized based on hurtful life experiences. During a person’s most vulnerable state of childhood, the pressures of society and destructive interactions within the family can lead them to develop defenses, self-protective thought processes and behaviors…

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