Nov 28 2011
Sex Abuse in the Sports World: Tape Recording with Laurie Fine, Wife of Bernie Fine Confirming Sexual Abuse of Bobby Davis Is Chilling
Listen to this tape recording here.
Archive for November, 2011
Nov 28 2011
Recovered Memory: Freud’s Belief, Then Rejection of Recovered Memories of Abuse
One only needs to examine the work of Freud to see the origins of the recovered memory debate.
In 1896, Freud wrote of a pattern of sexual abuse of women in eighteen consecutive cases.
Robert Dewey quotes Freud in his “Introduction to Psychology”:
“The event of which the subject has retained an unconscious memory is a precocious [unusually early] experience of sexual relations with actual excitement of the genitals,
Nov 23 2011
Dogs, painful electric shocks, and explanatory style: What does the research tell us about feeling discouraged and helpless? (Part 1)
It’s pretty simple. The research shows us that when people feel discouraged and helpless, they are more likely to become depressed. There are several landmark studies conducted by Martin Seligman and Steven Maier describing the phenomenon of learned helplessness using dogs and the effect of exposing the dogs to unpleasant electrical shocks while in a harness.
Ouch! While it does seem unpleasant to expose dogs to electric shocks,
Nov 21 2011
Sweat Lodge Travesty: James Arthur Ray Sentenced to Two Years in Prison
James Arthur Ray, plastic shaman, is now a convicted felon held responsible for the sweat lodge deaths of three people in Arizona.
There are two organizations locally who sponsor sweat lodge experiences, The New Warrior Training Adventure and the Victories of the Heart Shadow weekend.
I have written about the Shadow weekend so called sweat lodge and do not recommend it.
The New Warrior’s sweat lodge has trained leaders and follows strict protocols and is likely to be the closest version of a Native American sweat lodge experience including the respect for the spiritual and cleansing purpose of the lodge.
While I believe the New Warrior training program’s sweat lodge to be better organized, my positive comments should not be seen as an endorsement.
Nov 20 2011
Damage of Secrets: Research Shows Secrets Clang (my word) Around Inside Our Brains
How do you spell relief? D-I-S-C-L-O-S-U-R-E
Therapists and clients alike understand the relief provided by the disclosure of sad, angry, fearful memories. Therapy is a place where people should feel safe enough to disclose anything they choose, significant or insignificant.
In dysfunctional families or organizations, people are often exposed to behavior which shocks
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Nov 20 2011
Cognitive Therapy: Using Cognitive Restructuring for Evaluating Alcohol Use/Abuse
If you are reading my blog or know me, you realize I like to use the cognitive restructuring exercise a lot. It is a great tool to help clients evaluate their own thoughts, beliefs, feelings and behavior.
It works great in evaluating alcohol problems. Here is how it works…
Nov 19 2011
Yes, Rage And Fear Are Automatic Responses Triggered By The Sympathetic Nervous System
The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for triggering the “fight, flight, or freeze” reaction in human beings.
Nov 14 2011
Ray Gricar and the Penn State Tragedy: Did Someone in Power Pressure Gricar to Ignore the Incriminating Results of the “Police Sting” of Jerry Sandusky?
People in power routinely stay in power through intimidation, bribery, threats, and other malignant methods.
In one of the most alarming pieces of evidence in the allegations of sexual abuse against Jerry Sandusky, we are learning a boy stepped forward, Victim 6, and accused Sandusky of taking a shower with him nude with another boy.
Nov 13 2011
Narissistic Puffed-Up Blubbery: Bill Donohue, Joe Paterno, Jerry Sandusky, Penn State and the Similarity to the Bishop Robert Finn Failure to Report the Alleged Child Abuse of Rev. Shawn Ratigan in Kansas
Examining the religious right wing activism defending catholic clergy sex abusers and the response of the church, it’s pretty easy to understand why Joe Paterno didn’t do anything to protect the children being raped by Jerry Sandusky.
He’s Joe Paterno and probably feels entitled to do whatever he wants, just like Bill Donohue, Bishop Finn of Kansas City, the catholic pope, and the entire catholic church hierarchy.
Bill Donohue, Executive Director of Catholic League Center for Religious and Civil Rights,
Nov 11 2011
Learning the Speaker-Listener Exercise: An Essential First Step in Making Marriage and Commited Relationships Work
The first goal in my work with couples is to teach a method of speaking and listening using research based communication concepts. These concepts include “I” statements, non-defensive or active listening, and asking clearly for what you want.It’s more difficult than it looks. The key problem is most of us did not grow up in families where effective communication was either taught or modeled.As a result, we learned some very bad lessons which keep us unhappy in our relationships.
These bad lessons are called “cognitive distortions” or unhealthy rules/beliefs about the way we should relate to each other, including blaming, criticizing, mind-reading, and black and white thinking. Click here for more examples and definitions.
In the exercise, the speaker only makes “I” statements, identifies and expresses feelings and says what they wish for.
The listener only active listens, reflecting what the speaker is saying, using the speakers words, and helping them say more about their thoughts, feelings and wishes.
It w
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