…coming book The Self Under Siege: A Therapeutic Model for Differentiation, Robert Firestone, Joyce Catlett and I show how the self is under siege from several sources: primarily from pain and rejection in the developmental years, but also struggles in personal relationships, detrimental societal forces, and existential realities that affect all people. To become one’s own person – to differentiate and separate oneself from these negative influence…
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…ship to lose its sizzle? One explanation, which I (along with psychologist Robert W. Firestone) wrote about in our book Conquer Your Critical Inner Voice is that “The single most important factor that contributes to the deterioration of love, friendship and sexuality in a relationship is the formation of a fantasy bond. The fantasy bond is an illusion of connection or imagined fusion with another person that provides an individual with a false sen…
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…love. This inclination toward form over substance is what psychologist Dr. Robert Firestone, refers to as the “fantasy bond.” This illusion of connection allows us to feel secure and attached to a person without having a real feeling of love for that person. We are less threatened by a “fantasy bond” then a real connection, as it allows us to feel that we are not alone or that we are taken care of, while diminishing the pain or vulnerability that…
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…often discuss the concept of the “critical inner voice,” a term my father Robert Firestone, Ph.D. and I use to describe a negative self-perception we carry with us in our minds. All of us possess this inner critic, but those of us who are traumatized may experience this “voice” as a deeply destructive and terrifying enemy whose attacks on us can feel crippling and constant and can lead to even life-threatening self-destructive behavior. When a pe…
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Robert W. Firestone, Ph.D., Lisa Firestone Ph.D. and Joyce Catlett, M.A. – A psychological guide to achieving the “good life”: this book was created for anyone interested in personal development, deepening friendships, sustaining intimacy in couple relationships and developing healthy child-rearing practices. The book offers a compilation of therapeutic insights that are valuable in achieving a better way of living, by telling stories from a grou…
Learn More…attended a psychology conference in New York City and stumbled across Dr. Robert Firestone’s book, The Fantasy Bond. In spite of the fact I had stacks of assigned reading, this was the book I couldn’t put down. It enlightened me in ways none of my professors could, answering theoretical questions roaming around in my freshly primed mind. Most importantly, it made sense, not just theoretically, but personally. And this really is the crux of the ma…
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…, to be with, this person I love. Yet…can love be defined? And if so, how? Robert Firestone, Lisa Firestone and Joyce Catlett have tackled this question in a forthright manner in their book: Sex and Love in Intimate Relationships. “In the authors’ view, behaviors that fit the description of a loving relationship are expressions of affection, both physical and emotional; a wish to offer pleasure and satisfaction to one’s mate; tenderness, compassio…
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…ing practices in a more loving, positive direction. Join the eCourse on “Compassionate Parenting” featuring work by Dr. Robert Firestone….
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…e can about the effects of unconscious and conscious death anxiety on human behavior in order to cope with its consequences and better understand ourselves. Learn about Dr. Robert Firestone’s forthcoming book Overcoming the Destructive Inner Voice: True Stories of Therapy and Transformation….
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…not to occasionally be curious about what they are experiencing. My father Robert Firestone recently wrote a book, which offers a unique glimpse into the mind of the therapist, Overcoming the Destructive Inner Voice. In it, he tells true stories of working with patients in therapy and their process of transformation. In his introduction, he wrote, “Psychotherapy represents a powerful personal interaction and a unique human relationship in which a…
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