While I was revising this website, it occurred to me that there would be value in posting short essays based on what I’ve learned over the years. Having spent decades as a clinical psychologist, I have studied widely, seen many patients, and developed many ideas and opinions. I enjoy writing and have published some of my ideas in professional journals and books (about 60 of them).
“Speaking Frankly” will comprise a series of essays on psychotherapy and related topics.
The essays I intend to present will be original, although some will be from work of mine and others that have already appeared in theoretical and technical journals and books. I plan to make these essays current and accessible by updating, condensing, and simplifying overly complex material.
I will maintain a high standard. Essays must hold potential interest and value to readers; they must be factually based, even documented when appropriate; effort will be made to separate fact from opinion; topics will be varied; style will be semi-formal—neither formal nor chatty; length will be reasonable.
Some of what I post here will be of use to other therapists. Mainly, though, I will target laypeople with an interest in psychotherapy and its allied fields. I also want my posts to have value for those already experiencing or planning to go into psychotherapy.
The continuing influence of my training as a “scientist-practitioner” likely will become apparent in my posts. That is the model that shaped my training as a clinical psychologist. It provided me with a foundation in research and scientific practice that undergirds my clinical thinking. And knowledge of the scientific method fosters critical thinking, generally.
Psychotherapy has become part of the fabric of American culture over the years since its beginnings in the early 1900’s under Freud. Yet, misconceptions about it continue to exist. Some people simply do not know, or actively resist acknowledging the effectiveness of psychotherapy. And in some quarters, a person is still stigmatized for seeing a psychotherapist. Hopefully, I can diminish such bias.
I am also disappointed by the limited contribution my profession has made to the overall state of the nation socio-politically and economically. Following the medical model of alleviating symptoms has had valuable benefits, but it also has neglected more humanistic concerns. How sad is the U.S. Congress with polarized contingents that cannot discuss matters as reasonable adults and arrive at the best way forward? Tragically, our legislators seem unable to agree on anything except the need for their own faction’s power and control. What message does that send? During my lifetime, apart from the McCarthy era’s witch hunt for Communists, and despite the current encouraging momentum in diversity and civil rights, the outlook for our democracy has never seemed bleaker. I am grandiose enough to hope an occasional political essay might have a small impact.
Many therapists, especially older ones, maintain a generally low profile, keeping their personal information away from the Internet, for instance. They see such forms of personal revelation as intrinsically countertherapeutic for patients who might “really” get to know something about them. Years ago, I wrote about the advantages of a therapist’s “willingness to be known”—providing it is not overdone and that constructive boundaries are respected. That willingness and “Speaking Frankly” fall under the rubric of authenticity, which I see as important in clinical and all relationships. When I see benefits in it, I also will offer a peek behind the scenes—at the workings of therapists’ minds and the politics of the profession.
As the library grows, topics will include:
- Business Psychology
- Entertainment (Art, Film, Theater)
- Literature (Original Fiction, Reviews)
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Psychotherapy
- Self Help
- Seniors’ Concerns
- World Affairs and Politics
I invite you to visit my library, “Speaking Frankly,” and hope you will find its contents interesting, thought-provoking, and useful.
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