Richard Zwolinski - Therapy Revolution

Skills for Psychotherapy Patients: Part 4

richard — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:26:39 +0000

In part four of the video series “Skills for Psychotherapy Patients” Richard talks about concrete communication. It is a basic but important skill that calls for unambiguous talk about specific feelings, situations, and behaviors. This short video explains what concrete communication is and why it’s helpful.

Victim or Positive Thinker?

richard — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:07:32 +0000

Rarely do opposing viewpoints divide people so dramatically, or influence people’s lives in so many areas than the two main opposing outlooks on the subject of victimhood. The question of one’s status as victim—specifically as it pertains to emotional problems and psychotherapy—is something we write about in Therapy Revolution. On the one hand some people might need to affirm that they were at one point innocent victims in order to get rid of crippling shame/blame/guilt. On the other, some may have to give up their status as victims, in order to learn to take responsibility for their thoughts, speech, and actions.

This divide also plays out culturally, and can profoundly impact our views on society, and the roles of and government. For those who hold that we are totally responsible for our conditions in life, whatever they might be (except perhaps in specific circumstances such as the occurrence of natural disaster or genetic disabilities or illnesses), then when we aren’t successful, well, it’s simply our own fault. For those who never met a weakness or failure that they couldn’t pathologize or otherwise explain away (think Tiger Woods), those they choose to align with, are permanent victims of those they don’t.
Read more, here: http://blogs.psychcentral.com/therapy-soup/2010/03/positive-thinking-vs-victim-identity/

Stress & Addiction: What You Need to Know

richard — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:02:42 +0000

Author Steven Diamond’s web site, www.StopStressingNow.com is host to a fascinating array of bloggers on the subject of stress. See my latest blog post, Can Stress Lead to Addiction: The Five (5) Warning Signs.

Schizophrenia, Crime, and Perception

richard — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:57:46 +0000

Schizophrenia is among the most misunderstood and feared mental illnesses. Yet, today many people struggling with schizophrenia are helped tremendously by medication. Read more on our PsychCentral.com Blog, Therapy Soup.

Computer Gone Wild

richard — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 23:50:33 +0000

Co-writer C.R. takes the reins with this saga of major computer angst and the lessons she learned.

Therapy Partners: The Treatment Plan Series

richard — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 18:08:15 +0000

Relationship—to God, self, family, friends, coworkers, and others—is for many of us the most defining, challenging, and rewarding aspect of our lives. Broken hearts, misunderstood murmurings, deep and abiding love, retreat, annoyance, inspiration, even anger, are the messy colors with which relationships finger-paint our days. While work, sports, even spiritual service and other activities may excite or dismay us, when it comes to our relationships we can never quite pin down our feelings—they are always in flux due to the ever-changing dynamics of intention, emotions, and shifting meaning.

We Miss You!

richard — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:19:27 +0000

Due to very annoying technical problems including a motherboard malfunction, loss of data due to a failed external hard drive, and other techie nightmares, we are behind schedule! Want something to read in the meantime? Thanks to Mike in New Mexico, you can read our newsletter online here:

Therapy Revolution Newsletter 1

Be sure to email and let us know what you think.

Find Your Inner Spartacus

richard — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 02:21:35 +0000

It is a beloved Jewish teaching that when it comes to spiritual service and growth, one can learn lessons from every person. For example, the 18^th century mystic Reb Zusha said that from a child, one can learn to never sit still and to keep striving for what he wants. From a thief, one can learn to keep trying to attain the “treasure” (that is, spiritual growth)—if a thief fails one night, he will try the next night, and so on.

The same holds true for the path of one’s psycho-emotional growth. When it comes to recovery, whether it is recovery from a mental illness or an addiction, one can learn a lot from all kinds of people. Even from a rather violent (though compelling), figure currently in the public’s eye, the ancient gladiator, Spartacus.

The character of a warrior (or gladiator), in general, and the freedom-fighting gladiator Spartacus in particular, offers many points of instruction for those struggling with emotional health.

In our friend Barry Strauss’s beautifully written history, The Spartacus War, the very real man Spartacus (as opposed to the dramatic character beloved by filmmakers and audiences), comes vividly to life. Though portrayed in popular entertainment as well as some historical sources as a “man of passion, thirsting for freedom and burning for revenge,” Strauss says that Spartacus’s actions actually “tell a different story”:

Read the entire blog post at Psychentral.com on the Therapy Soup blog.

Does Therapy Work? Text and Radio Interview

richard — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:22:26 +0000

It’s unbelievable. Nearly one third of patients with depression reported that therapy was pretty much useless. Can you imagine if antibiotics or a particular surgery failed a third of the time? Would the FDA allow this to continue? What if your car’s brakes were little or no help a third of the time? Psychotherapy is a health and safety issue, too.

Read more at Therapy Soup on PsychCentral.com.

Double Trouble: Mental Illness and Addiction

richard — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:12:45 +0000

Part 1

Part 2