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TRANSFORMATIONS
Issue 4 - October/November/December 2011
Welcome to the fourth issue of TRANSFORMATIONS. In this issue, we conclude a three-part series, METAMORPHOSIS, based on the experiences of one woman in psychotherapy. Dr. Katie Barnes examines the phenomenon of eating disorders in gay men, and guest author Michel Horvat, MFT-I explores the internal struggles for both client and psychotherapist in the process of welcoming change into the therapeutic process.
Katie and I are settling into our new office space at 450 N. Robertson in West Hollywood. Please visit my website (www.drchrisemerson.com) for more information about my practice and for past issues of TRANSFORMATIONS. I look forward to hearing from you with your comments, questions, opinions and insights!
Dr. Chris Emerson | |
Eating Disorders in Gay Men:
Factors That Increase Vulnerability 
By Dr. Katie Barnes
We know there is an overrepresentation of eating disorders in gay men, as gay men are more than twice as likely to suffer from eating disorders as straight men. This article highlights much of Miles Cohen, M.D.'s article on the topic, which examines factors that make this sexual minority vulnerable to taking unhealthy measures to achieve the ideal physical appearance.
The message to gay men in the media is loud and clear: 'you must have a defined chest, washboard abdominals, and practically no body hair in order to be successful, accepted and loved'. The preoccupation with this stereotypic masculine image is no different from the preoccupation with the slender look idealized by most women. Whereas an estimated 1 in 4 women will engage in disordered eating to try and lose mass, the focus of gay men tends to be over exercising and cutting caloric intake to a dangerously low level in order to burn fat and maintain sculpted muscle.
So, why do gay men strive for an exaggerated "masculine" appearance?
TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE, CLICK HERE. | |
Naming The Battles Within
by Michel Horvat, M.A., MFT Intern
In my quest to continue my education surrounding the fascinating concepts that examine the inner workings of the mind, and more specifically in my journey to become an increasingly effective practitioner in the face of resistant and entrenched clients, I stumbled upon "Working With Resistance" (J. Aronson, 2002). I found the text concise and practical in its approach and directly applicable to my work with clients in psychotherapy.
I was able to see with crystal clarity how concise word usage and mindfully placed statements within the therapeutic environment can elevate what Bertha Pappenheim, (aka Anna O.) coined in 1893 as "the talking cure", from an aphorism to a precision tool skillfully applied to be of maximum use to clients.
It is paradoxical that a client would spend time, effort and expense to come to therapy and at the same time expend considerable effort blocking his own path to progress, but these are the defenses Stark addresses precisely. The author proposes well-placed and carefully thought out statements that systematically name and help to dismantle the battles within a client. | |
TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE, CLICK HERE.
Michel Horvat is an MFT Intern (IMF 66940) in private practice:
www.MichelHorvat.com
8170 Beverly Boulevard, Suite 200
Los Angeles, California 90048
323.374.3711
mhorvat.mft@gmail.com
Supervised by Steven Uribe MFC 17634
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METAMORPHOSIS: Part III of a three-part interview with "Laura"
By Christopher Emerson, Ph.D.
Dr. Chris Emerson recently interviewed a 45-year old woman named "Laura" who agreed to speak in detail about her experience in psychotherapy over the last 25 years. In this final installment of Chris's interview with Laura, she talks about ending therapy, moving into new relationships, and starting a family of her own. ("Laura" is a pseudonym of an independent individual who is not and has never been a patient in this practice).
DR. CHRIS EMERSON: Laura, when we left off last time, you mentioned that you followed your therapist into his private practice, and were feeling the positive effects of being on a low dose of an anti-depressant.
LAURA: Yes, it felt like a very good period in my life. Things were going well at work, and socially, new opportunities were presenting themselves... but as I say that, I'm aware that it's really more about new parts of me opening up that allowed for me to be more social. I started enjoying myself, really, for the first time. Including dating...
CE: What was that like for you?
L: Well, I had not been very experienced in that aspect of life (laughs). Remember, the depression and sadness had been a constant part of my life during my late teens and early 20s - and I realize now that it started even well before that - so there was not much experience with boys and men. I needed to discover that part of myself, and I was coming into that awareness later than most young women.
TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE, CLICK HERE. | |
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This concludes the fourth issue of our quarterly newsletter, TRANSFORMATIONS. It has been a very exciting year for us! We hope you have enjoyed reading, and we'll see you again in January 2012 with a brand new issue. Until then, we wish you peace and prosperity during the remaining months of 2011 and beyond.
Best,
Chris, Katie, and Dylan |
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"The concept of transformation is an interesting one. It raises many questions.
Who or what is it that is being transformed? And who or what is the agent of the transformation? Does transformation take place completely out of time, or in an instant, or only after careful and thorough analysis? Is transformation an evolution or a revolution, more closely related to insight or to thought?
The self is the architect of endless forms of reinvention, of the affirmation and reification of it-self. We must ask, then: can the self perpetuate its own illusion of existence and continue to convince us of its everlasting value and its ongoingness by acceding to and accepting the notion of transformation as process?"
-Satish H. Noe
Teacher/Author
Varanasi, India
"I work with my clients to help facilitate lasting change by combining a number of approaches. Deep, empathic listening is always a part of my work -- from there, we identify old patterns of behavior and belief and link them to early failures of attachment, and old injuries and traumas. The work of transformation can be long and painstaking, requiring many weeks and months of collaboration -- on the other hand, sometimes change comes when you least expect it. The body, the psyche, and the nervous system are always working in our own highest and best interest; we actually do move in harmony with the universe as a whole, and with our own inherent inner wisdom."
-Francene Eguren, MFT
Redondo Beach, CA | |
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