by DrDeb Hirschhorn | Nov 23, 2017 | Verbal and Emotional Abuse
BOOKS AND ARTICLES ON PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, AND VERBAL ABUSE Oldies But Goodies: Dissertation References Abroms, G. (1978). The place of values in psychotherapy. Journal of Marriage and Family Counseling, 4(4), 3-17. Adams, D. (1988). Treatment models of men who...
by DrDeb Hirschhorn | Mar 14, 2016 | Verbal and Emotional Abuse
“I am not getting angry over nothing!” Mordy said to Jeff just a bit too heatedly. He really felt defensive and he wondered how he ever allowed himself to confide in his closest friend that he and his wife were having problems. The fact that Jeff didn’t...
by DrDeb Hirschhorn | Dec 24, 2015 | Verbal and Emotional Abuse
Here is the story of Laurie and Nate. [NOTE: I’m sure you realize that I do not use real people’s stories here. I know you’ve seen on TV and online all sorts of horrible “true life” stories, some even by therapists. This is unethical....
by DrDeb Hirschhorn | Jun 10, 2013 | Verbal and Emotional Abuse
Dear Dr. Deb, I have been following your columns for a while now and I have to say, they are a little bit “fluffy.” I don’t mean to be rude, but you make everything come out so easy, as if all problems can be solved in the course of one column. And life just isn’t so...
by DrDeb Hirschhorn | Mar 18, 2013 | Verbal and Emotional Abuse
There are people who don’t allow the feeling of compassion in. That may seem amazing to you: If someone else said they are hurt, how can you not feel badly about it? The answer is that they come from worlds away where tears don’t stir emotions; they are hardened –...
by DrDeb Hirschhorn | Jan 14, 2013 | Verbal and Emotional Abuse
Remember Kerry? We wrote about him a couple weeks ago. He and his brother-in-law had a flare-up because Kerry used some very sharp language to make his point. He felt entitled to “express” himself. His wife, Penny, was exhausted with a lifetime of this sort of thing....
by DrDeb Hirschhorn | Jul 22, 2012 | Verbal and Emotional Abuse
Wait! Don’t rush to say, “Silly question, Dr. Deb. Mass murderers are crazy. That’s all.” Let me explain why I pose the question “What Motivates a Mass Murderer” by asking you another question: Would you rather be able to take control of your life or would you rather...
by DrDeb Hirschhorn | Jun 1, 2012 | Verbal and Emotional Abuse
In the previous post, Small Lies Are Emotional Abuse, I described the devastation to the psyche when someone twists around who you think you are. It is emotional abuse; it is mental abuse, and the fact that the process is subtle makes it more, not less, devastating....
by DrDeb Hirschhorn | May 14, 2012 | Verbal and Emotional Abuse
There’s a subtle type of emotional abuse that it could take you years to uncover: Taking the truth and twisting it around. It’s not a bold-faced lie. It’s a little lie, a subtle and surprising twist — and that’s why it shakes the ground under...
