Phil Stark
@pbstarkok.bsky.social
đ€ 7582
đ„ 1094
đ 89
Therapist, Author, Screenwriter, Dad
https://www.starktalktherapy.com
https://linktr.ee/philstark
pinned post!
Super excited to announce the release of my new book, How to Be a Screenwriter. Itâs about breaking in, staying in, and staying sane in the screenwriting business. Check it out, let me know what you think!
#HTBAS
#screenwriting
#tacos
www.amazon.com/dp/B0FXLVY6W...
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How to Be a Screenwriter: Screenwriting Advice for Newbies, Veterans, and Everyone In Between
How to Be a Screenwriter: Screenwriting Advice for Newbies, Veterans, and Everyone In Between [Stark, Phil] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. How to Be a Screenwriter: Screenwriting Advice for Newbies, Veterans, and Everyone In Between
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FXLVY6WK?ref_=pe_93986420_774957520
about 2 months ago
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Our latest
@psychologytoday.com
article is about conflict in
#relationships
and learning to communicate the feelings behind the conflict and the reasons for the feelings in our own
#script
Write Your Own (Relationship) Script | Psychology Today
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dude...
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Write Your Own (Relationship) Script
Conflict in relationships can be mitigated by developing a greater awareness of what we really feel and why, and then communicating this information clearly and effectively.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dude-wheres-my-car-tharsis/202512/write-your-own-relationship-script
8 days ago
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This month is the 25th anniversary of the release of
#DWMC
-- thanks to
#THR
for letting me write a column about it -- please enjoy!
www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie...
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I Wrote âDude, Whereâs My Carâ 25 Years Ago. It Would Never Be Made Today.
In 2000, the author was a young screenwriter writing broad, crude humor to sell into a marketplace that valued it. Then offers dried up. Today, he's quit Hollywood to become a therapist.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/dude-wheres-my-car-25-years-later-phil-stark-1236442369/
12 days ago
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Fun chat with
@scottmarkus.bsky.social
and
@networkisa.bsky.social
about my new book
#HTBAS
- topics include
#breakingin
, using
#AI
, and
#DWMC
-- it's interesting!
#screenwriting
#tacos
www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2nE...
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"How to be a Screenwriter" with Phil Stark (South Park, That '70s Show, Dude, Where's My Car?)
YouTube video by International Screenwriters' Association
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2nEUfCYBFg
13 days ago
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Wow! Just saw
#HTBAS
at
@thebookpeople.ca
at @austinairport - itâs a bestseller! -#hookem
#screenwriting
#tacos
17 days ago
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Flying out of
#burbankairport
and excited to see
#HTBAS
at #2 on the
#hudsonbooks
charts, right between
#matthewmcconaughey
and
@melrobbins.bsky.social
- itâs a great airplane read!
#screenwriting
#tacos
21 days ago
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Image my surprise to find How to Be a Screenwriter at my local
@lapubliclibrary.bsky.social
#losfeliz
branch -- and next to the Duplass Brothers no less!
#HTBAS
#screenwriting
#mentalhealth
#tacos
27 days ago
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More Money, More Fights
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/19/p...
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Thereâs a Better Way for Couples to Talk About Money
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/19/podcasts/money-relationship-conversations-tips.html?unlocked_article_code=1.2U8.PYZt.XLxA1ghLsuTL&smid=tw-share
27 days ago
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Happy to share my latest article, up now at
@pipelineartists.bsky.social
-- it's about the challenge of Breaking In to the screenwriting biz (or any biz!)
#screenwriting
#breakingin
#tacos
pipelineartists.com/how-to-break...
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What It Takes to Break In
... first, write that script. But it takes more than the script.
https://pipelineartists.com/how-to-break-in/
about 1 month ago
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Wonderful interview with Yours Truly at
@finaldraftinc.bsky.social
- They make the best screenwriting software, and have the best interviews!
#screenwriting
#mentalhealth
#tacos
www.finaldraft.com/blog/the-the...
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The Therapist Who Wrote âDude, Whereâs My Car?â Helps Screenwriters Find Joy In Their Work Again
Screenwriter/therapist Phil Stark offers essential mental health advice for writers: beat the inner critic, overcome imposter syndrome, and fight burnout.
https://www.finaldraft.com/blog/the-therapist-who-wrote-dude-wheres-my-car-helps-screenwriters-find-joy-in-their-work-again
about 1 month ago
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Our latest
@psychologytoday.com
post is about the struggle to find fairness in relationships
#mentalhealth
#talktherapy
#tacos
Relationships Aren't Fair | Psychology Today
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dude...
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Relationships Aren't Fair
In relationships, we often expect things to be fair, but the reality is that relationships usually aren't fair, and expecting them to be can hold us back.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dude-wheres-my-car-tharsis/202511/relationships-arent-fair
about 1 month ago
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3
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Wow,
@barnesandnoble.com
already moving How to Be a Screenwriter to the Classics section! Feels early to me but we appreciate the support!
#HTBAS
#screenwriting
#tacos
about 1 month ago
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Delighted to have a new article up at
@scriptmagazine.bsky.social
-- it's about the experience of developing a screenplay
#screenwriting
#tacos
scriptmag.com/how-the-deve...
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How the Development Process is Like Making a Statue of a Dog
What does sculpting a dog statue and screenplay development have in common?
https://scriptmag.com/how-the-development-process-is-like-making-a-statue-of-a-dog
about 1 month ago
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reposted by
Phil Stark
Check out our recent article for
@roadmapwriters.com
-- it's about Writer's Block and Burnout
#screenwriting
#mentalhealth
#tacos
www.roadmapwriters.com/blog/overcom...
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Overcome Writerâs Block & Burnout | Roadmap Writers
Connect with top industry professionals who will help you develop and prepare to market and sell your script.
https://www.roadmapwriters.com/blog/overcome-writers-block-burnout
about 1 month ago
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2
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Check out our recent article for
@roadmapwriters.com
-- it's about Writer's Block and Burnout
#screenwriting
#mentalhealth
#tacos
www.roadmapwriters.com/blog/overcom...
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Overcome Writerâs Block & Burnout | Roadmap Writers
Connect with top industry professionals who will help you develop and prepare to market and sell your script.
https://www.roadmapwriters.com/blog/overcome-writers-block-burnout
about 1 month ago
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Thrilled to see How to Be a Screenwriter on the shelf at
@barnesandnoble.com
alongside legends like
#savethecat
and
#story
#HTBAS
#screenwriting
#tacos
about 2 months ago
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2
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Super excited to announce the release of my new book, How to Be a Screenwriter. Itâs about breaking in, staying in, and staying sane in the screenwriting business. Check it out, let me know what you think!
#HTBAS
#screenwriting
#tacos
www.amazon.com/dp/B0FXLVY6W...
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How to Be a Screenwriter: Screenwriting Advice for Newbies, Veterans, and Everyone In Between
How to Be a Screenwriter: Screenwriting Advice for Newbies, Veterans, and Everyone In Between [Stark, Phil] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. How to Be a Screenwriter: Screenwriting Advice for Newbies, Veterans, and Everyone In Between
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FXLVY6WK?ref_=pe_93986420_774957520
about 2 months ago
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Check out our latest
@psychologytoday.com
article - it's about getting older and the experience of the Midlife -
#mentalhealth
#talktherapy
#midlife
#tacos
Fear of Being Boring: Experiencing the Midlife | Psychology Today
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dude...
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Fear of Being Boring: Experiencing the Midlife
Fear of being boring, or FOBB, is a characteristic of the midlifeâa time when we reassess our lives in the past and anticipate what the future holds.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dude-wheres-my-car-tharsis/202510/fear-of-being-boring-experiencing-the-midlife
about 2 months ago
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It's tough out there for everyone Out to Pasture: Why Hollywoodâs Animal Actors Canât Find Work
www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/li...
via @thr
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Out to Pasture: Why Hollywoodâs Animal Actors Canât Find Work
Theyâve helped fetch Oscars, boosted box office and upstaged their A-list co-stars â but these days, Hollywoodâs animals canât seem to book a gig.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/lifestyle-news/hollywood-animal-actors-work-1236405362/
about 2 months ago
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Our latest
@psychologytoday.com
article is up, and it's about the struggle we sometimes have in relationships trying to Get our partner, or having them Get us
#MentalHealth
#talktherapy
#tacos
Get Over Having to "Get It" in a Relationship | Psychology Today
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dude...
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Get Over Having to "Get It" in a Relationship
There are some things we'll just never "get" about our partner that are not going to change. Better to accept them than always see them as a sticking point.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dude-wheres-my-car-tharsis/202510/get-over-having-to-get-it-in-a-relationship
2 months ago
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interesting article about the significance of diagnosis
#mentalhealth
#talktherapy
#tacos
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/03/h...
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Can a Diagnosis Make You Better?
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/03/health/can-a-diagnosis-make-you-better.html?unlocked_article_code=1.qk8.JQFK.ZGCKMhLQXUf5&smid=url-share
2 months ago
0
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Our latest
@psychologytoday.com
post is up -- all about
#anger
in
#relationships
--
#mentalthealth
#therapy
#tacos
Anger Traps: Why We Set Traps to Enable Anger | Psychology Today
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dude...
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Anger Traps: Why We Set Traps to Enable Anger
It's often the case that we find ourselves angry at our partners. Sometimes we even set traps to create opportunities for anger and to feel justified in it.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dude-wheres-my-car-tharsis/202509/anger-traps-why-we-set-traps-to-enable-anger
3 months ago
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Tune in today at 11am PST for my
#reddit
AMA! Will be plenty of good Q&A about
#screenwriting
#mentalhealth
#therapy
#tacos
www.reddit.com/r/Screenwrit...
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From the Screenwriting community on Reddit
Explore this post and more from the Screenwriting community
https://www.reddit.com/r/Screenwriting/comments/1nkdawn/im_phil_stark_therapist_and_screenwriter_dude/
3 months ago
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Smart move
@newyorker.com
dropping the question mark to avoid residual payment!
#DWMC
3 months ago
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I'm doing a
#reddit
#AMA
next week on Thursday, September 18th, at 11am PST / 2pm EST, about the relationship between screenwriting, mental health, and the creative process. But you can ask anything, of course, so if you have any Q's, mark it on your calendar. Link to come!
3 months ago
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Simple but true!
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/16/w...
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How Exercise Fights Anxiety and Depression
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/16/well/move/exercise-mental-health-depression.html?unlocked_article_code=1.k08.z3kC.GQ9dg5Ud9o1f&smid=url-share
3 months ago
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Check out our latest Psychology Today post - it's about resolving issues with our parents
#mentalhealth
#talktherapy
#tacos
The Unsent Letter: Expressing Unprocessed Feelings About Our Parents | Psychology Today
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dude...
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The Unsent Letter: Expressing Unprocessed Feelings About Our Parents
Many of the issues that bring us to therapy begin with our parents, and writing a letter to them is a way to organize and express the emotions behind these issues.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dude-wheres-my-car-tharsis/202509/the-unsent-letter-expressing-unprocessed-feelings-about-our
3 months ago
0
2
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Check out our latest
@psychologytoday.com
article -- It's about tracking our lives emotional charts
#talktherapy
#mentalhealth
#tacos
Life's Financial Charts | Psychology Today
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dude...
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Life's Financial Charts
Our moods can be turbulent in the short term, with periods of sadness eclipsing joy, but in therapy, we work towards the goal of a longer-term chart that trends towards happiness.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dude-wheres-my-car-tharsis/202508/lifes-financial-charts
4 months ago
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Exciting to see
#DWMC
and
#HTWACT
right behind
@melrobbins.bsky.social
on the bestseller list at the
@hudsonbooks.bsky.social
at @hollywoodBUR airport!
#MentalHealth
#talktherapy
#tacos
4 months ago
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Therapist office lobby playing Khruangbin >>> ???
#khruangbin
#talktherapy
#lobbies
4 months ago
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reposted by
Phil Stark
Stardust đđŹ
5 months ago
Without a smile, a laugh, a creative quip or two in your feed? Canât have that! This pack is chock full of incredibly cool inspirational writers, comedians, and core Dem sources for your perusal. A follow all pack fully vetted with love & stardust. đ„°đ«âšđ«
add a skeleton here at some point
24
92
69
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Zdb...
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BONUS EPISODE! Writer Turned Therapist, Phil Stark, Says Jay Should Have Given Up By Now
YouTube video by Don't Be Alone with Jay Kogen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZdbnfuteQQ
5 months ago
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Have you ever wondered what it was like to be a writer on the first season of South Park? Well have I got the article for you...
#southpark
#tacos
www.cracked.com/article_4748...
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This Is What It Was Like to Work As A Writer for Trey Parker and Matt Stone During the First Season of âSouth Parkâ
âOn a typical show, you come in with pitches and you pitch your take, then the showrunners maybe pick a couple that they like and they do them. With Matt and Trey, we all came in and pitched our takes...
https://www.cracked.com/article_47486_this-is-what-it-was-like-to-work-as-a-writer-for-trey-parker-and-matt-stone-during-the-first-season-of-south-park.html
5 months ago
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www.nytimes.com/2025/07/16/w...
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How Exercise Fights Anxiety and Depression
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/16/well/move/exercise-mental-health-depression.html?unlocked_article_code=1.YU8.cGWM.dGAR_2S1sAZ5&smid=url-share
5 months ago
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Happy National Ice Cream Day! To celebrate, we're collabing with
@jenisicecreams.bsky.social
@saltandstraw and
@baskinrobbinsus.bsky.social
on a
#HTWACT
flavor, described as tasting bittersweet and satisfying - stop by for a free scoop today!
#mentalhealth
#talktherapy
#icecream
5 months ago
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Our latest
@psychologytoday.com
article is up, exploring how decision making in life is similar to decision making in
#poker
#mentalhealth
#TalkTherapy
#tacos
The Poker Game of Life | Psychology Today
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dude...
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The Poker Game of Life
In life, we make the best decisions we can with the information available at the time, but the results are not always within our control.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dude-wheres-my-car-tharsis/202507/the-poker-game-of-life
5 months ago
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Thrilled to announce my book
#HTWACT
is on the shelf at
@barnesandnoble.com
â and not only that, itâs in multiple sections. Thanks to Managers Todd and Joanne for their support!
#MentalHealth
#talktherapy
#tacos
5 months ago
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reposted by
Phil Stark
Andy Bowers
5 months ago
322
14470
1454
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/10/w...
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Can âReparentingâ Yourself Make You Happier?
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/10/well/mind/psych101-reparenting.html?unlocked_article_code=1.VU8.l0is.8O9ZNKGgWXiJ&smid=url-share
5 months ago
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Check out my latest
@psychologytoday.com
article about Writer's Block -- ironically it was easy to write!
#mentalhealth
#talktherapy
#tacos
Creative Crop Rotation: How to Overcome Writer's Block | Psychology Today
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dude...
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Creative Crop Rotation: How to Overcome Writer's Block
Writer's block and burnout are a normal part of the creative process. Here's a way to overcome them.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dude-wheres-my-car-tharsis/202506/creative-crop-rotation-how-to-overcome-writers-block
6 months ago
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Pleased to report my books
#HTWACT
and
#DWMC
are the number 1 and 2 Best Sellers at the Hollywood Burbank airport
@hudsonbooks.bsky.social
location!
#mentalhealth
#talktherapy
#tacos
6 months ago
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A new
@psychologytoday.com
article about a person many of us know all too well -- the Inner Critic!
#mentalhealth
#talktherapy
#tacos
Be Your Own Best Friend | Psychology Today
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dude...
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Be Your Own Best Friend
We are often our own worst enemies, critical of ourselves in ways that our friends are not.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dude-wheres-my-car-tharsis/202506/be-your-own-best-friend
6 months ago
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Ever wonder what it would look like if I wrote a @cnbc column? Well, wonder no more!
www.cnbc.com/2025/06/10/c...
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Couples who follow 1 simple rule tend to fight less and be happier in the long run, says relationship expert
Phil Stark, a therapist who works with couples, encourages partners to 'make deposits' into their 'relationship bank account.' Here's how to do it.
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/10/couples-who-use-a-relationship-bank-account-tend-to-fight-less-be-happier-says-relationship-expert.html
6 months ago
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I had a nice chat with
@joypress.bsky.social
at
@vanityfair.com
about the state of the Entertainment Industry (not great, Bob!) and how it looks from the perspective of a therapist / former screenwriter
#mentalhealth
#talktherapy
#tacos
www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/st...
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Hollywood Therapists Meet the Moment: âIf Youâre Not Dispirited Right Now, Youâre Dissociativeâ
With the entertainment industry in rough shape, everybody in LA is seeking shrinks and life coachesâor becoming shrinks and life coaches.
https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/hollywood-therapists-meet-the-moment-if-youre-not-dispirited-right-now-youre-dissociative
7 months ago
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Check out our latest post on
@psychologytoday.com
-- it's about the effectiveness of individual therapy and couples therapy in combination
#couplestherapy
#mentalhealth
#tacos
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dude...
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How to Use Individual Therapy to Prepare for Couples Therapy
How I work with clients to process their feelings and needs into a script they can then take to share in couples therapy.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dude-wheres-my-car-tharsis/202505/how-to-use-individual-therapy-to-prepare-for-couples-therapy
7 months ago
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www.nytimes.com/2025/05/28/w...
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What I Learned When I Went Back to My Old Therapist
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/28/well/visitng-old-therapist.html?unlocked_article_code=1.K08.op7V.1BsSnMZyfzeh&smid=url-share
7 months ago
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I had a wonderful conversation with Ilana Cohn-Sullivan and Cristina Fernandez Allen on the That's So Mental podcast -- relationships, the midlife experience, pets, and doorknob confessions!
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
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Going Full Doorknob With Phil Stark
Podcast Episode · That's So Mental · 05/21/2025 · 47m
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thats-so-mental/id1781308675?i=1000709250085
7 months ago
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Check out our latest
@psychologytoday.com
article -- it's about the difference between how we treat our partners versus how we treat our children
#mentalhealth
#CouplesTherapy
#tacos
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dude...
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Can Good Parenting Skills Ease Partner Conflicts?
We sometimes treat our partners differently, and often worse, than we treat other people in our lives, but we can learn how to change that.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dude-wheres-my-car-tharsis/202505/can-good-parenting-skills-ease-partner-conflicts
7 months ago
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Had a wonderful conversation with Austin Cross on Airtalk
@laist.com
today about
#couplestherapy
-- give it a listen! (scroll to bottom)
laist.com/shows/airtal...
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Whatâs gonna happen with the Tustin hangar?
Today on AirTalk, LAist reporter Yusra Farzan gives us an update on the Tustin Hangar; how AI influences our social media feeds; the current state of conspiracy theories; Jackie and Shadowâs eaglets g...
https://laist.com/shows/airtalk/whats-gonna-happen-with-the-tustin-hangar#how-to-get-the-most-out-of-couples-therapy
7 months ago
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The latest excerpt from How to Win at Couples Therapy
#htwact
is up at
@psychtoday.bsky.social
-- Relationship Ruptures are inevitable; it's how we repair them that counts
#couplestherapy
#MentalHealth
#tacos
Rupture and Repair | Psychology Today
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dude...
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Relationship Rupture and Repair
Fights happen. It's how we learn from them and change our behavior that counts.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dude-wheres-my-car-tharsis/202505/rupture-and-repair
7 months ago
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www.npr.org/sections/sho...
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Talk therapy is up, and use of psych meds without therapy is down, a study finds
A study from the American Journal of Psychiatry suggests that psychotherapy is becoming more accessible to people. The study looks at trends in mental health treatment from 2018 to 2021.
https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/05/05/nx-s1-5387204/talk-therapy-psychotherapy-ssri-psychiatric-drugs
7 months ago
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