Not all advice columns are equal
Reader response to Curtis Dean Hall's column Thinking Like A Therapist proves this. Perhaps the difference is because…
Dean writes as an experienced and well-trained clinician (Dean has over 17 years or 30,000 hours of clinical experience and a Masters
- He deals with some of the most critical issues facing families today.
- He makes the latest findings in research accessible to the masses.
- He quotes interesting experts and leading thinkers in the fields of psychology, health and wellness each week.
- Readers find his column is entertaining as well as informative.
- Readers enjoy testing their knowledge with a multiple-choice “test” that is a weekly part of the column format.
- Or… maybe it all comes down to the fact that readers say it's just plain fun to read.
Now… you can try Thinking Like A Therapist out for one full month for FREE! Simply download the four sample articles and enjoy testing them on your readership. Dean is sure you will find the same results that others have—that Thinking Like A Therapist adds depth to your newspaper, provides practical help, and is entertaining and useful.
Following your four free samples, you can buy Curtis Dean Hall’s column for only-
- $19.99 for one month (4 columns)
- $14.99 per month if purchased by the quarter (12 weeks)
- $9.99 per month if purchased by the year (52 weeks)
Give your readers even more to talk about! Be the first newspaper in your area to offer Thinking Like A Therapist.
Downloadable Portrait of Dean Hall
Thinking Like A Therapist Sample # 1
by Curtis Dean Hall M.S. Licensed Clinical Marriage & Family Therapist
When my daughter, Breanne, was a little girl, she loved to play in the rain. On one particularly rainy Sunday afternoon, I decided to join her. We stomped in puddles, turned our faces skyward to catch raindrops in our open mouths, and competed to see who could slide the farthest in the muddy grass. What first appeared to be another dull, lifeless afternoon became an episode of pure joy.
As we entered the house, soaked from head to toe and dripping with mud and grass, we left our muddy shoes by the door. Later, when I went to retrieve them, I found Breanne had quietly tucked her shoes in mine. Unintentionally, she had powerfully reminded me of the latest findings in the research on family dynamics. Research clearly indicates that the most long lasting, impacting relationship within a family system is father to daughter. Fathering is a sacred task, because our little girls depend on our footsteps to lead them in the right direction.
This leads me to ask- “What does it take to be a good father to a daughter?”
A. Work very hard to be a good provider.
B. Be your daughter’s friend.
C. Be the kind of man you want your daughter to marry.
D. Stand up for her when she has conflict with her mother.
If you answered-
A. Being a good provider is important, but little girls yearn for more time with their daddy, even more than a trip to the mall!
B. It is important to “be there” and have fun with your daughter, but one of the most common pitfalls of parenting is the belief that we must be our child’s friend. Our top priority, as parents, must be to raise healthy, successful adults.
C. Correct. No pressure, guys, but there is clear evidence that the blueprint for your daughter’s life and her life-changing decisions will be formed on the drawing table of her relationship with you. Jack and Jerry Schereur, coauthors of the book, Fathers and Daughters, write- “You and I represent the entire male gender to our daughters for the first few years of their lives. Our daughters grow up with us. They learn to love or hate men largely through their relationship with us. They learn to trust or mistrust men at least in part because of what we have shown them. They learn about appropriate intimacy, about sharing special moments, and about love from us. This is an enormous responsibility. Our daughters are watching, and we are teaching them about manhood every second they are looking at us.”
I suggest these tried and true methods for fathering your daughter:
- Always keep your word. If you can’t possibly follow through on a promise, don’t make it! Keep your “big plans” quiet and tell your daughter only when you are convinced those plans will become a reality.
- Remember, her lifelong relationship habits are formed with you. Does your daughter beg and plead until you finally give in? Does she cower in fear when you enter a room? Are you so busy she says, “Dad, who?” Pay close attention to your relationship with your daughter; she is learning habits that will last a lifetime.
- Be her champion. We still live in a world where many girls are taught to believe they are not as important as boys. Be the first to let her know she matters and that you are behind her all the way.
- Be a peaceful warrior. Healthy fathering is a delicate balance between displaying the tender affection our daughters deserve with the strong, steadfast presence they many times need.
D. Allowing our daughters to manipulate us into robbing our wives of their parental power is a terrible mistake. If you are a smart dad and husband, you will avoid this train wreck at all costs!
Watching our every step, as fathers, is an act of love and the best way to offer our daughters an inheritance that will last. The direction of our footsteps decides the path our daughters ultimately take. Remember, dad, your little girl is quietly tucking her shoes inside yours.
LADIES! You guessed it. This is another one of those articles that you need to cut out and tape to the sports page, if you want the father of your daughter to read it!
To download this article in PDF form click here!
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What people are saying:
“Curtis Dean Hall's columns have added a depth to our newspaper by providing practical help for people in relationships, which includes just about everyone. They are entertaining and useful. The columns offer sound advice and he backs this up with good information.”
- James Jordan, Editor, Ark City Traveler
“I have often wondered what it must be like to “think like a shrink.” I have been an avid weekly reader of Curtis Dean Hall’s column, “Thinking Like A Therapist,” since its inception.
I confess that I have cut out Dean’s column on more than one occasion, to slip to my husband or mail to a relative or friend. One of the highest compliments I have received in conversation has been, “That sounds like something Dean would say.”
- Mary L. Law Winfield, KS
Curtis Dean Hall’s “Thinking Like a Therapist” column, that is printed on Wednesdays in The Arkansas City Traveler, is not only my favorite column but my students as well. I use his column to enhance the learning of concepts that we discuss in class. I hear students discussing topics from his column in class all the time. It really seems to stick with the students!
- Jason O’Toole
Marriage and Family Instructor
Cowley College