Dr. Robert Heller» Cognitive Behavior Therapy

Andre Agassi

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:08:24 +0000

Former tennis great Andre Agassi’s new autobiography, “Open” should more appropriately have been titled, “Closed”. Closed is how Andre was for most of his life. Although depressed, confused and conflicted for long periods of time, he apparently suffered silently. As great as his tennis accomplishments were, had he reached out for professional help earlier on, he might have achieved even more on the tennis court and suffered far less in his personal life and psyche. I find it hard to believe that except for his ex-wife, Brooke Shields, none of his inner circle nor family ever pushed him in that direction.

Psychological Training

Given the stressors on a child prodigy and professional athletes, I believe psychological “training” should be required and is every bit as important as the technical training and physical conditioning athletes undergo.

Hypnosis and Self-Improvement

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:19:11 +0000

I have been using hypnosis with my clients for many years. More recently, I have used it with some of the elite junior tennis clients I work with and have been very pleased with how well they have responded and how quickly the suggestions have transferred to their match play.

The biggest reason for the success is the natural ability of the individual. Within 1 or 2 sessions, I can see how deeply a person gets in the trance (relaxation) phase. If they are highly responsive, I then develop a series of specific suggestions based on their needs and goals, then verbally “feed” them back to the client while they are in the trance. I often record the session and have them practice between sessions.

Accelerate Progress Through Hypnosis

While no one knows how hypnosis works for sure, it’s a great tool that can accelerate progress in many individuals. My mental condition CD-ROM, TENNISMIND is based on hypnosis and numerous tennis coaches use it regularly with the students. It’s available on the products portion of my website, www.robertheller.net.

Impact of Personal Crisis on Work and Performance

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 13:14:19 +0000

One day after catapulting from obscurity to international fame as the giant killer of the top women tennis players in the world at the US Open, young 17 year old Melodie Oudin has a bombshell dropped on her: her father is divorcing her mother for sleeping with Melody’s long time coach!

How will this turn of events impact her personal life, relationships, trust and career? In the short run, it certainly can’t be good. Hopefully, she will be guided to seek competent professional counseling to help her sort out and manage her emotions and the complex issues that they evoke.

Teen Stress

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:47:56 +0000

Being a teenager has always been a stressful time as they seek greater independence, want to experiment with new things and want to fit in and be accepted by their peers. The technology age provides a double-edged sword, both as a resource for help and a block against communication. The increased access to chat with kids and groups from all over the world has the potential to reduce isolationism and provide advice, sharing and other viewpoints that can help teens deal with tough questions, situations and pressures they experience. The tendency of kids to keep things from their parents is magnified by the use of cell phones, texting and the numerous social websites teens gravitate to.

Parents Setting Limits

The caring, concerned parent is often kept out of the loop and the last one to know. Finding a balance over the use of technology is a challenge to all of us. Parents need to set limits without going over the top. Sometimes just caring and being available is all you can do.

Addictions

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 13:57:06 +0000

As the stress of life continues to mount, maladaptive coping skills seem to be on the rise. Fueled by drug companies that promote a “quick fix” for every discomfort and doctors who allocate 2 minutes to a patient and are writing their “scripts” before even examining you, let alone exploring non-medication options.

Natural Solutions to Managing Stress

We need to take time to invest in natural solutions to managing stress and becoming better informed consumers!

Dr. Albert Ellis

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:43:48 +0000

A reader recently commented on my you tube Cognitive-Therapy Video that Dr.Albert Ellis is considered the “grandfather” of Cognitive-Behavior Therapy and not Dr. Aaron Beck. Actually, Dr.Ellis is the founder of Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) a similar approach with some important differences in both principles and practice. REBT tries to get people to change their fundamental “beliefs” rather just their negative self-talk. Also, in REBT the therapist is often more vigorous, forceful and confrontational is getting clients to change their way of thinking than is typically done through Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy.

There are two separate major training Centers for these approaches, the Albert Ellis Institute, based in New York and the Cognitive Therapy Center based in Philadelphia.