Inviting Ghosts Into Our Relationships

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It is rumored among Marriage and Family Therapists that on the wedding night, there are at least six people in the wedding bed: the bride and her parents and the groom and his parents. We carry our parents into the bed unconsciously…their values, their relationship styles, their attitudes toward money, sex, parenting and life in general. Oh what a tangled web we weave! We are driving fast and furiously into the future while looking into the rear view mirror. We say things like “He treats me just like my father did.” But we don’t really get the true import of what we are saying. Read more

From the Desk of Dr. Weiss…

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Occasionally a client will come to see me after having seen a number of therapists over the years.  They will often start the session by listing their ‘issues.’  Sometimes it is an issue with commitment or intimacy or organization.  I will suggest that we might call these ‘excuses’ in the sense that they are listing reasons why they can’t function the way they would like to in their lives.  It is also clear that they have the idea that by being able to name these issues, they are ahead of the game or somehow better off.  My experience has been that ‘knowing why is the booby prize.’  No matter how much they understand  or analyze the ‘issue’, it still manages to hold them in its grip.

The resolution of these ‘issues’ is an inside job.  Learning to listen compassionately to one’s inner world, the parts of us that are in conflict and  the parts that have been exiled from our conscious mind is the first step to freeing ourselves from historical trauma and fears.  The process of going inside is relatively simple.  The greatest barrier to doing it is that we keep ourselves distracted out of the fear of what we will find.

God As We Understood Him

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Dr. Mark Weiss, Ph.D.,LMFTBy Mark Weiss, Ph.D.

The Twelve Step program in all its forms is the fastest growing spiritual movement in the western world. Last year, Time magazine reported that over fifteen million people were involved in ongoing Twelve Step programs and anticipated exponential growth. Spiritual abuse, the process by which religious dogma and concepts were used in our childhood as punishment and shaming devices, is probably the greatest block to receiving the healing power of a Higher Power in our lives.

The Twelve Steps refer to “God as we understood him” and therein lays a critical issue for many recovering people. If in childhood we experienced abuse, abandonment, loss and shame (and all of us did on some level) and have associated that pain with God, then our ability to access Higher Power as a healing resource is severely damaged and Read more

A Little Background…

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Who might this Dr. Mark Weiss be?

dr. mark weiss - therapistDr. Mark Weiss received his Ph.D in 1971 and has been a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist for over thirty years. He recently served on the Board of the Tennessee Association of Marriage and Family Therapists.

Dr. Weiss has led over 500 business workshops and has done in-depth coaching for hundreds of executives at Savin Corporation, International Paper, Holiday Inn, Promus Corporation, The Peabody Hotel and many others.

For many years, Dr. Weiss has committed his practice and life to the attainment of self-awareness and peace. His techniques include a gentle but powerful approach to personal growth, combined with a sense of humor and warmth.

Dr. Weiss is also known as Doctor Scat – a more than 30 year passion for singing and playing jazz music has earned Dr. weiss his nickname – Read more on Doctor Scat’s Webpage

Balancing Your Life – DVD

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The Key to Healthy Communication in All Your Relationships

“I found Dr. Weiss’ program on testing emotional balance a truly insightful and amazing work. In my case, the test pegged me perfectly. After listening to the program, I was able to gain personal insights that no one before had ever pointed out. In his warm and gentle manner, he gives you wonderful, useful tips to rebalance your emotional state to lead a better, healthier and more satisfying life. Dr. Weiss has a rare gift. I cannot recommend this program more highly.”

– Thom E. Lobe, MD, NMD, ABMH, AAP, ACS Professor, University of Tennessee Health Science Center Chairman Ad Hoc Committee on Complementary and Alternative Medicine, UTHSC, Memphis

This DVD is now available for purchase. (learn more)