
Dr. John V. Farrar
the snowman therapist
Tap To Call: (248) 210-3556
Welcome to
The Snowman Therapist BLOG!
What is Merit?
One of my earlier recollections about school involved my brother, Ray. He was six years older than I and attended a parochial high school for boys. It was generally acknowledged that he was the “brains” of our family and, predictably, always received...
TWO THOUGHTS: ONE OUTCOME
Those of you who are familiar with this author’s concept of “the Snowman” will understand this month’s message. The Snowman reminds us that everything in our life, our actions and feelings, flow from certain ideas or beliefs that we hold. But what happens...
ARE YOU PERFECT?
The title of today’s newsletter, obviously, must be a rhetorical question. Everyone knows that there is no such thing as perfection. There are no perfect people, situations, or…. relationships. We know...
WHY?
Rise up and tackle the issue with enthusiasm! Since the advent of the counseling profession, therapists have been interested and fascinated by the “why"question. Similarly, their clients were puzzled, and perhaps even plagued, by their own self-defeating behavior. ...
DISMISSIVENESS: WHAT IS IT?
Mediocre minds usually dismiss anything which reaches beyond their own understanding. Francois de La Rochefoucauld Dismissiveness: choosing to dismiss or reject someone or something; having or showing a disdainful attitude toward someone or something regarded as...
MOM OR DAD? LOOK AT THAT METAPHORICAL MIRROR
Children don't need perfect paents; they need happy parents. Sigmund Freud is generally labelled as “the father of modern psychology.” While very few counseling practitioners follow his theories and methods closely, he certainly raised our collective awareness...
TWO SIDES TO PTSD
“Trauma creates change you don’t choose. Healing is about creating change you do choose.” –Michelle Rosenthal For a long time, I have been working with a young, retired US Army enlisted man. My client served in Iraq, and his experiences overseas continue...
Can You Love a Child Too Much?
Discipline is helping a child solve a problem. Punishment is making a child suffer for having a problem. During a recent counseling session with a new couple, I gathered some basic background information. Both partners described a childhood that was rife with neglect...
ADDICTION: BENEFITS & CONSEQUENCES
Over my years as a counselor, much of my professional life has been spent in dealing with those suffering from some form of negative addiction. These present in various ways: alcohol, gambling, or other drugs. We can harm ourselves with food, compulsive shopping,...
SNAPSHOT
To be human is to have a collection of memories that tells you who you are and how you got there. Baldwin A few days ago, I had the chance to spend some time with our son. He has a demanding career and a family of his...
HOW TALL ARE YOU?
He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery. Harold Wilson In the middle of a meeting today, my client’s seemingly casual remark led me to ask an apparently irrelevant question. I...

THE BOOK IS HERE!!
Thoughts. Behaviors. Feelings. These are the three pillars of the Farrars' approach to counseling. As a cognitive counselor, Dr. John believes our behaviors and feelings stem from our thoughts.
Dr. John draws upon years of experience and his work with over 300 women to identify six reasons why women choose dysfunctional and under-achieving partners.
Dr. John is an enthusiastic and entertaining presenter, able to convey his cognitively-oriented messages to audiences with a clear and entertaining style.
Call him today to schedule a workshop or seminar for you or your organization.