Dr. John V. Farrar
the snowman therapist
Tap To Call: (248) 210-3556
Welcome to
The Snowman Therapist BLOG!
STEP 9: A COMPENDIUM OF HOLLOWNESS
Being in love means "never having to say you're sorry"? Really? No, it means having to make amends, restitution: actually investing energy, thought and action in making things right once again. Over the course of a lifetime, all of us have occasion to address...
STEP 4: THE SOURCE OF ALL DYSFUNCTION
We must build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear. – Martin Luther King Contrary to what most people believe, therapists are not advisors. It is not the therapists’ job to tell our clients what to do. Instead, I suggest to both my clients that counselors...
STEP 3: CALL FOR ACTION!
Today we will be discussing the application of the third step of Alcoholics Anonymous to all of my readers as well as to those in recovery. But before we get to that, I’d like to draw some analogy between my approach with clients and the structure of the steps...
STEP 2: TAKING THE NEXT STEP
As mentioned a few newsletters ago, I will be episodically discussing the wisdom to be found in the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. Once again, the benefit of understanding the message of Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith, the founders of AA, transcends its...
STEP 1: ONE STEP AT A TIME
Two newsletters back, I wrote about the concept of honesty, but I referenced the support group, Alcoholics Anonymous, as an excellent example of an entity that is based upon truthfulness. Over the next few weeks, I will be writing about the fundamental soundness of...
YOU CAN’T GO HOME AGAIN!
I’ve never been a big fan of either country music or Jon Bon Jovi. But when the longtime rocker made a “crossover” expedition into an unusual genre for him with “Who says You Can’t go Home?” he struck a chord with me. (Pun maybe intended.) Aside from being an upbeat...
WHAT IS THE OPPOSITE OF HONESTY?
Oh, what tangled webs we weave, When first we practice to deceive. -Sir Walter Scott On the surface, the answer to the above question seems obvious. It must be dishonesty. And yet, more often than not, the other end of the continuum that has honesty on one side has a...
Can You Really Boil a Frog?
For a long time, the metaphor of “boiling a frog” has engaged me. It is based upon the notion that, if thrown into a cauldron of boiling water, the frog would jump out. Conversely, it has been postulated that a frog in room temperature water could be lulled and...
Newtown: What Can We Do?
All of us have been struck by the recent tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary. Inevitably, debates and questions involving gun control, early identification of possible mental illness and new or enhanced security measures for schools skyrocket in myriad directions....
WE’RE ALL RECOVERING FROM SOMETHING
As most of my readers know, I am a professor training future professional counselors and in private practice with a specialty in treating negative addictions. In that context, the concept of “recovery,” - overcoming one’s dependence on alcohol, drugs, gambling, or...
WHERE HAVE ALL THE FEATHERS GONE?
I once had the opportunity to hear the former Detroit Tigers beloved broadcaster, Ernie Harwell, speak. I believe he was loved largely because of his overall good nature and affability. During his talk, he made the non-baseball observation that one of his goals in...
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.