Ramin Tork

eroonman

Holakoui's PhD is in Sociology.  Nice combination really, as psychologists could become too tunnel visioned by the science,  if they don't allow themselves a broad range of observations and cultural reference points and perspectives.  

Ramin Jaan

I'll look for your sculptural paper series on FB then.  Very interesting, you say they're controlled. If we consider the subjective nature of modern art, then accidental and controlled could be one and the same, nah?  Fascinating how unconscious works. 

"Dr." Holakouie: "Miss Cleo" for Iranians

Unfortunaley the biggest fraud that happens to offer a much needed service.

Dr. (is he really a Dr.? someone should check) H, offers the many troubled Iranians within earshot of his seminars and his show on KIRN in LA and satellite TV, what they crave and cannot ever pass up.

FREE therapy and somone to tell them what to think.

There, now I feel better.

Monda Jaan

Yes you got it right. What is more I have done an entire series of sculptural paper drawings which use the Rorschach concept in a more vivid way and have been done in black Chinese ink but with some acrylic gold. I was in the process of digitizing them and putting them on FB with the rest of the Art work and have called it the Black and Gold series, they are controlled rather than accidental but look accidental!

Dear iran_zamin

I think if people need support, they could need it at any age, but help can only be given within the constraints of their circumstances and that can not always be altered. I was send over here by myself when I was 14 so I know what challenges a kid can face but I did adapt quickly.

As for celebrating someone's life after they have gone, we all have our own way of mourning and that is independent of religion but very much influenced by it. I am a humanist and I do not believe in life after death so when my uncle died recently it was a case of recalling my childhood memories, some sweet and some bitter (not because of him being bitter!) so for me it was a time of reflection.

Dear Azarin

Dr. Holakouee is an icon,

for introducing the utility of psychotherapy to the Iranian psyche. No easy job.  My friend in Toronto drives home from work to catch his shows. A friend gave me all his DVD's as a gift, I've listened to them all several times and much appreciate learning the Farsi terminologies and his conceptualizations of personality (read family of origin) dynamics in Farsi. It is textbook classic material, true, but in understandable language by Iranians. Very valuable tool.

iran_zameen, I do listen to his radio shows whenever I'm in LA. His advice may sound overly generalized because, a) he speaks to a huge audience, so he needs to focus on global research findings on personality issues, he is as case-specific as he can be given the size of his forum without giving callers the impression that he knows the specifics of each presented dilemma and, b) he incorporates his skills (learned instinct) with the specific callers' tone and presentation of possible problem.  Therefore, c) he motivates the caller to further investigate the issue, if they remain interested in finding solutions to help out the situation/ person they're presenting.  in doing so, he has to instill Hope in that the stated issue has a global feature to it (yes a 15 year old, who has experienced Good Enough Parenting does have the necessary developmental tools to adjust to a new environment. Adjustment to new status is a delicate task at any age. It takes time, support and hope of those in his support system.) Bottom line: Taking the blame & guilt out of each dilemma does make solutions more clearly available. Holakouee aims to do that with an Iranian twist, which is confronting the wrong unfounded cultural assumptions. And his sense of humor in those confrontations can cause Me accidents while multitasking on the LA freeways. When in LA, I prefer to be driven - if our travel time falls during Holakouee's radio program.

Ramin jan, love your "baba aab nadaad" symbol for trauma :o)) and the psyche representation (or is it?) on top right is very creative.  I saw it enlarged on FB and instantly saw its potential to replace the Rorschach as a psych assessment tool, in the range of details (triggers) it offers the viewers :o) Very cool!

Some of what he says is just not helpful

I once heard him come down hard on a mom whose 20 yr old son was having relationship problems.

mom was saying that the boy was left in iran at 15 while the rest of family came to America.

When he rejoined them in US, he was having emotional problems.

Dr was saying that because of his age - 20- he should do just fine given that in his age group he should be supported mostly by peers.

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Another thing he once said was that when a person dies we should "celebrate" his life as they do in wakes in the Western world.

This is wrong. WHY?

Because Wakes sprung up in Christian communities where a simple Belief in Christ meant Salvation--so even a Porn star has a chance of salvation if she believed in Christ. So it developed that Christians started thinking that the dead are actually RESTING IN PEACE and having a merry time.

In Islam- the relgion of most Persians--it is exactly the oppposite. People start fearing that they would be punished over the most nionr trangressions. Simple belief in ALlah is not suffice- its word AND deeds

In Christianity there is an emphasis on Salvation By the Grace of God

In Islam there is emphasis on your deeds- if you point balance was in the positive-literally from the Quran if the scale tips in favor of good, then welcome to Paradise...and the Paradise might not be Level 1--most likely level 7 --l;evel 1 is for the prophets and the martyrs and high point scoreers...

Hence in Islamic societies, crying for the dead and beatings were really a reflection of the worries a community has from the "Ayandeh" of the dead--will he or will he not enter paradise? Will he suffer grave punishment?

Hence Dr H. simple suggestion that we ough to celebrate a dead person's life is really not that simple. It has extreme meaning based on Islamic thinking.

Unless Islam changes, no celebration will take place.

Thank you Ramin!

Wonderful concept! I think Dr. Holakouee is an easy one for those who live in LA! I listen to him almost every day...he is really fun and entertaining! I have even taken all his classes and I have learned so much, plus a good dozen first class jokes!

But kidding aside, I think he is necessary for the Iranian society, sickened with so many nonsensical traditions and "khorafaat"!

Thank you Ramin jan for this original work! Now I wonder who's going to be your next victim..:-)

Azarin  

For those who don't watch Satellite TV

Dr. Farhang Holakouee is a very popular TV psychologist.

He has three Master Degrees in Economics, Psychology and Marriage, Family and Child Counseling and a Ph.D. in Sociology and is a former professor of several universities.

Other than his popularity for the type of analysis that he does, he seems like a very interesting person in terms of his no nonsense approach in making the callers confront their false reality. He also has a under current humor and his own personality make his programs very intersting. I watched some of his programs because I have a 15 year old kid who is our only child and going through the teenage phase she sometimes drives us nuts!