#MM02 – Q&A Mondays with Moshe Lang: Supporting Family Members & The Power of Life Experience for Therapists
This is Episode 2 of the new Q and A series with psychologist Moshe Lang, Australia's best known family therapist, renowned author and teacher.
Every fortnight WAWID listeners send me questions to ask Moshe. These questions can be be about anything to do with his journey, therapy or in the field of mental health. Moshe is an incredibly curious person, and loves a challenge – he tells me he'll tackle anything sent his way. This weeks questions are:
1) What advice would you give to family and friends who have a loved one going through depression or anxiety? They play a crucial support role yet are rarely included as part of an ongoing plan.
2) Starting from a broad perspective, I would love to know what advice Moshe has for a ‘mature ‘ starter in the field of therapy. I think I've said here before that my later life journey to Psychology is really about self-actualization. I genuinely feel that I am in the process of becoming what/who I am meant to be. The question (about bloody time, Jim!), is how do I utilise the life experience that I have to help others, in a world of psychology that seems so fixated on A+B = C? All of our training seems to be focused on method or ‘X' theory, rather than the reality of human interaction that Moshe so beautifully illustrates in his discussions with you. I'm half way through Honours and I'm genuinely concerned that in order to work, I'll need to join some school of thought (i.e, CBT, EMDR) that has been proven (and do work, don't get me wrong ), but to me, are empty of human empathy, compassion and connection. How do emerging Psychologists boldly become Mongrel/Bitsa qualified?
More Info on Moshe
Moshe Lang is one of Australia’s best known family therapists. Born in Israel, he migrated to Australia as a young man and settled here in 1961. He studied psychology at the University of Melbourne, and is the Director of William Road Psychotherapy Centre.
Between 1965 and 1979 he was senior psychologist at the Bouverie Clinic and Director of Training. In 1975, during a sabbatical, he worked in Ramat-Chen Mental Health Clinic in Israel. In 1979, he founded Williams Road Family Therapy Centre, the first independent family therapy centre in Australia. Moshe remained involved with the Centre until 2012 – sharing co-directorship with Dr Brian Stagoll from 1981 to 1997.
He was Foundation President of the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy (1979-1988), and from 1982 to 1984 was President of the Victorian Association of Family Therapists (now known as Australian Association of Family Therapy). Moshe is also the Recipient of the Inaugural Award of Special Services to Family Therapy from the Australian New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy (1994), and a Life Member of the Australian Association of Family Therapy (1992). Moshe gave the key-note address at the Inaugural Family Therapy Conference in Melbourne (1980).
Moshe has practiced and taught clinical psychology and family therapy in Melbourne since 1965 – the first 15 years at The Bouverie Clinic and since 1979 from 3 Williams Road, Windsor. He has been a regular commentator on issues associated with clinical psychology and family therapy, and he is well known for his workshops and unique teaching style, marked by clarity, humour and empathy.
Moshe has published extensively in the professional literature on themes ranging fromwork with children and adolescents, depression, eating disorders, suicide, school refusal,work with Holocaust survivors and their families, couples therapy and teaching family therapy. His publications include the Children’s Depression Scale (with Miriam Tisher), which has been extensively used, translated and published in numerous languages including Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Hindu, Arabic, Nigerian and Hebrew.
He is the co-author of Corrupting the Young and Other Stories of a Family Therapist and Resilience: Stories of a Family Therapist (with Tesse Lang); as well as A Family in Therapy and The Answer Within (with Peter McCallum). These highly regarded books have been extensively reviewed and translated to Hebrew and French.
Recently he has brought out two highly praised DVDs, Behind Closed Doors, providing the viewers, professional and general public alike with the opportunity to see him at work.
Recommended Resources:
To learn more about Moshe head to his website – http://moshelang.com.au/
Books:
Corrupting the Young and Other Stories of a Family Therapist – Moshe Lang
Resilience: Stories of a Family Therapist – Moshe Lang (with Tesse Lang)
A Family in Therapy and The Answer Within – Moshe Lang (with Peter McCallum)
Behind Closed Doors, (DVD) – Moshe Lang doing couples therapy!
There books are also available as e-books at – moshelang.com.au/where-to-buy/
Feedback
Leave me or Moshe a comment or some feedback about this episode in the comments section. I’ll respond to everyone!
- # 63 – Paediatric Chronic Pain with Dr Nicki Ferencz - November 13, 2020
- # 64 – Chronic Pain with Sports and Exercise Psychologist Damien Stewart - November 11, 2020
- # 62 – Pain Management with Dr Jacqui Stanford - November 8, 2020