Citizenship United States Alma mater University of Denver Name Robert Firestone Education University of Denver Fields Psychology | Nationality United States Known for Author Role Author Residence California, United States | |
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Institutions The Glendon Association; Books The Fantasy Bond: Str, Conquer Your Critical In, Voice Therapy: A Psychoth, Fear of Intimacy, The Self Under Siege: A | ||
Robert W Firestone
Robert W. Firestone (born September 8, 1930, Brooklyn, New York) is a clinical psychologist, author of a number of books about psychological defenses, and a visual artist.
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Education
Firestone received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Denver. In his doctoral dissertation, A Concept of the Schizophrenic Process (1957), Firestone postulated that schizophrenics rely on internal, fantasized "self-mothering" as a replacement for secure external interpersonal relationships. He later expanded and generalized this line of thought to describe what he called the "core defense" (for non-schizophrenics) in his theory of "the fantasy bond." Firestone also attended University of Syracuse and in 1951 graduated from the University of California, Berkeley.
Career
Firestone worked as a clinical psychologist in private practice from 1957 to 1979. Since 1979, Firestone has been affiliated with the Glendon Association. Firestone is also a contributing psychologist to www.PsychAlive.org. Firestone developed the Firestone Assessment of Self-destructive Thoughts (FAST), a scale that assesses suicide potential, the Firestone Assessment of Violent Thoughts (FAVT), a test that examines violent thoughts that can lead to violent behaviors, and the Firestone Assessment of Suicidal Intent (FASI), which examines how a person's internal dialogue puts them at risk for suicidal behaviors.