Dr. Molly Barrow

The Official Dr. Molly Barrow Blog offers educational self help advice about relationships, business, dating, marriage, parenting, teenagers and children, self-esteem, love and romance. Dr. Molly Barrow holds a Ph.D in psychology and is the author of Matchlines for Singles and the self-esteem adventure series, Malia and Teacup Awesome African Adventure and Malia and Teacup Out on a Limb. Dr. Molly is a relationship and psychology expert host on progressiveradionnetwork.com and television guest.

Monday, January 04, 2010

Matchlines for Singles Book Review and Interview with Author Dr. Molly Barrow


Dr. Molly Barrow has been working in Naples as a mental health counselor and psychotherapist since her arrival in 1998. She opened her private practice here soon after earning a Ph.D. from Walden University with a dissertation on Pathways and Pitfalls of Co-parenting in the Divorce Process. Before that, following B.A. and M.A. degrees in psychology from the University of Northern Colorado, she had already established herself as a mental health practitioner.

But there is another Molly Barrow who has training and experience as an actor, director, writer and production supervisor. So we have here a talented and highly-educated woman who is a member of both the American Psychological Association and the Screen Actors Guild.

These two areas of expertise nourish one another in several of her enterprises. For example, Dr. Barrow wrote, directed and edited several medical training videos. She is also involved in a full-length film, My Suicide, which is mentioned in her comments that follow. Her experience in front of and behind the camera helps her communicate and inform, whether as a teacher, guest speaker, contributor to documentary video projects, or expert witness. Now, growing out of her clinical work, Dr. Barrow has written her first book - Matchlines.


PKJ: How did you first get the idea for the book?
MB: During my counseling sessions I questioned why people who gave great quality love still could not make their relationships work. I developed a theory and began to show it graphically to my patients. They reacted first with an "Aha! I get it," then later they were able to balance their relationships and found happiness. I was aware that men could understand the relationship in a "big picture" way after they saw me draw the lines of their relationship. Patients knew what their next move should be and it worked for them. I wanted to reach more people, so I wrote the book.
PKJ: In a somewhat crowded field, what makes your book stand out?
MB: Your relationship can affect your good health, divide your finances, and make or break your children's happiness. There is room for many books on how to communicate and improve your relationship with your partner. Matchlines is a tested theory that works. The book can be used to improve all relationships, help to distinguish the right partner for you, and build your self-esteem. Many readers say they are excited and empowered by the book, and even call it a self-help page turner. It is good for adults married thirty years or teenagers venturing into the dating world. Matchlines gives people hope that they can be happy in love. So many people had tried other methods, books, and therapists without getting better, but they said my theory shows them what was going wrong in their relationship while the diagrams and cartoons made them laugh. Most people seem to comprehend it and make changes that make a big difference in the quality of their relationship.
PKJ: What are the main features of the book?
MB: Everyone has a learned capacity to love another that can be estimated and compared to another's. For a compatible easy relationship, the two capabilities or "lines" need to match, thus Matchlines. A step-by-step instruction on how to analyze your relationship is in the book, as well as chapters on you and your partner's "love heritage," your current love capacity and ways to improve your ability to give love and sometimes, to give less demonstrative love.
PKJ: Had you done much professional or popular writing before?
MB: My mother was and my eldest brother, James, is now the writer in the family. Writing is hard work for me. I have a children's book and screenplay completed about a young girl finding self esteem. I had some input on the My Suicide screenplay, due out in 2009., where I also will play the part of an expert on suicide. My Ph.D. dissertation was the most difficult and time-consuming paper. It is where I learned to be a better writer. My research was on how to predict successful co-parenting after a divorce. The Matchline Relationship Quiz on drmollybarrow.com evolved from my dissertation work. Along with Beth Van Arsdale and Judge Dan Monaco and others I helped to write the Standardization for Custody Evaluation for Collier County. I took writing classes from Hollis Alpert, and over many coffees and cookies he taught me to "just tell stories!"
PKJ: Is it true that this will be the first in a series of books?
MB: The relationship theory will be applied to parenting and step-parenting and also business and social relationships....
PKJ: Has the publication of the book affected your practice in any way?
MB: My patients are thrilled for me. Many have already bought the book and are giving me five star reviews on Amazon and barnesandnoble.com. That feels pretty great!
PKJ: What are your interests and hobbies and your views on living in Naples?
MB: I love movies, gypsy flamenco music and books on nutrition and health. I eat organic food 95 percent of the time. I think Southern Florida real estate is still the best buy around when you factor in the beach lifestyle and scenic beauty of this area. I have a few causes. One is Regenerate, a non-profit that helps prevent teen fatalities from suicide and reckless driving. When Regenerate founder David Miller and I met at Sundance film festival, he told me about his work with teenagers using teen peer influence in prevention commercials. He developed the concept for the film My Suicide, which he directs. The film stars Gabriel Sunday, David Carradine and Mariel Hemingway. Matchlines for Singles is published by Barringer Publishing and available at http://www.drmollybarrow.com for $15.95.

(Philip K. Jason, Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus of English from the United States Naval Academy. A poet, critic, and free-lance writer with twenty books to his credit, this "Dr. Phil" chairs the annual Naples Writers' Conference presented by the Naples Press Club. Send him your book news at pjason@aol.com.)



©Naples Sun Times 2009

MOLLY BARROW, PH.D.

http://www.DrMollyBarrow.com

http://www.maliaandteacup.com


Dr. Molly Barrow holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and is the author of Matchlines for Singles, Matchline for Couples, and Malia and Teacup: Awesome African Adventure and Malia and Teacup: Out on a Limb. As an authority on relationship and psychological topics,Dr. Barrow is a member of the American Psychological Association, Screen Actors Guild, and Authors Guild and is a licensed mental health counselor. Dr. Molly has appeared as an expert in the film, My Suicide, documentaries Ready to Explode and KTLA Impact, NBC news, PBS In Focus, WBZT talk radio, and in O Magazine, Psychology Today, Newsday, New York Times, CNN, The Nest, MSN.com, Yahoo, Match.com, Women's Health, Harvard Business School, Women's World, has a radio show on blogtalkradio.com and is a columnist for Menstuff.org.

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