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A survivor's story
Michelle, diagnosed with ovarian cancer, talks about her struggle to find the tools to survive emotionally.
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Behind the scenes with Dr. Phil
Dr. Phil talks with Dan Gilbert about his show, the self-help industry, and the role of personal responsibility.
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We are what we choose to think
Louise Hay, an author and publisher of self-help books, talks about the power of positive thinking and the failure of science.
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Sorting out the good from the bad
Dr. John Norcross on the dangers of self-help.
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Chapter 1: A search for meaning
1. Video
A survivor's story -
Chapter 2: Hearts, minds, and the inner ding
2. Video
Behind the scenes with Dr. Phil -
3. Video
We are what we choose to think -
Chapter 3: Investigating self-help
4. Video
Sorting out the good from the bad
Self-Help or Self-Harm? Is America’s $10 billion a year self-help industry really helping?
Of the people who successfully change their behavior, 75% have done so on their own without professional treatment, yet the self-help industry exists without regulation and scientific research. How can we know what works and what doesn’t? Is America’s $10 billion-a-year self-help industry really helping?
Michele, a cancer survivor, talks about her search for strength. Dan Gilbert interviews author Louise Hay, TV psychologist Dr. Phil and self-help researcher Dr. John Norcross.
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Chapter 1: A search for meaning
Michele, a cancer survivor, struggles with the changes in her life. She discusses her experience at the Heal Your Life Conference and self-help book fair.
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Chapter 2: Hearts, minds, and the inner ding
Dr. Phil offers a behind-the-scenes look at America’s most popular TV psychologist.
Louise Hay talks about positive thinking and the failure of science. -
Chapter 3: Investigating self-help
Dr. John Norcross, an expert on psychotherapy and self-help, discusses the problems related to the unvetted use of self-help materials.
This Emotional Life is a co-production of the NOVA/WGBH Science Unit and Vulcan Productions, Inc. A Film by Kunhardt McGee Productions. ©/™ 2009 WGBH Educational Foundation and Vulcan Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
This Web site was produced for PBS Online by elephants & ants.
Funding for This Emotional Life is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Public Television Viewers. Additional funding provided by the University of Phoenix and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
