‘Extreme Moms’ is a new ‘Reality’ television show produced by Glassman Media which aired on Lifetime TV Network, Tuesday Evening May 21st 2013. If you missed Season 1 Episode 1 it will air again Tuesday May 28th at 8:00 PM ET. This Marriage and Family Therapist – Dr. Karen Ruskin, of which I am known for my no-nonsense tell-it-like-it-is passionate approach to mental health and wellness, had the wonderful opportunity to be the therapist guest expert on this particular episode. The segment topic I appeared on and shared my insights was in response to a case where a mother displays her naked body during inappropriate times. The case was not one of nudism, and rather exhibitionism.
As a public, many of us have noticed the rapidly growing ‘Reality TV’ genre. Within that space, we as a public have also observed the theme of people displaying their mental health dysfunction-ality on air. What I have also noticed is the disturbing display of mental health professionals seen as dysfunctional in some way. There are amazing therapists who live among us, healthy functioning mental health experts who help people every day. When the media shows even but a taste of what therapy can do for the struggling person and their family, and/or potentially offers to people, in an appropriate accurate light – I am thankful for. Offering viewers the opportunity to see what a vested, healthy, caring, solution driven mental health professional does is a gift for our public.
Thank you to Lifetime Television Network and Glassman Media for inviting me into your world of Reality TV so that participants and viewers experienced the taste of a therapist who is passionate about helping people to help themselves get to a better place, a taste of therapeutic insight.
As a Psychotherapist and Human Behavior Expert, I am hopeful that if Reality TV continues to be popular with viewers therefore leading production companies and networks to team up and produce this style of television, that there will be shows created that offer participants real help. I am concerned about the growing trend of people just behaving badly and that is for all the public to see, with no help. I understand that if that is what sells, if that is what is popular, then this trend will continue. I am hopeful that TV will shift from the airing of personal and family drama just for entertainment of crisis, and rather include more programming that provides entertaining education. Shows that provide participants and the viewers with therapeutic insight and concrete tools/strategies that they can use to help themselves get to a better place emotionally, mentally, and behaviorally – ah yes, that is the programming I would be interested in seeing more of. I am hopeful that in this generation we will see this reality I propose come to fruition, a reality where more people are helped. This idea appears to be touched upon already with several shows on various networks, let’s hope that real help becomes an expanded reality.
I am solution focused and specialize in the relationship dynamics between people (marriage, parenting, one’s relationship with one’s self . . .). It is my greatest passion to provide cutting edge insight and practical do-able tips to live a life of relational and personal mental health and wellness. This is what I do everyday in my practice, on air as a guest expert on TV (FOX News Channel, FOX Business Network, ABC’s Good Morning America, Discovery Network, . . . ), radio, and print media.