Primer is excited to announce our new monthly advice column, Soapbox Therapy, created for guys just like us who may need some anonymous counsel from time to time.
Advice column? You may be thinking that kind of thing is reserved for the shallow analysis of girly teen magazines like Cosmopolitan or Seventeen. But we are men with real lives, and sometimes we need a little guidance. You may be looking for direction for something that you know your buddies won’t understand, or you’re too embarrassed to ask anyone about. Or, maybe you’re looking for the opinions of an educated expert.
We searched high and low for a professional who would be a good fit for the forward thinking, self-improving, introspective readers of Primer. The truth is, there are a lot of therapists and life coaches out there, but no one who really gets it, calls it like it is, and is actually intelligent, effective, and progressive. Therapists are smart…but modern, fresh, and relevant? Hard to find. 
But then, we met Brooke.
Brooke is an advice columnist, a published writer, and a therapist (Masters Degree, the whole bit). She’s professional, and pretty damn cute to boot. But she’s more than a pretty face with a degree, she’s real. She’s got the goods to deliver what Primer’s readers need.
She’s been cheated on (no longer bitter so she claims) and even admits to have cheated — a long time ago. She’s watched her house burn down. She’s had 2 brain surgeries. She has broken hearts and has had her heart broken…more than once. She’s had one night stands and long term relationships.
She’s the girl you wish you always had around, because she gets it — we also think she’s the therapist we all need once in awhile. Brooke is refreshing, and now she’s our Primer girl…and we’re happy to have her. Like we said, goods…delivered.
Send your questions, get real advice.
Starting now you can send questions to Soapbox Therapy, directly to Brooke about love, life, family, relationships, sex…all of it. And by the way no one will know who the question is coming from. All is confidential.
Wishing you the best,
The Primer Team
More About Brooke
Brooke Miller MA, MFTi (marriage and family therapist intern) was born in Detroit, grew up in Chicago, lost herself in Los Angeles and found herself in San Francisco…sort of. Her blog, Soapbox Therapy (www.soapboxtherapy.com), has been called “Raw, honest, thought-provoking, and wisely witty” by readers and critics and can be read in several publications including The SF Chronicle’s insert, TheIsCollection, and Cheeky Chicago. Brooke lives, writes, speaks, works, and analyzes…in San Francisco. She can be contacted at brooke(a)primermagazine.com.
*Disclaimer: Brooke cannot respond to every question asked, nor should her responses be considered professional medical advice.
Brooke received her Masters Degree in counseling psychology and is an MFTI (registered marriage and family therapist intern) working towards licensure in CA. Soapbox Therapy/Primer Magazine is not part of the licensing process and should not be considered psychotherapy. Soapbox Therapy/Primer Magaizine is commentary and advice based on Brooke’s personal opinions and insight and should be regarded as such. Soapbox Therapy/Primer Magazine is in no way related to or reflective of the opinions or insight of Brooke’s private practice supervisor, Cynthia Hoffman LMFT.
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4 People had something insightful to add, but we're missing your voice! Continue the conversation with a comment.
Sheila
Wow! Too old and happy to need advice, but an advocate of other opinions.
Jan 15th, 2010
mansour
Hello there, I am twenty-one years old student who is looking forward
to hearing some basic advices from a psychologist or psychotherapist throughout my life.
I am a such taciturn boy that it is pretty impossible to attract other
people’s attention and it make friendship with me nearly impossible. I
myself believe that I am very strange person, because of differences
with all of my peers throughout my life. I think it is necessary to
let you know more about my childhood. I was isolated boy during my
primary school, secondary school and up to entering the university in
late 2007. I am junior student of English Translation in Iran. I also
have been suffering from Thalassemia Intermediate for the whole of my
life time, but I am not feel any problem with my disease and I consider it for mental aspect not for physical one. I do not know whether it is related with my disease or not?
I am strange because I love loneliness in a way that most of my friends
have not positive opinion about my habits. I am both tolerant and
angry, I am both taciturn and talkative, I am both friendly and cool
but if you to know who really I am, I must tell you that I am honest,
frank, taciturn, proud, and pretty selfish person, meanwhile my name
is Mansour Abdi. I feel happy sometimes but suddenly I change in a
strange and sudden way so that I do not like to be with anybody, even my close
friends, family members or my loved ones. Dear, when I am in such
loneliness, I do not have any bad feeling but I just want to be alone,
and this is not limited to specific time or place or specific person,
for example: I am with my friends an we all are happy and friendly but
suddenly that kind of feeling come upon me and force me to leave my
friends and go to a quiet place an sometimes smoke a cigar, I am not
hatefull of that kind of loneliness but also I do enjoy it. I am
living in a rented house with three friends of me and in the
university I have lots of friends, all of the people around me
seemingly like me so much, even some of my girl classmates show some
kind of love towards me but I cannot show any kind of such a feeling even if I like somebody for no good reason.
On the other hand my boy friends are pretty religious and that is some
thing that I am not interested in it, because I am not a religious
person, but my best friend is too much religious an sometimes I want
to leave him forever, because of too much arguments with him for religious issues and other things. I do not know whether you have got the point and
what would you suggest about me? What is wrong with me or other people around me?
In comparison with my childhood I am not taciturn in the
university like in high school. Do you think having relation with a
girl could be helpful in case that I have not yet been with a opposite gender so far? Do you think religious extremism made me
obsessed recently, because most of my friends increasingly speak about religious issues and put me on lots of pressure ? One of my class mates is too much extremist and my
other friends are changing in that way (it is exactly my own opposite
way and personal tastes), Do you think that I must leave them in order to become relieved of that pressure and change my life in my own favor not of them (esp. my best friend that I
like him so much but we are too different in every aspect of life) and
change into those my favourite personalities? I am really obsessed now
so that I can not study my lessons and I have to smoke cigar and
continue to be alone for the rest of my life! I did not have girl
friend so far and I do not have much knowledge about their differences
with us and I am doubtful about any advantages of such relationship for me? I must be alone during each day, and I enjoy it, but what
about others? I have problem with communicating with other people, for
example: My girl classmate want to speak with me, and several of them
showed it in different ways, but I am to cool to start any relation!
Sometimes I hate everybody and I want to leave them for no good
reason, although I like them so much, but I am not committed to my
friends and they criticize my coolness, and even I am not so dependent
on my own family, though I love them.I have not specific problem with myself but when I am with different kinds of people,I do not feel comfortable and I want to be aware of this matter if I am strange and is there any problem with me. I will appreciate your helpful
advices and any possible questions. Best regard
Jan 27th, 2011
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