Steven is the author of Protecting Yourself from Emotional Predators: Neutralize the Users, Abusers and Manipulators Hidden Among Us, which offers a new paradigm for dealing with toxic people. The insights in his book inform much of his work as a dispute resolution professional and consultant, and have proved eye-opening for attorneys and their clients.
Steven knows how abusive and manipulative people prey on the emotions of good people – and how good people can protect themselves. He offers a radically different view of these Emotional Predators and provides practical effective solutions. For Emotional Predators, life is a strategy game to dominate and control, and you are either a player to be defeated or a game piece to be used. Without empathy or remorse, they’ll ruin your life, and traditional approaches will make things worse.
His book teaches 5 essential steps for protecting yourself, valuable guidance for safe relationships and over 30 specific defensive tactics for:
- Distinguishing romance from intimacy
- Restoring your self-esteem
- Removing your emotional triggers
- Using gratitude and humor
- Playing their games better than they do – without becoming like them
- Screening professionals to be sure they can help
- Regaining control in family court
- Breaking an addiction to an Emotional Predator
- Re-balancing power in your favor
- Adjusting beliefs that keep you trapped
- Responding strategically, instead of reacting emotionally
About Steven
Steven Wolhandler, J.D., M.A., L.P.C. is an attorney and psychotherapist with decades of experience in dispute resolution and psychology.
An attorney since 1984, Steven is a graduate of Cornell Law School where he was an Editor of the Law Review. He practiced law in a large Wall Street law firm and as a soloist in a small New Mexican town. Steven began his doctoral clinical psychology training in 1988, taking a leave of absence in 1990. He formed Creative Conflict Resolutions, LLC in 1999 and received a Masters in Counseling Psychology in 2002.
Steven has been resolving business and family disputes outside the courts since 1993 (as a mediator, arbitrator, consultant, custody evaluator and parental decision-maker). He combines his legal training and experience with his deep understanding of the psychological basis of high-conflict disputes. He is the author of Protecting Yourself from Emotional Predators: Neutralize the Users, Abusers and Manipulators Hidden Among Us, which presents a new paradigm for understanding toxic people and relationships.