What we’re about
This meetup was formed to offer those who are interested in improving the quality of their romantic relationships a comfortable venue to talk about issues and gain feedback and support from each other. We meet the first and third Saturday of each month, 11:45 AM to 1:00 PM, at The Water Garden Business Center, 23432 South Pointe Drive, Suite 130, Laguna Hills, CA 92653. The fee is $25.00 per group meting (payable via cash or check at the time of the meeting).
As a psychologist in private practice for 17 years, I have worked with hundreds of persons with various types of relationship difficulties, most of whom were highly successful in other areas of their lives. What I have commonly found is that people approach romantic relationships in ways not of their own conscious choosing. Instead, it is our unconscious motivations -- of which we are seldom aware -- that often lead us to self-sabotaging and counterproductive tendencies and patterns.
Issues that we regularly address in group meetings include:
• Narcissistic and co-dependent dynamics
• Communication breakdowns
• Partner selection
• Commitment
• Attraction
• Gender roles
• Conscious and unconscious communication
Each group meeting consists of a brief presentation on a topic of interest that is then followed by a Q and A and open group discussion. For more information, please contact me via phone (949-338-4388) or email (jt@jamestobinphd.com).
James Tobin, Ph.D.
Licensed Psychologist: PSY #22074
5020 Campus Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Phone: 949-338-4388
Email: jt@jamestobinphd.com
Web: www.jamestobinphd.com
Disclaimer: Please note that this group and its contents are informational and didactic in nature. In no way is the group intended to constitute psychotherapy. Participants who would like to have their personal issues addressed in psychotherapy are encouraged to consult with Dr. Tobin for a referral to a licensed mental health clinician.
Upcoming events (1)
See all- "Rage Becomes Her": The Work of Soraya Chemaly15615 Alton Pkwy, Irvine, CA$30.00
Anger, often dismissed as a negative emotion, holds a profound significance in the lives of women. Soraya Chemaly, a prominent writer and activist, delves into the complexities of women’s anger in her influential work, Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women’s Anger. Through her research and personal experience, Chemaly challenges societal norms that dictate how women should express their emotions, particularly anger.
For Chemaly, anger is an innate human emotion that serves as a response to perceived threats, injustices, or indignities. It acts as a warning signal, alerting individuals to situations that require attention or action. However, societal conditioning often leads girls and women to suppress their anger, viewing it as inappropriate or unfeminine. This suppression can have detrimental effects on mental and physical health and overall well-being.
Chemaly views anger as a catalyst for social change. Her work also highlights the importance of intersectionality in understanding women’s anger. Different components of identity, such as race, class, and sexual orientation, influence how women experience and express anger.
In the next meeting of the Relationship Group Seminar on Saturday, August 23, 2025 (11:45 AM to 1:00 PM), we will discuss in more detail Chemaly’s reframing anger as a legitimate and valuable emotion. We will also consider her recommendations re: strategies for healthy anger expression and how she differentiates assertiveness from aggression. Finally, we will discuss broader implications of her work for men and women, namely, how her perspective may be integrated into the contemporary debate among relationship experts and couples therapists as to the role of patriarchal structures in intimate relationships.
*Registration Directions: If you would like to attend the next meeting of the Relationship Group Seminar on August 23, 2025 (11:45 AM to 1:00 PM), please RSVP to me at 949-338-4388 or jt@jamestobinphd.com no later than Thursday, August 21, 2025. The seminar will be held at 15615 Alton Parkway, Suite 450, in Irvine, CA. The fee is $30.00 and informed consent for participation must be completed prior to the seminar. Please note that the Relationship Group Seminar is psychoeducational in nature, not therapeutic, and does not constitute psychotherapy or counseling.
