Dr. George Simon is an internationally-recognized expert on manipulators and other problem characters and the author of 3 bestselling books: In Sheep’s Clothing (which has been translated into 12 foreign languages), Character Disturbance, and The Judas Syndrome. He’s made appearances on several major television (Fox News Network, CNN, CBS 48 Hours) and radio programs and is also the host of a weekly internet program on UCY.TV called Character Matters. The interview with Bill O’Reilly that helped launch his first book as well as some of his other interviews can be viewed by clicking on the media tab of the blog menu bar.
Until recently, Dr. Simon maintained an active private practice dedicated to assisting individuals develop character and helping empower victims in relationships with disturbed characters. In addition to providing psychotherapy services, he specialized in anxiety and anger management, comprehensive personality assessments, mental health professional training, and consultation to businesses and organizations on how to deal with problem characters. Dr. Simon also recently retired as a supervising psychologist for the Arkansas Dept. of Correction. For 6 years he provided clinical oversight to the community risk assessment program for registered sex offenders, and more recently provided similar oversight for the newly expanded and re-vamped prison-based sex offender treatment program. He has given numerous workshops on the various sex offender typologies and offender treatment and management strategies. He helped secure a DOJ grant through Center for Sex Offender Management, and is a member of the grant’s standing committee.
Perhaps one of his proudest achievements, Dr. Simon is also the principal composer of Anthem for the Millennium (America, My Home!). The song gained popularity when a regional television station paired it with a video montage after the 9-11 attacks. It has now been performed live to audiences totaling over one million. You can see and hear for yourself the power of the song to inspire pride and love of country by clicking on the link below to a video of a live performance of the song by Country Music Showdown National Champion Ricky David Tripp in October, 2001.
Live Performance of \”America, My Home\” during \”A Salute to the Men and Women in Uniform\”
Dr. Simon served for several years on the Arkansas Governor’s Commission on Domestic Abuse, Rape and Violence, is a past President of the Arkansas Psychological Association, and is a Board Certified Diplomate in Forensic and Clinical Psychology (ACFEI). He is married to Dr. Sherry Simon, a veteran independent practitioner, has two sons, Adam and Christopher, and is the proud grandfather of Noah and Ella.
Dr. Simon is on the faculty and is a major contributing author to an international blog on Psychology, Philosophy and Real Life. Read his insightful contributions to the main blog as well as the popular “Ask The Psychologist” feature.
Dr. Simon’s work is also featured on other international sites, including some great resources for information on disturbances of character. Visit: http://www.evah.org/ and http://psychopathy101.wordpress.com/
Thank you so very much, Dr. Simon. Your information helped me get out of a terribly manipulative relationship with my fiance of a year and a half. It is hard to see these people for who they really are, especially if you love them. Once I read an exerpt from “In Sheep’s Clothing”, I knew that he was a textbook example of a covertly aggressive manipulator. When I say textbook, I mean it. Every single one of the devious tactics you listed have been utilized to victimize me on numerous occasions, especially with regard to the guilt. When you wrote, “you don’t care about me enough, you are selfish, etc” I really knew I had to get out of his grasp. He says one or both of these things to me on a daily basis (or did before I opted to leave for good). Although I grew to see all of these sad, horrible qualities in the end, I still didn’t want to admit to myself that he was such a sick individual. Thank you so very much for giving me the knowledge to make a healthy decision for myself before I was trapped in a marriage (he also tried to bully me into marrying him ASAP despite my pleas to want to wait). He is still attempting to control the break-up by not getting his things out of my condo, crying, begging and pleading for me to “help” him get through this. You have helped me to become better prepared to emotionally defend myself. I never thought an independent, confident, successful person like myself could be taken advantage of and beaten down emotionally in such a way. I felt very ashamed, guilty and stupid for falling victim to such a person. Your article also helped me to see that even the strong can be taken advantage of easily by these creative, seemingly sweet manipulators, and I needed to hear that so that I would not beat myself up any further. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Hi! Kristin,
I am happy to hear you saved yourself from a manipulator. I must say, how the very people we love and care can be so brutal – it is painful sometime to accept that, even sometime when we see it’s happening we find it hard to accept it.
I knew it all the time I was manipulated but until and after I finished reading the ‘in sheep’s clothing’ I became certain about it and the funny thing is I get more respect from them now than I used to – well probably because I am no longer a weak-will-jelly-fish!
One thing I learned from this book is, things such as love, care, relationship and every words on this vocabulary list are sweet and nice but all of these just like everything else has a clear boundary line – Do Not Cross It – tell them that and also make sure people don’t take your goodness for granted or being weak!
You are a blessing to him and covertly ask him to respect and care this goodness and not take it for granted, otherwise respectfully show him the door!
I am sure you know the level of stress such relationships causes and we all know the mental and health issues we receive in return. I personally became addicted to cigarettes to deal with it.
Some of these relationships aren’t worth it sister. I am so proud of you and happy for you. I wish you all the best in your future endeavor.
Rahman.
If i love some disturbed guy, i mean he is manipulative and sex addicted, he tried to make me one of his victims but i read alot to be aware and conscious of the proplem, can i help him to be a better person? Is there is a hope to have healthy and successful realationship with him.
Thank you very much Dr. Simon.
I live far away from my family and hardly get to visit them. My siblings have taken advantage of this and manipulated me so much that I started doubting myself and doubting the very people who stick with me through thick and thin. At one point I thought I might be mentally ill because I knew I wasn’t focusing on my goals rather on something that is so trivial! In fact, the level of stressed it continually caused was the main reason I relapse from stopping smoking – cigarettes became my support then to handle this overwhelming stress.
I never knew I can be so vulnerable even to my own siblings! I wasted years trying to figure out why was these things happening and on and on – over intectualising but everything ended with my being a victim of theirs and more relapse!
I have wasted fruitful years, tremendous amount of energy and time trying to figuring out how I can be a better person to deal with these people and what can I do to help me simaltaneously watching my life going down the drain – now I feel I was brutally brain washed(successfully manipulated) by my own siblings.
Since, I read this book I now know what the problem is and who the problems are and I can now confidently root-out these problems out of my life. Sure I respect them just like I respect everyone I meet on the street but now I know how to pick out a genuine person from a manipulators and than strategify my conversation to ensure that they get it right that I am not their piece of cake – go pick someone else!
Manipulators don’t just come from a specific backgrounds they come from every backgrounds available. Don’t be fool by their charm and well dressed and immaculate language but let their words scale out if they are genuine or have an ulterior motive (manipulators).
Thanks Dr. Simon again you being an expert in this field may understand the misery you saved me from. This book is so important that I am going to put is right beside my holy book (The Quran).
May Allah(swt) bless you and your loved ones!
Jesus Christ, Dr Simon you are amazing! you are so positive, you are so right….I had a gut feeling but you truly opened my eyes. This is what I wanted to say all along. Watching your youtube videos has been an eye opener. Why has modern therapy or psychology not caught up with this yet? Because it makes them more money doing things the old fashioned way. So many lives would literally be saved if only they would listen to you, I can’t believe you have been studying this for 25 years and so little has changed. Have a great day and God bless you.
It makes sense that people don’t bring up where they ripped off these tactics. Nobody should help sex offenders.
So you think it’s OK to release child molesters and rapists from prison without treatment? Do you think it’s all right to create the next generation of child victims? That’s a heartbreaking attitude, Ruben Cruz…
I wish I had come upon this blog and these REAL, TRUE insights years ago… But thankful to finally have this understanding. Thank you, Dr. Simon, for your straightforward insights on disturbed characters and manipulators, presenting the straight truth after your years of deep and extensive experience. Your work has incredible value, and I honor it by learning to recognize the presence and tactics of these characters in my life. With kind regards.
Hi Dr. Simon,
I had to leave my story and say thank you. I’ll just leave this here, maybe you’ll find it.
Your work found me at the last minute recently, and helped me from sustaining a lot of emotional trauma, where the terror was high and the abuser would be discarding me without closure. I still needed to process it somehow. So when I found your articles, it all came together at once, and the tension of shame on my Spirit released almost instantly. I didn’t take all that blame, and was able to rewrite the narrative. I wanted to say thank you! I had things to do.
You might think this is interesting. Maybe it resonates with your archetypal Character. A year ago, I actually “positively disintegrated” my traumatized psyche from my childhood C-PTSD, during a moment of grace with my abuser. It was actually during an act of selfless love, that, in my head at the time, was a sacrifice and a true surrender of my Spirit, my Inner Child, who was severed long ago before my personality could finish.
She chose this in service of him. She didn’t wanted to burden him, and instead to just wanted to fade away or disperse into the air so that her anxious, sad, short, innocent Spirit, wouldn’t cause him any stress. Even for him, there was an ego-less love the she fostered. Children all love fully, and unconditionally, with all their hearts. Even if it is against their primal survival instincts.
The following months, I Enlightened further, and rose to the highest level of consciousness…all while being abused. I could not even tell you who Buddha was, just following my heart.
It’s all a lot at once, and I’m overwhelmed a bit, but it’s true what they say about suffering and sacrifice. It really is worth it, all the trials, to get to be part of the greater good. I remember I resonated with your words on character. I hope I’ve risen to the challenge. The gifts I have now are not for me.
So thank you, I’ve grown a lot, and this ending was what I needed. I’m going to help the world now, I’m so glad you were a part of my Hero’s Journey!