

Dr. Richard Lustberg, Ph.D.

On The Couch:
The Week In Review
(3/03)

Print Media Appearances

NYDailyNews
Dr. Lustberg speaks on Sports Stars and Celebrities dating

Courant.com
Dr. Lustberg speaks on office pools

Wave Magazine
Dr. Lustberg speaks on youth sport

ABC News
Dr. Lustberg speaks on ABC News

The Free Press - Mankato, MN
Dr. Lustberg's quotes are pure fiction

The Vail Trail
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
being a sports fan

OrlandoSentinel.com
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
Forgiving Fans

Birkshire Eagle
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
Red Sox's Nation

SignOnSanDiego
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
sports fans' emotions

Time
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
the fans' reaction to the Mets' collapse

New York Post
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
Met Fans lost season

seattlepi.com
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
Mike Hargrove

reviewjournal.com
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
Michael Vick and Dog Fighting

Newsday.com
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
fan behavior

STL Today
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
Barry Bonds and why he's a polarizing figure

Athens News
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
fan support

InfoSports
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
youth sport

KansasCity.com
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
Post Traumatic NFL-Football Disorder

FresnoBee.com
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
focus, concentration, and preparation.

SignOnSanDiego.com
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
fan's behaviors

BerkshireEagle.com:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
how the fans relate to the players

Daily Herald:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
the psychology of Rex Grossman

Courier News:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
being a sports fan

Examiner:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
the Baltimore Ravens and the positive energy fans create

PajamasMedia:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
the psychology of autographs

ESPN.com:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
Teammate sabbotage

VC2:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
Steroids

Kane County Chronicle:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
Superstitions

Christian Science Monitor:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
Issues about youth sport

smh.com.au:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
World Famous swimmer: Ian Thorpe

NewsReview.com:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
the psychological importance of having a sports franchise in your city

Philadelphia Daily News:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
Terrell Owens

Winston-Salem Journal:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
Athletic Competitiveness

The Boston Globe:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
The Minds of NFL Kickers

USA Today:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
Baseball Players' Fatigue

Journal Gazette:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
Mental Illness in Athletes

The Associated Press:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
Hero Worship

Newsday.com:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
Alex Rodriguez

ReviewJournal.com:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on
Ben Rothlesberger

PJM News:
Phil Mickelsohn Infatuation

Unabated Sports:
A Doctor In The House

Sports Central:
Dr. Lustberg speaks on Trash Talking

PE
Dr. Lustberg speaks on Rituals

Canoe
Dr. Lustberg speaks on Lucky Charms

Coloradoan
Dr. Lustberg speaks on Superstitions

Orlando Sentinel
Dr. Lustberg speaks on The Death of Tony Dungy's Son and Depression

Star Telegram
Dr. Lustberg speaks on fan and owner loyalty

Jacksonville
Dr. Lustberg speaks on losers

Belleville News Democrat
Dr. Lustberg speaks on emotional reaction to games

Star Telegram
Dr. Lustberg speaks on the line between players and spectators

Des Moines Register
Dr. Lustberg speaks on "how young is too young?"

DenverPost.com
Dr. Lustberg speaks on perpetual losers in sports

dailypress.com
Dr. Lustberg speaks on players and their uniform numbers

SignOnSanDiego.com
Dr. Lustberg speaks on Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant

latimes.com
Dr. Lustberg speaks on Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant

PE.com
Dr. Lustberg speaks on athletes who have returned to their old teams

OCRegister.com
Dr. Lustberg speaks on athletes and their jersey numbers

Mets Inside Pitch
Dr Lustberg speaks on the psychological aspects of being employed in the major leagues and having your position reassigned.

post-gazette.com
Dr. Lustberg speaks on enduring a long string of losing

Hartford Courant
Dr. Lustberg speaks on athlete's sudden illnesses

NorthJersey.com
Dr. Lustberg speaks on the Yankees/Red Sox epic rivalry

Mercury News
Dr. Lustberg speaks on Barrett Robbins and Mental Illness in Athletes

phillyBurbs.com
Dr. Lustberg speaks on the passion of sports fans

York Daily Record
Dr. Lustberg speaks on superstitions in sports

Denver Post
Dr. Lustberg speaks on trash talking in sports

The Duquesne Duke
Dr. Lustberg speaks on fans and sports

Chicago Tribune
Dr. Lustberg speaks on superstitions

Sunday Herald
Dr. Lustberg speaks on Barrett Robbins’ struggle against bipolar disease

New York Daily News
Dr. Lustberg speaks on the impact of the Jets playoff loss

The San Diego Union-Tribune
Dr. Lustberg speaks on the history of player/fan violence

New York Times

USA Today

Dallas Morning News

Denver Post

Chicago Tribune

The Baltimore Sun

Philadelphia Daily News

Daily News Sports

Denver Post

San Francisco Chronicle

Newsday

Orlando Sentinel

San Diego Union Tribune

timesunion.com

WebMDHealth

The Providence Journal

The San Diego Union-Tribune

UK Casino News

CBS NFL Kid Zone

The Kansas City Star

The Dallas Morning News

Star Telegram

San Diego Union Tribune

Forest Grove News Times

Scroll Online

The Daily Free Press

MyrtleBeachOnline.com

Toronto Star

San Francisco Chronicle

Orlando Sentinel

Femmefan.com

Monterey County Herald

Lincoln Journal Star

ChicKnits

Reveries Magazine

The Mercury News

International Network on Personal Meaning

Christian Science Monitor

Preteenagers Today

San Antonio Business Journal

eSports Media Group

The Marion Star

PsychNet-UK

The Record (Hackensack, NJ)

The Plain Dealer

delawareonline.com
The News Journal

iparenting.com

Christian Science Monitor

The Journal News

El Tiempo

The Observer & Eccentric Newspapers

outsports.com

Don't Jump!!! It Ain't Over

September 29, 2007 -- Climb off the ledge, Mr. Met.

That's what psychiatrists are advising long-suffering Mets fans who are watching their team go into an unprecedented September slide after looking like a lock for the playoffs.

"[Mets fans] are definitely stressed, the patients are stressed out, like the team is," said Long Island psychologist Dr. Richard Lustberg.

"I think there has to be some logical sense of disappointment. On the other hand, these things are possible and life goes on.

"You needed to take into account this could happen even if it was unlikely."

The Mets' humiliating collapse continued last night with a 7-4 loss to Florida that, coupled with Philadelphia's victory over Washington, dropped the Mets into second place behind the Phillies with two games to play.

If the not-so-Amazin's don't make the postseason, some fans could get seriously depressed, but Tenafly, N.J., psychiatrist Dr. Charles Goodstein encourages people to put it in perspective.

"In any business, people take losses on occasion," he said. "I do think, however, that one thing that happens to sports fans - that has happened from the [Brooklyn] Dodgers on - is, 'Wait 'til next year.' That always revives."

But as some seek consolation from the couch, others are testing the power of prayer.

The former Mets chaplain, the Rev. Dan Murphy of St. Savior Church in Park Slope, Brooklyn, had a friend find out the patron saint of baseball. It happens to be St. Rita of Cascia, also, tragically, a patron saint of lost causes along with St. Jude.

"[But] I don't think we're a lost cause," he said. "I think we'll be OK."

Still, he adds, "Today I did ask all of our students in the elementary school - after I introduced them to St. Rita of Cascia - to get on their knees and pray before the first pitch tonight."

And tomorrow, he'll request that his congregation pray for more divine intervention if the Mets are still in contention.

Other fans are turning to the cards - Tarot cards, that is - to determine the Mets' fate.

"[Fans] come in, they ask me to do readings on the Mets and to send them positive energy," said Sister Bobby, an East 48th Street spiritual adviser.

"They come in lost and sad and say, 'Will the Mets ever win a World Series?' They ask me, 'Do I sell my tickets, my season tickets, my box seats?' I say, 'Hold on to your tickets, but you must be patient.' "

Unfortunately, Sister Bobby doesn't see the Mets' fortunes turning anytime soon, at least not this season.

"There will be a karma change for the Mets in about two years," she said.

That hasn't stopped Bronx Mets fan and Santeria high priestess, Lady Rhea, from lighting a candle for a ritual blessing, "to open the roads so that the Mets would have the best psyche to be able to stay focused."

"You know, today I looked in the paper, I was wondering, 'Are the Mets cursed?' " she asked. "Once you get into that losing mindset, you're stuck."

WFAN radio host Craig Carton, of the "Boomer and Carton Show," has spent the past week appealing to any and all divine powers.

"We got a voodoo doll that we trotted out the night Tom Glavine pitched and unfortunately he got shelled," he told The Post.

"We brought a Shaman on and he - if you believe in a reputable Shaman - said a prayer and everything he did came back empty. We've gone to rabbis. We've gone to St. Jude. We've gone to Italian grandmothers in Brooklyn for the maloch [evil eye].

"We're kind of desperate."