Les Parrott
Encyclopedia
Les Parrott, III, Ph.D.
, is a professor of clinical psychology
for Seattle Pacific University
, author
, motivational speaker
, and an ordained Nazarene
minister.
in theology, followed by a Doctorate
in clinical psychology from Fuller Theological Seminary
. Parrot is a fellow in medical psychology at the University of Washington School of Medicine
.
. Parrot emphasizes the need to not be dependent in a relationship, encouraging couples to overcome fear of rejection, and learn to communicate effectively. He uses the analogy of the popular movie calling a common problem The Jerry Maguire
syndrome. Parrott says: "If you believe somebody else can complete you, you are setting yourself up for serious heartbreak. People think: "This person is going to complete me", but the truth is, nobody can do that, nobody's going to make up for everything you lack". Parrott is the author of a number of best-selling books, and writes for a variety of magazines, such as Aspire, Moody
, Focus on the Family
, Christianity Today
, and others.
Parrott has been part of the on-site support teams for worldwide disasters, including the Chernobyl disaster
, and the September 11, 2001 attacks
, and has been called on to counsel Marines
returning from Iraq
.
, 20/20, The View, CBS This Morning, Good Morning America
, NBC Nightly News
, and CNN
. Parrot is a frequent motivational speaker to Fortune 500
companies, and conducts relationship seminar
s around the United States. Parrott hosts a weekly radio program called "Love Talk".
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
, is a professor of clinical psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
for Seattle Pacific University
Seattle Pacific University
Seattle Pacific University is a Christian university of the liberal arts, sciences and professions, located on the north slope of Queen Anne Hill in Seattle, Washington, USA. It was founded in 1891 by the Oregon and Washington Conference of the Free Methodist Church as the Seattle Seminary...
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, motivational speaker
Motivational speaker
A motivational speaker or inspirational speaker is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. In a business context, they are employed to communicate company strategy with clarity and help employees to see the future in a positive light and inspire workers to pull...
, and an ordained Nazarene
Church of the Nazarene
The Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged from the 19th century Holiness movement in North America with its members colloquially referred to as Nazarenes. It is the largest Wesleyan-holiness denomination in the world. At the end of 2010, the Church of the...
minister.
Early life
Parrot is the son of A. Leslie Parrot, Jr. Parrott obtained a Master's degreeMaster's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in theology, followed by a Doctorate
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in clinical psychology from Fuller Theological Seminary
Fuller Theological Seminary
Fuller Theological Seminary is an accredited Christian educational institute with its main campus in Pasadena, California and several satellite campuses in the western United States...
. Parrot is a fellow in medical psychology at the University of Washington School of Medicine
University of Washington School of Medicine
The University of Washington School of Medicine is a public medical school located in Seattle, Washington.-Overview:UWSOM is a graduate school affiliated with the University of Washington, and is the only medical school in the states of Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho...
.
Career
In 1991, Parrott and his wife, Leslie, also a psychologist who teaches at Seattle Pacific University, founded the Center for Relationship Development on the campus of Seattle Pacific University. Parrott teaches psychology, and co-teaches relationship development classes with his wife. They were also creators of the Marriage function of eHarmonyEHarmony
eHarmony is an online dating website grounded in relationship science that matches single men and women for long-term relationships. To optimize the matching process, eHarmony operates eHarmony Labs, a relationship research facility, and publishes eHarmony Advice, a relationship advice site...
. Parrot emphasizes the need to not be dependent in a relationship, encouraging couples to overcome fear of rejection, and learn to communicate effectively. He uses the analogy of the popular movie calling a common problem The Jerry Maguire
Jerry Maguire
Jerry Maguire is a 1996 American romantic comedy-drama film starring Tom Cruise and Cuba Gooding, Jr. It was written, co-produced, and directed by Cameron Crowe...
syndrome. Parrott says: "If you believe somebody else can complete you, you are setting yourself up for serious heartbreak. People think: "This person is going to complete me", but the truth is, nobody can do that, nobody's going to make up for everything you lack". Parrott is the author of a number of best-selling books, and writes for a variety of magazines, such as Aspire, Moody
Moody Publishers
Moody Publishers is a Christian publishing company that is focused on proclaiming the gospel message through its products. This vision is clearly stated within the company's mission statement...
, Focus on the Family
Focus on the Family
Focus on the Family is an American evangelical Christian tax-exempt non-profit organization founded in 1977 by psychologist James Dobson, and is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Focus on the Family is one of a number of evangelical parachurch organizations that rose to prominence in the 1980s...
, Christianity Today
Christianity Today
Christianity Today is an Evangelical Christian periodical based in Carol Stream, Illinois. It is the flagship publication of its parent company Christianity Today International, claiming circulation figures of 140,000 and readership of 290,000...
, and others.
Parrott has been part of the on-site support teams for worldwide disasters, including the Chernobyl disaster
Chernobyl disaster
The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine , which was under the direct jurisdiction of the central authorities in Moscow...
, and the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, and has been called on to counsel Marines
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
returning from Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
.
Media
Parrot has appeared on a variety of television shows, including The Oprah Winfrey ShowThe Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
, 20/20, The View, CBS This Morning, Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
, NBC Nightly News
NBC Nightly News
NBC Nightly News is the flagship daily evening television news program for NBC News and broadcasts. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is located in the center...
, and CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
. Parrot is a frequent motivational speaker to Fortune 500
Fortune 500
The Fortune 500 is an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 U.S. closely held and public corporations as ranked by their gross revenue after adjustments made by Fortune to exclude the impact of excise taxes companies collect. The list includes publicly and...
companies, and conducts relationship seminar
Seminar
Seminar is, generally, a form of academic instruction, either at an academic institution or offered by a commercial or professional organization. It has the function of bringing together small groups for recurring meetings, focusing each time on some particular subject, in which everyone present is...
s around the United States. Parrott hosts a weekly radio program called "Love Talk".