Aug 2, 2018
As the Clinical Director of the Family Therapy Institute of Santa Barbara and before that a child psychologist for forty years, Dr Mac has helped a lot of kids and families, but there came a point asking the question above of himself, sent him on a new trajectory, which continues today.
Looking back on his endeavours Don, says he treasures the value of humour in bringing about change and as he found out later, music can too.
When parents have problems with their kids, the docs tell them to call the “child whisperer,” a nickname Dr Mac acquired over the years and after 30 years he decided it was time to extend his influence and share with the world the knowledge he had acquired. A question many adults can ask themselves as Don did, what are the things you know now that are valuable for the public?
With that Dr Mac and his wife co-authored two highly acclaimed parenting books - How’s Your Family Really Doing? Also, Who’s the Boss? Inspired by his meditations and study of the Course in Miracles, Don says he’s been guided to use entertainment as a vehicle for educating kids and families with creative projects. Not wanting to sit still, Don became the music director and songwriter for the PBS hit, Jay Jay the Jet Plane. My Happy Kids Songs are an award-winning series of fifty songs and activities that build character, social and emotional skills. Elementary School Musical, is a play he wrote which earned him the award of Best Children’s CD 2018 by Creative Child’s Magazine.
For parents who want to turn things around with their spirited, strong-willed children Dr Mac has a website called Strong-WilledChild.com with a ‘few free goodies’. On another site HappyKidsSongs.com there are too, at least 3 free songs. Parents and Grandparents can also benefit. Dr Mac has come to realize that this work is the fulfillment of his purpose—to serve and make a difference in the world through sharing these tools and principles