Crash Pad for the Unhappy Powerful

0 Comments | Insight on the News, July 17, 2000 | by Diana Ray

`Washington's successful' need patience and understanding when power and prestige go to their heads, followed by marital affairs, nasty tempers and unbridled arrogance.

In a lovely seventh-floor office just two blocks from the White House, sunlight streams through tall windows that overlook bustling Farragut Square. Psychiatrist Renana Brooks sits comfortably on one of her pillowy sofa chairs, feet curled under her, as she sips Coca-Cola. She is director of the Sommet Institute. And this is where she sees her clients -- important people who include members of Congress. But that's all she'll say about the who of it.

The Sommet Institute's High Performance/High Profile Program is a place where "Washington's successful" go to learn how to prevent success from ruining them. Don't expect an inviting "Welcome to the Sommet Institute" sign here. "It's a known institute with known programs," explains Brooks, but she doesn't post signs announcing the institute because that might make her high-profile clients nervous. "Privacy is our first concern. We also have other locations to which people can go just to make sure client privacy is protected."

Marital infidelity, explosive tempers and reckless arrogance are just a few of the distasteful traits that John Q. Public has come to expect from some members of Congress. But is it the people Americans send to Washington, or is it the effect of Washington on the people elected that creates these flawed political figures?

"Every city has its issues, but Washington is unique," says Brooks. "In Washington everything is built on relationships, and everyone's identity is built on their work." Brooks has been practicing in the political capital of the world for 18 years; the Sommet Institute has been in existence for 10.

In this work-focused environment, it's easy to find one's self in a relationship with his or her job to the exclusion of family or spouse. "There's an ongoing affair with the work," she says.

But the work of a senator or representative doesn't begin until candidates are elected. And getting elected doesn't happen unless money is raised. Lots of money. "So you've got to learn to be very pleasant to all kinds of people," says Washington psychoanalyst Michael Maccoby. "Money has become huge now. It's also a strain that can undermine character." Maccoby says he has spoken with some of the best in Washington who left Congress for this reason.

"If I come to you and I'm asking you to give me $10,000, you're going to say to yourself, `What do I get for all of this?' I've got to make you feel very good about me. And then when you call up and want something, I've got to listen. And if I have to raise millions that way, I've got a lot of people that I have to deal with. It's a tremendous strain. I couldn't do that," Maccoby says. "I think some politicians ... get lonely acting this way. It's very hard for them to be fully open to anyone, and that's why good therapy can be very helpful."

Maccoby tells Insight that political figures in Washington who are under a lot of stress find they need emotional support. "They need people on their own team, so to speak, telling them how wonderful they are because they're going around flattering others all the time. There is a constant culture of ego-feeding. And so you go home to your wife who sees you as you are, telling you, `You haven't spent time with the kids' or `You don't listen to anything I say,' etc. Then you go back to the office and there is this attractive young woman who dotes on you, thinks you're absolutely wonderful and isn't demanding anything. It doesn't take a tremendous brain to figure out what happens next."

Additionally, "many of the talents that make for successful politicians are skills that hinder them in areas outside their work," says Brooks. The Sommet Institute helps Washington's unhappy powerful to identify those skills and take control of behaviors that have been creating psychological havoc.

One problem is that those in the public eye tend to have difficulty finding community, explains Brooks. She believes everyone should have a place, such as church or synagogue, in which they can feel they are an authentic part of a community, where people want to be near them because of who they are as a human being. "The congressional community has become less and less supportive for members over the years," says Brooks. She stresses that life cannot be made solely of power or money. "There have to be balances, other excitements and confidants with alternative perspectives."

Maccoby believes those entering public life should be educated about these potential problems. And both Maccoby and Brooks agree these issues are spiritually relevant. "We're talking about integrity," says Maccoby. "Here are people trying to do something for the good of the public but being tempted by power, money and sex -- you name it. Isn't that what the Bible's about?"

But, Maccoby says, "many psychologists do not approach these great issues on a spiritual level but only look at them in psychological terms. There should be a close tie. But a lot of psychologists don't see that.... They don't look at anything in terms of right or wrong or good or evil. Those are bad words. They look at things in terms of appropriate or inappropriate or will it get you where you want to go." He says that approach may not be enough to deal with the depth of the temptations in Washington.