By now you’ve seen the preview of our latest show, Tool Academy. The show premieres Sunday, January 11, and It’s about the dynamic that goes on between a flamboyant, cocky man (”I don’t miss a workout, unless it’s for a threesome”) and a long-suffering woman who expects a bit of tenderness now and then (”If I don’t want to do what he wants to do, he think I should just go away”). Some couples are just out of whack, right?
Fortunately Tool Academy provides an expert to iron out those kind of really rough spots. Trina Dolenz is the couples therapist who tries to bring some balance to these wobbly relationships. Along the way there’s some outrageous behavior and some true emotional clarity that arises. Basically we’re all hoping that these guys aren’t going to be tools their whole lives.
We’re also hoping Trina can help VH1.com users with some of their own relationship problems. She’s inviting those Tool Academy fans with troubles of their own to write to her for advice. Every week throughout the show’s run, she will answer three audience submissions right here in the blog.
Ladies talk to your guys. Men, speak with your honeys. Pick a part of your romance that just isn’t working, and describe it to Ms. Dolenz. Could be commitment issues, could be respect issues, could be sexual issues. Whichever, a bit of free advice can go a long way.
Send submissions to toolacademy@gmail.com, and come back on Mondays to see if Trina has addressed your note.
Check Trina Dolenz’s Web site for more info.
Check the Tool Academy supertrailer after the jump.
Related content
Tool Academy show page
Tool Academy videos and extras
October 19th, 2009 at 10:14 am
Hey trina i wont to sign my boyfriend up for tool academy how do i go about the process please help me
October 20th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
hey trina how can i sing my tool in tool academy n will i make a girls tool academy???
October 21st, 2009 at 7:31 pm
Hey Trina I really want to sign up my boyfriend for tool academy! How do I go about signing him up? Please let me know and thank you so much!
October 22nd, 2009 at 1:42 am
i’m not sure how to explain my situation. how do you know if your boyfriend isn’t lying? it’s hard to believe because he already lied straight to my face and personally told to look straight into his eyes. can you please email me.
October 25th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
Trina,
My boyfriend breaks his promises, lies to me while there is evidence in my hands and is so proud because he has not gained any weight since he was 17! He is now 37. He has a sex obsessed friend who uses violence during sex with girls, because he says that they always come back for more. Cesear thinks that it is all so funny. I recently found out that this friend is married.
He says that he loves me every day and wants to have children with me and marry soon, but I want to establish trust first. Please help me fix Cesear. I don’t know if I can shake the dirt out of this mat or if the dirt has always been a part of the weave.
October 25th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
Trina, I watched the show faithfully today. It is better than Supper nanny or nanny911, even though they still have the mentality of children. The program said that we can come to this website to sign up for the show…where!
Pressure Cooker Baloney Taker
October 26th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
please help my 9 year relationship with my boyfriend he stays in strip clubs all night,he cheats on me,and he only cares about himself he dont buy for his kids,but he got 3 jobs,and i once caught him cheating on me and he didnt even stop the action he kept having sex with her.so please help me before our 9 year relationship goes down the drain.this is all im asking is help.my realationship.by the way im grown im 21.
PS,THANK YOU
November 3rd, 2009 at 4:42 pm
I am sure you are really busy and get a ton of mail all the time, so if you can not touch on my issue I totally understand. I have been dating this guy on and off now for almost 4 years, I am 23 and he is 34. I fell in love with him within 2 months of dating. He is the ONLY man I have EVER loved. After 2 months of dating he had to leave for Alabama for his job to help clean up Hurricane Katrina. It broke my heart, but I DID continue the relationship with him, waitied for him, and was totally faithful. When he got back things were a little different but I loved him and was able to overcome the difference and still be with him. Around Feburary things started falling apart. We broke up and I found out he had gotten back together with his ex girlfriend, they dated for a while and then we got back into contact with one another, the last 8 months we have been seeing eachother again. Things are strange though because he has a SERIOUS issue with commitment, and settling down, which stems from his childhood, sometimes its like walking on egg shells around him because I am affraid to lose him again, and I can swear he has a personality disorder because one minute he is loving and happy and the next he could care less if we ever talked again, Its is SOOO simple for him to forget people and not talk to him and not care, again he is 34 and I am so affraid that he is going to die a lonely person. I do EVERYTHING in the world for him, and would continue to, to +*~$_&#@%@)#!&+ ure his happiness. I just WISH he would SEE THAT! He doesn’t and he takes me for granit and does not see that we are good together, and can make things work. Please if you have any insight on my issues I would greatly appreciate it. Also, is there anyway to know ahead of time when the casting call for Tool Academy 3 will be available? Because I have watched them guys on there open up and get ALOT of great things from tool academy. I think this is what “K” needs but he won’t take any iniciative to do anything about it. I am a major in Human Services and Chemical Dependency Counseling… With the goals of becoming a counselor for troubled children, and its sad to think that, I’m pretty sure this is were the problems started for the man I am speaking of. Also Trina I would like to mention you do GREAT things, and are amazing at what you do, Keep up the good work I know myself and many other really appreciate it! So A BIG THANK YOU!
Sincerely.
SNO
November 3rd, 2009 at 4:42 pm
I am sure you are really busy and get a ton of mail all the time, so if you can not touch on my issue I totally understand. I have been dating this guy on and off now for almost 4 years, I am 23 and he is 34. I fell in love with him within 2 months of dating. He is the ONLY man I have EVER loved. After 2 months of dating he had to leave for Alabama for his job to help clean up Hurricane Katrina. It broke my heart, but I DID continue the relationship with him, waitied for him, and was totally faithful. When he got back things were a little different but I loved him and was able to overcome the difference and still be with him. Around Feburary things started falling apart. We broke up and I found out he had gotten back together with his ex girlfriend, they dated for a while and then we got back into contact with one another, the last 8 months we have been seeing eachother again. Things are strange though because he has a SERIOUS issue with commitment, and settling down, which stems from his childhood, sometimes its like walking on egg shells around him because I am affraid to lose him again, and I can swear he has a personality disorder because one minute he is loving and happy and the next he could care less if we ever talked again, Its is SOOO simple for him to forget people and not talk to him and not care, again he is 34 and I am so affraid that he is going to die a lonely person. I do EVERYTHING in the world for him, and would continue to, to $%!$@)*!`&&^`@( ure his happiness. I just WISH he would SEE THAT! He doesn’t and he takes me for granit and does not see that we are good together, and can make things work. Please if you have any insight on my issues I would greatly appreciate it. Also, is there anyway to know ahead of time when the casting call for Tool Academy 3 will be available? Because I have watched them guys on there open up and get ALOT of great things from tool academy. I think this is what “K” needs but he won’t take any iniciative to do anything about it. I am a major in Human Services and Chemical Dependency Counseling… With the goals of becoming a counselor for troubled children, and its sad to think that, I’m pretty sure this is were the problems started for the man I am speaking of. Also Trina I would like to mention you do GREAT things, and are amazing at what you do, Keep up the good work I know myself and many other really appreciate it! So A BIG THANK YOU!
Sincerely.
SNO
November 3rd, 2009 at 4:43 pm
I am sure you are really busy and get a ton of mail all the time, so if you can not touch on my issue I totally understand. I have been dating this guy on and off now for almost 4 years, I am 23 and he is 34. I fell in love with him within 2 months of dating. He is the ONLY man I have EVER loved. After 2 months of dating he had to leave for Alabama for his job to help clean up Hurricane Katrina. It broke my heart, but I DID continue the relationship with him, waitied for him, and was totally faithful. When he got back things were a little different but I loved him and was able to overcome the difference and still be with him. Around Feburary things started falling apart. We broke up and I found out he had gotten back together with his ex girlfriend, they dated for a while and then we got back into contact with one another, the last 8 months we have been seeing eachother again. Things are strange though because he has a SERIOUS issue with commitment, and settling down, which stems from his childhood, sometimes its like walking on egg shells around him because I am affraid to lose him again, and I can swear he has a personality disorder because one minute he is loving and happy and the next he could care less if we ever talked again, Its is SOOO simple for him to forget people and not talk to him and not care, again he is 34 and I am so affraid that he is going to die a lonely person. I do EVERYTHING in the world for him, and would continue to, to *&&$*@_&$`@`$~+ ure his happiness. I just WISH he would SEE THAT! He doesn’t and he takes me for granit and does not see that we are good together, and can make things work. Please if you have any insight on my issues I would greatly appreciate it. Also, is there anyway to know ahead of time when the casting call for Tool Academy 3 will be available? Because I have watched them guys on there open up and get ALOT of great things from tool academy. I think this is what “K” needs but he won’t take any iniciative to do anything about it. I am a major in Human Services and Chemical Dependency Counseling… With the goals of becoming a counselor for troubled children, and its sad to think that, I’m pretty sure this is were the problems started for the man I am speaking of. Also Trina I would like to mention you do GREAT things, and are amazing at what you do, Keep up the good work I know myself and many other really appreciate it! So A BIG THANK YOU!
Sincerely.
SNO
November 3rd, 2009 at 4:43 pm
I am sure you are really busy and get a ton of mail all the time, so if you can not touch on my issue I totally understand. I have been dating this guy on and off now for almost 4 years, I am 23 and he is 34. I fell in love with him within 2 months of dating. He is the ONLY man I have EVER loved. After 2 months of dating he had to leave for Alabama for his job to help clean up Hurricane Katrina. It broke my heart, but I DID continue the relationship with him, waitied for him, and was totally faithful. When he got back things were a little different but I loved him and was able to overcome the difference and still be with him. Around Feburary things started falling apart. We broke up and I found out he had gotten back together with his ex girlfriend, they dated for a while and then we got back into contact with one another, the last 8 months we have been seeing eachother again. Things are strange though because he has a SERIOUS issue with commitment, and settling down, which stems from his childhood, sometimes its like walking on egg shells around him because I am affraid to lose him again, and I can swear he has a personality disorder because one minute he is loving and happy and the next he could care less if we ever talked again, Its is SOOO simple for him to forget people and not talk to him and not care, again he is 34 and I am so affraid that he is going to die a lonely person. I do EVERYTHING in the world for him, and would continue to, to $#((~$+_*$+%%_$ ure his happiness. I just WISH he would SEE THAT! He doesn’t and he takes me for granit and does not see that we are good together, and can make things work. Please if you have any insight on my issues I would greatly appreciate it. Also, is there anyway to know ahead of time when the casting call for Tool Academy 3 will be available? Because I have watched them guys on there open up and get ALOT of great things from tool academy. I think this is what “K” needs but he won’t take any iniciative to do anything about it. I am a major in Human Services and Chemical Dependency Counseling… With the goals of becoming a counselor for troubled children, and its sad to think that, I’m pretty sure this is were the problems started for the man I am speaking of. Also Trina I would like to mention you do GREAT things, and are amazing at what you do, Keep up the good work I know myself and many other really appreciate it! So A BIG THANK YOU!
Sincerely.
SNO
November 3rd, 2009 at 4:48 pm
I am sure you are really busy and get a ton of mail all the time, so if you can not touch on my issue I totally understand. I have been dating this guy on and off now for almost 4 years, I am 23 and he is 34. I fell in love with him within 2 months of dating. He is the ONLY man I have EVER loved. After 2 months of dating he had to leave for Alabama for his job to help clean up Hurricane Katrina. It broke my heart, but I DID continue the relationship with him, waitied for him, and was totally faithful. When he got back things were a little different but I loved him and was able to overcome the difference and still be with him. Around Feburary things started falling apart. We broke up and I found out he had gotten back together with his ex girlfriend, they dated for a while and then we got back into contact with one another, the last 8 months we have been seeing eachother again. Things are strange though because he has a SERIOUS issue with commitment, and settling down, which stems from his childhood, sometimes its like walking on egg shells around him because I am affraid to lose him again, and I can swear he has a personality disorder because one minute he is loving and happy and the next he could care less if we ever talked again, Its is SOOO simple for him to forget people and not talk to him and not care, again he is 34 and I am so affraid that he is going to die a lonely person. I do EVERYTHING in the world for him, and would continue to, to &(#(!`(%!~`!@^+ ure his happiness. I just WISH he would SEE THAT! He doesn’t and he takes me for granit and does not see that we are good together, and can make things work. Please if you have any insight on my issues I would greatly appreciate it. Also, is there anyway to know ahead of time when the casting call for Tool Academy 3 will be available? Because I have watched them guys on there open up and get ALOT of great things from tool academy. I think this is what “K” needs but he won’t take any iniciative to do anything about it. I am a major in Human Services and Chemical Dependency Counseling… With the goals of becoming a counselor for troubled children, and its sad to think that, I’m pretty sure this is were the problems started for the man I am speaking of. Also Trina I would like to mention you do GREAT things, and are amazing at what you do, Keep up the good work I know myself and many other really appreciate it! So A BIG THANK YOU!
Sincerely.
SNO
November 6th, 2009 at 12:27 am
my boyfriend and i have been together for 2 years now. starting out we got along, he was romantic, and acted like i was his whole world. we break up often, but we always end back together. but for the week or so we are apart i dont talk to guys, cause i know were just going to end up back together, but him on the other hand he talks too women constantly,lies,trys to deny everything i know hes doing. i love him, but sometimes he makes me feel like im so stupid. he blames everything on me, when he does something wrong and cant make up an excuse for doing it, e trows up my past in my face. even when were not argueing he still does it and dont realize it.. i think im always right, and he thinks hes always right. its like no matter what i do im in the wrong, please help me.. how can my tool be in the tool academy.
thank you so much
November 8th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
Hey Trina! I was just wondering how i could sign my boyfriend up for tool academy and how do i go about doing it i could really use your help! Thanks!
November 9th, 2009 at 2:31 am
Hi trina,
how do you sign up for tool academy, and can vh1 do a girl tool academy meaning girls bring their girlfriends to tool academy because i know i have a lot of issues that need to be fixed and with tool academy i know it will be and can be fixed.
November 15th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
hey trina,
please help me.
my names kayla and i am in desperate need of your help. i follow your show every sunday i take work off just to watch it. i need your help my boyfriend and i need your help. i absolutly love him but he keeps lien and i keep finding out about all these different girls. We have been together for 4 yrs yesterday (november 14th). i just dont know what to do any more. he takes me for granted and doesnt appreciate me not one bit. he says he loves me but he doesnt know how to show it
November 15th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
hey trina,
please help me. im 18 and hes turning 19 i know where young but i know i love him. just the feeling i get when he holds me. i lost my verginity to him and hes the only guy i have made love to. and that ment the world to me because he lost his to me but then he cheated on me and i found out he had sex with this other female and it broke my heart but i still loved him. trina i know your busy but i need some help please i need the guy i first met the guy i fell in love with back.
my names kayla and i am in desperate need of your help. i follow your show every sunday i take work off just to watch it. i need your help my boyfriend and i need your help. i absolutly love him but he keeps lien and i keep finding out about all these different girls. We have been together for 4 yrs yesterday (november 14th). i just dont know what to do any more. he takes me for granted and doesnt appreciate me not one bit. he says he loves me but he doesnt know how to show it
December 3rd, 2009 at 3:45 am
I am in love with my boyfriend we have lived together since the day we met. I ahve cheated on him and he found out now he is questionable of us but is willing to give me another chance. He told me he was going to propose this christmas, and now is not, I am worried this will never happen now and am worried I ruined the best thing I have ever had. Hopefully you can help.
January 24th, 2010 at 5:19 pm
Where do you get those expensive shoes from Lol ?
Love a shrink in stockings.
Keep up the good work Trina !
February 10th, 2010 at 5:10 pm
Please im begging for help my fiance and i have a 1 yr old son and he continues to cheat i just found out about the forth time and he has hit me before too how do i get him on the show please help!!!
February 15th, 2010 at 9:44 pm
Hey Trina I have been in this relationship for 2 years and it was great at first until I found out that my boyfriend has been sleeping around on me. I even believe he had sexual relations with my sister. Also one night we were at the club to have some fun and hang out with friends and dance well I went to the bathroom and as I came out I caught him making out with another girl and was holding her close like hes known her for years and he told me he was just too drunk and she came up to him jumped up on him and started kissing me and it happened so fast that he thought it was me. He calls me horrible names in front of his friends and makes fun of me just to look cool. He calls me worthless, a piece of s***, ^+$++$$+#)+!`%!@# _~(#^+@&!&!@ and a lot more. I love this guy with all my heart and believe he can change but I really need help. Please help me Trina, I really would like to change him into the man I know he can be. I would appreciate your help. Sincerely Heidi.
February 15th, 2010 at 9:48 pm
Hey Trina I have been with my boyfriend for 2 years and really need your help in changing him into the man I know he can be. How can I sign him up. Your help will be much appreciated.
February 17th, 2010 at 2:22 am
Hi Trina,
I have soo many problems with my boyfriend/tool, i don’t even know where to begin. But, my biggest problem right now is that we have been seeing eachother for almost 2 years now, he lives with me and doesn’t contribute to the rent, borrows money from me, has made me drive him to work every morning at 6am ( I am not a morning person), and then pick him up whenever he decides that he’s done, he tells me little white lies quite often cuz he’s afraid of my reaction, he can be the sweetest guy when he decides he wants to, but he won’t claim me as his “girlfriend”, he calls me his “number one”. Please help me! Also, how can i sign him up for tool academy?
February 21st, 2010 at 9:27 pm
my husband and i have been together for 4 yrs and we also have a child together.We argue all the time about any and everything.We have tried everything but this and i am asking for you to please help us before it is to late for this marriage.
February 23rd, 2010 at 5:05 pm
i REALLY need help with my boyfriend. Its bee na year and he has played me so many times. lied and cheated! i need serious help.