I took a step back today and let my assistant run the intensive outpatient program. I was in the main office and could hear what was going on but needed to back off and let my assistant do her thing, as well as the clients. Letting go of the control was an interesting process. There were times when the group was quiet, seemingly trying to figure things out, and I wanted to rush to the rescue but I let them figure it out.

One thing I learned was how fantastic my associate Tina was. She was very calm, and informative, and with only women in the group, all I heard were tears and then laughter. Yes, Dr. Scott, this world can spin without you.

There were many feelings that hit me, as I waited and listened. The main thing was how proud I was. Proud of the group and its leader. We run a program where clients pair up and conduct a counseling process on each other. We start by teaching a psychological approach, a handout given to emphasize the steps within that approach, and the clients then work their magic on each other as both the counselor and client, of course, with staff overseeing and making suggestions. The handout basically helps participants to go through a method step by step in hopes of them learning how to eventually counsel themselves if they are met with difficulty after treatment. 

As the participants were overheard utilizing the approach, I felt honored, respected, and proud of the progress I was hearing. Because the university that taught me spiritual psychology is closing in the spring, I have put it upon myself to teach as many people as possible this approach, so in some grassroots way, the approach lives on. For me, Spiritual Psychology has withstood the test of 29 years, the first Mental Health Urgent Care Center in the country, at the luxury residential treatment facility that I worked at in Malibu, and of course at my clinic – Basic Steps Mental Health.   

The blend of spirituality and clinical psychology is so unique in the field. In explaining Gestalt Therapy this morning to the group, we explained the process of working with an empty chair and all the clinical applications, but when we added on the spiritual aspect of applying love to the part inside of us that went through a difficult experience, even those without spiritual beliefs understood and were curious to see how they would respond to them applying love to themselves in the process.

Ponder this: What if the problems that we are facing are meant to be? What if there was a reason for us to face the same situation over and over again? Spiritually speaking, our issues have educational value, and when we solve a problem we grow in consciousness – or at the level of our soul. Therefore, it is important for us to pay close attention to the problems that we have to face again and again. This was the philosophy of the University of Santa Monica. They believed they were teaching “soul-centered education”, meaning – when we solve a life issue, we grow at the level of the soul.

Now as I am about to enter my 66^th year of life, it is important for me to pass along this information – information that should be taught in grade school. Do we know how to work through depression? Anxiety? Anger? Frustration? We talked in the group today about people believing that the substance use problem, or their anxiety, was going to follow them forever. Well, no, it doesn’t have to. All it takes is the desire to heal, following the handouts that we provide, practicing the approaches, and using these tools in times of need.

How did I wait for my return to the group? I fidgeted. I finished the backlog of notes, paid the company bills, and still the group went on, without me, on its own, and I was left on the sidelines. I learned that in taking a step back, I started to become grateful. I was grateful that I took the action steps that opened this facility. I was grateful I have had the honor of treating so many individuals and still have the desire to continue. What was heartwarming this morning was hearing that one participant shared my book “Self Helping” with loved ones, and it has helped open up new channels of communication and healing for others.  

Here was my dilemma, when I first started working in this industry. I was taught an approach that basically uses most of what is out there in the industry but is applied with love and respect. Yes, spiritual psychology has its own tools, but they work best when combined with the great approaches like Gestalt therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, NLP, and Narrative Therapy, to share a few. Realizing the school is now closing because the owners of the college wanted to retire, it is important for people like me who have been trained by them to continually pass on this valuable information. I do so person by person, group by group, write books on the subject, do lectures, appear on the radio, and still I am on fire for the approach because it works! It is easy for me to sleep at night and get up in the morning ready to take on the day because of the impact this approach has made.

By the time they allowed me to enter, I had 15 minutes to close for the morning and then it was noon and time for my couples and individual sessions to begin. Was I complaining? Not one bit.