A Heart Felt Thank You
12 years ago I moved up to this area to open up a residential treatment facility unlike any other. No, not another 12-step facility, mine was using clinical psychology with a smattering of spirituality which had incredible success at the first Mental Health Urgent Care Center in the country. The residential facility had a pretty good run for a number of years but seeing the limitations of being whisked away from your home for a month or two and being away from the place that triggered you in the first place. I decided to back away from housing, feeding, and medicating people to work on the person in real-time and deal with the triggers of life as they took place.
On July 17, 2017, Basic Steps Mental Health outpatient clinic was born. With it came a lot of snags. I quickly realized that as a businessman I wasn’t the best, but I stuck with it to the best of my ability. Fast forward to today, and for the first time in my career every time slot this week was filled! As I am writing this, thunder and lighting are giving me quite a show. Fireworks? Hey, in my own mind, they are.
I never thought in a million years that I would ever be a success. Once homeless and dependent on drugs, I shared a story with a client this week, that I rarely tell a soul. At the height of my addiction, a friend and I went to my dealer to purchase a shit load of drugs (I am using curse words to emphasize my mindset way back when). Once we got back into my falling apart VW bug, which had such a dilapidated front passenger seat in it, that since I couldn’t afford to replace it, I trashed it and placed a wooden plank where the seat was so people in my back seat could stretch out their legs like I was their chauffeur. And away we went with partying on our minds!
I knew something was wrong when I had to stop at a red light right next to Winchell’s Doughnuts. Who goes to Winchell’s Doughnuts? That’s right, the police. In seconds I was pulled over and we were asked to exit the car.
My friend and I were made to sit on the sidewalk as the two police officers tore apart my vehicle and placed the pickings on the street beside us. All the while my friend and I stole glances at one another. If they found our stash we’d be in prison for life. This took place in 1978 when California was not Cannabis friendly, nor friendly with any of the other substances we purchased that evening.
A call came in to the policeman, they said their goodbyes to us and left us there flabbergasted!
Without a word, we put the car back together and began driving away.
“Where did you place it?” I nervously asked my friend.
He slid his hand underneath the plank of wood and presented a grocery bag of drugs to me with a grin. If I was caught, I would have gone to prison for sure and who knows if I would have been able to practice psychology, ever. This is why I am so grateful each and every day. If I was imprisoned I would have gone down a different path in life, I am sure.
So, today I am grateful. Grateful I sobered up, chose this lifestyle, and took a chance that left my friends and family behind to pursue a dream.
I want to take this time to thank everybody who has helped this practice grow. I am truly grateful and don’t take your efforts lightly. From my advertising team, workmates, customers who have referred people to us, and even the courts who refer people to me for court assessments, I never imagined that my schedule would actually be filled.
I used to go to all the meet-ups and network marketing events when the business first opened. Desperate times lead to desperate measures and I found myself in a very social situation almost begging for customers of any type. Yeah, people avoided me like the plague until I met a man at one of the events who told me he asked people how he could help them out. This was my first clue on how to attract business. To get business I had to give it away and I started to give out free sessions which began to attract a steady flow.
On 7/17/24 we celebrated our 7th year of outpatient service. 7 years didn’t pass that fast at all. You hear people say, “Where did all that time go?” Oh, I know where it went. It was daily action steps, staying positive, taking on difficult clients that others tossed away. It is hard to believe that we made it through year one but my best friend kept checking in, asking me to go the distance and if the company lasted two years it would be solid for years and years to come. This turned out to be true.
I glanced down at our master client list today and noticed that close to 700 clients were listed on the ledger. That is 700 different people and each of them has had 1 to 100+ sessions. That is a lot of therapy that has been going on here. I want to thank the clients for leaving such incredible reviews. The majority of people who come in do so after reading the heartfelt recommendations they see on Google.
I am at retirement age and have no thoughts of stopping. I like what I do, have faith in what I do, and enjoy the people who entrust their lives to us.
I guess that is all I have to say right now as the sky continues to provide one incredible light show this evening. I guess I will leave with a real-life story, and I guess this time it will be a story about me.
My first exposure to psychology came in 1989 when I attended an Insight Seminar. The training was entitled “The Awakening Heart Seminar.” I attended to do something about my high anxiety and maybe meet a girl, or a dozen if I played my cards right. Well, I knew I was in trouble when I pulled up to the old Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, right before they were going to tear it down. If you don’t know about this hotel, think about the Shinning where Jack Nicholson is famous for wielding an ax and saying, “Here’s Johnny.” The place was ancient, falling apart, and for good reason. A horrible event took place there about 15 years before that sent this whole nation into mourning.
Back in the day, the Ambassador Hotel was known for being the top club in Los Angeles. Its heyday was during the big band era, where all the top bands played. On the walls of the men’s room were photos of the era now gone with dancing, music, and people dressed in suits and dresses. I showed up wearing jeans and a Dodger t-shirt, but thought I looked cool, kind of like Arnold Schwarzenegger.
What sent the nation into mourning – this was the hotel where Bobby Kennedy was shot dead while campaigning for the presidency.
I walked into the seminar room knowing this hotel, dreading being inside of it and shaking. I wondered what they were going to do to me, were the ghosts of this place going to go on the attack? So I sat in the far back corner next to the exit, waiting for an excuse to sprint out of there. I was at the beginning of an elongated panic attack that lasted the whole five days spent there, but there was one big thing that happened, that I celebrate to this day – I stayed in the room. Yep, Mister Chicken, who would freak out if someone talked too loud remained inside. This became my theme when, like an idiot, I signed up for the next training, and the next, and then something happened one day that amazed me – I calmed down.
The biggest heartfelt thank you I need to tell, is to myself. Thank you 1989 me for remaining in the room. It changed your life and led you on this path that you cherish each and every day.
Compassionate Care is Always Available
There are many more tools and strategies you can use in your pursuit of happiness. Here is where we come in. Contact us at Basic Steps Mental Health and let us support and educate you on this journey back to your loving heart center. Imagine living a heart-centered life, regardless of what is happening externally. We’d love to be of help.
For 25 years, Dr. Scott Alpert, the clinical director of Basic Steps Mental Health, has treated over 7,000 people with mental health and addiction problems, using a Psychological approach that mixes and matches ten of the top approaches used in the industry. We are here virtually and in-person to help you get through this COVID-19 pandemic and many other difficulties you may be experiencing.
May you have good mental health.
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