Violence in the Community
Coming from Los Angeles, we knew that when the weather got hot, the violence increased. In this area, it seems like the heat has the same effect. At my housing complex, we have had a sudden increase in violence that has unnerved a lot of people, including myself. What can a person do about it? There are a few psychological models that are perfect to turn to when violence is taking place. As...Learn More
Scheduling Alone Time
For many people, life is but a blur. Activity, activity, and then the big crash – or is there one? Often when we are too busy it becomes difficult to unwind. Did you know that relaxation is a necessity in life? So is time away from the electronics. Do you give yourself time to simply let your mind go to where it wants to go? It’s true that Psychology is the study of relationships, but have we...Learn More
The Hero’s Journey
As the state gets back to normal, we are seeing a lot of people coming in for treatment. Perhaps it is the shock of being out in the public again. For whatever reason, it is good seeing so many people making the effort to improve themselves. For many, working on themselves is foreign. Unlike having regular doctor or dentist appointments, our mental health is very important because how we are...Learn More
Why Can’t I Just Fix This On My Own?
The answer to the question above is you can, given the know-how. When I graduated from High School, I was depressed, anxious, and didn’t know a thing about life. I did pretty well in school, with what was taught there, but nobody taught me about what was really important – how to keep myself emotionally stable. At that time, my family didn’t deal with my emotions. If you acted out you were...Learn More
Visualization – A Fun Exercise
Visualization is a great tool to use to take a break from normal life and feel at ease. Psychosynthesis, which is the first Spiritual Psychology approach from the early 1900s, used visualization as a way to center a person, and bring them good feelings. Do you feel a bit adventurous? If you need a pick me up, then follow the instructions and just go with them. This is usually done in a closed...Learn More
Three Foot Tosses for Mindfulness
We play a basketball game in our program where people are asked to take three shots from a marker that is three, six, nine, twelve, or fifteen feet away from the basketball hoop. When you sink a basket, you make positive points, if you miss, you make negative points. The point of the game is to make the most positive points you can. Each marker is equivalent to the number of points you make....Learn More
Kissing the Boo Boo – Self Help
The aim of this organization is to teach people the skills to help themselves. At Basic Steps Mental Health, we understand that we cannot fix anybody, that that isn’t our job, the real fixing comes from each person. However, without the proper tools and mindset, any tools learned will fail. In the book “Self Helping” by myself, I step a person through many tools that help us on four levels:...Learn More
Let Go of Being Right for a Change – The Illusion
I recently read the book Buddhism 101 by the Dalai Lama and noticed a lot of similarities with psychology. What struck me was their belief that everything in life is just an illusion. Something happens, it goes through our filter, and we make it either good or bad. Therefore, fine-tuning our filter to how the Buddhists urge – seeing each person’s “loving essence” can free us from frustration,...Learn More
Surviving a Major Ailment
Whether it be from an illness, ailment, or something life-threatening, the most important healing aspect is you. We are very powerful Beings and it is our thoughts that can heal us or destroy us. Working through something serious can be used as an opportunity to heal yourself not only physically, but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. The first step is getting in touch with your body,...Learn More