Forced to Take Care of Myself
I am under the weather. Does the weather cast an evil spell, if so it got me. My body is a good guide to how I am treating myself and obviously, it is telling me to improve my efforts greatly. Oh, I kid myself believing that I get the exercise and proper diet each day, but deep down I know it is a lie. I love fast food and there are times I simply don’t work out. Now my lying to myself has...
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Helping the Suicidal
Suicide. Not a pleasant subject but working in the Crisis field ten years ago and treating thousands that were suicidal makes me some kind of an expert, I guess. The facts are that if we don’t get a handle on depression, it can take you out.
As a supervisor of interns, it is my job to help new therapists read the signs. Does the person have a desire to kill themselves, do they have a plan, is...
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Mental Health Tune-Up Workshop
Basic Steps Mental Health is conducting another Zoom Meeting to help people get through the difficulties in their life through self-help tools.
One in five people have problems that warrant serious treatment of which many cannot afford. We continue our series of free workshops to help people in our community learn self-help methods to counsel themselves through the difficulties they face. Many...
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Goal Setting
Rapunzel: “I’m afraid that my dream is going to come true tonight and then what?”
Ryder: “Well that’s the good thing because when you achieve your dream you get to create a new one.”
Here is some Disney wisdom to live by. Dreams are what make life so rich. Without you are faced with the same ol’ same ol’. Dreams, like goals, are essential because if you got into your car without a destination,...
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Anxiety Friend or Foe?
When I graduated with my master’s degree at the University of Santa Monica, the famed surgeon Dr. Bernie Segal who wrote the book “Love, Medicine, and Miracles”, gave the commencement speech. He wished pain upon us all because with pain people are motivated to change. The same applies to anxiety. Anxiety is the mind’s way of getting our attention.
Anxiety friend or foe? When you are in...
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Out with the Old
Happy New Year to you. It’s time to purge out the old and start anew. Well at least that is the tradition – but why should this only be highlighted in the new year. This could be a daily habit if you think about it. You know, discovering what no longer serves you in your life and remedying it. This is the foundation of therapy. What do you want out of your life? Resentments? Harsh feelings...
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Bridging the Gap
This was an interesting article to write about the current national affairs. Let’s face it. We are polarized to the point of it feeling like the beginnings of a civil war but the real reasons are a bit unclear. Why are we as a nation at odds? Is it because the average person doesn’t feel heard? Is it because of righteousness – meaning I am right and they are wrong? In all actuality, this is...
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Moving to the New Office – The Saga
Blurry eyed, I am writing an account of what went down during our move to Everett Washington over the holiday season. I forgot how difficult moves can be – if difficult can come close to describing it.
Why the Move
Our expensive lease was up and what started out as an adventure to downsize and save some extra money each month, turned into a monster. It seemed like it was the perfect time to...
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The Reality of Life – Death
The day after Christmas, after the Zoom parties, the nice meals, and the exchanging of presents, I got bad news one after the other. My fiancée from twenty years ago was found dead in her apartment probably due to alcoholism. She had just turned 60. Alcohol had put a chasm in our relationship back then and probably took her as a victim now. A bitter pill to swallow because we had been very...
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A Twist to the Holidays
Serious times have hit and now throw into the mix – the holidays. We are all going through something that is so unusual, so desperate, and how in the world can we feel merry and gay? The holidays have always been the time to share our hearts with loved ones, give gifts, and plan for a prosperous new year. It feels like this pandemic has put a stopper to this.
What was your progression as you...
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