News and Insights

I can’t believe it, but I began writing another book. Even though I am in the middle of professionally recording my music, you would think that I didn’t have much time to do anything else. All I know is that for the last few days, I’ve had this nagging voice inside of me that had another agenda, writing another book.   Over 20 years ago, I came up with a process called Opposite Hand Play. It...

Welcome to a new year, with new hope of something better, perhaps an adventure, or a better job, relationship, and enhanced family relations. The question is – “Do you have hope?” If the desire isn’t there, then your odds of success diminishes. Tradition at this time is to create “new years resolutions” – you know the things you may want but know that it is impossible to achieve – so why...

In 2001, the first Mental Health Urgent Care center in the country opened and I was fortunate to be one of the founding members. It is shocking that I have never written an article on surviving a crisis because of the thousands of crisis sessions I have taken part in. I’ve learned firsthand that when a situation is beyond the coping skills of a person, they go into a crisis. Overwhelmed, it...

Basic Steps Mental Health is about to enter our seventh year of providing services to people in the Mukilteo and surrounding areas. We wanted to take this time to thank you for being a valued client and sharing the valuable information you have learned with loved ones. The holidays are a special time to share your heart with yourself, family, and wonderful friends. We hope that our time...

Relationships are complex. Two people from two different backgrounds and two different life experiences are suddenly thrust into each other’s world and if you don’t know how to be in close quarters with somebody, things can get out of hand. Now, if you suffered trauma in the past, intimacy can be very difficult because it is natural for a part inside of you to be on guard, fearing that it...

When Basic Steps Mental Health first opened in 2017, I had never owned a business before. My sister hit it right on the head. She said, “As a therapist, you are top-notch, but as a businessman, not so much.” Yep, I made all the mistakes, squandered thousands of dollars, and was about to quit before my best friend told me to stick with it and if it lasted for two years, I’d have a lifelong...

It is interesting how my life is repeating itself again which shouldn’t surprise me. In graduate school, we focused our attention on repeating issues, because my professors believed that they were the curriculum of life. In studying Spiritual Psychology the belief is that spiritually speaking, everything is happening in our life for a reason and it all is in regards to our growth and...

Yes, it’s “Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens” time. It’s time for good cheer and holiday fun. But if you’ve suffered holiday trauma, it probably isn’t a pleasant time for you at all. Years ago, I coached a little league baseball team and the father of one of my players was killed in a liquor store robbery. Then came the holidays and it wasn’t pleasant for the child, his family, and...

I read an article years ago about the top 50 therapy approaches for treatment and could kick myself for not saving it. What I recall was group therapy was in the top five, family therapy in the top ten, number 7 was aversion therapy – like Schick Shadel used to offer before their recent close, individual therapy was around 15, and around 47 was the 12 steps. Group therapy will be the focus of...

This article is written for new therapists entering the field. In supervising interns on how to conduct therapy, I find that my first challenge is getting students out of the habit of following an agenda instead of simply being with the client, filled with hope. It can be viewed as helping them toss their education to the side and leading with their heart. Oh, they will know the correct...