My Battle with Covid
My have I changed. As a child, we never talked about the things that were going wrong with us. We put on the “I’m Fine” mask and pretended to be great. To my family, outward appearances were very important. When Covid first came on, a client came in, got the whole staff sick, and we didn’t know what it was but after 10 days were all better and things were, more or less, back in order. Then...Learn More
Happiness During the Pandemic
As a therapist, I am always asking people who are going through difficult times to find happiness within. To discover what makes them happy, and then do that. For individuals who had a difficult childhood, I ask them what made them happy when they were a child and do that, through the use of the opposite hand or opposite foot play. The model that I use is: “When love is applied to hurt, we...Learn More
The Benefits of COVID-19
An article about the benefits of COVID? How could something that causes people to die, lose their job, their home, their freedom, and even their mobility be a good thing? When given a spiritual point of view, you may have a different vantage point. Spirituality, according to Alcoholics Anonymous is the belief in something greater than us restoring us to sanity. No, this isn’t an article on AA,...Learn More
Journey of Self-Discovery During COVID-19
When seat belts were mandated, I rebelled at first but got into the rhythm of wearing them. When masks were recommended, I rebelled too. Why did I do this? This recently took me on a journey of self-discovery. There is a rebel inside of me that I cannot deny. When I track it back in time, it probably started when I was 15 years old and trying to be my own person. At the time I was extremely...Learn More
Achieving Mental Wellness During COVID-19
Elisabeth Kubler Ross & David Kessler are well known for their model of the stages of loss. The five stages of loss are Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. Which stage are you currently in with this COVID-19 pandemic? A number of clients were angry about the imposition this pandemic has caused them my mind began to think about the stages theory. Hey, we lost our normal...Learn More
The Healing Power of Comedy
What helped me get through difficult times is helping me once again – comedy. Years ago, when I was an addict and on the street, I got involved in a comedy group that literally changed my life. I think I am the only person that can say that my substance treatment was performing Comedy live at the top comedy clubs in Hollywood. This took place in the early 1980s when MTV was starting out...Learn More
Improving Emotional Health During Quarantine
How do we survive the daily reminders that we are living in troubled times? It is blasted in the media everywhere. Shoot, I see these bulletins on my computer all day and night providing me with the latest COVID-19 updates. It’s in our face. We are living in troubled times. What have you been doing to cope? Are you binge-watching? Raiding your refrigerator all hours of the day? Having a bit...Learn More
The Psychology of Enhancing Immunities
With all the physical precautions regarding COVID-19, what about learning some emotional precautions as well? It is important to take into account our whole being – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual – at times of great stress. The focus of this article is taking care of the mental and emotional levels in getting you through this pandemic. The Placebo Effect The placebo effect has been...Learn More
COVID-19 | Client Update
As the world is grappling with issues of enormous scale and human impact, our hearts go out to all who have been affected by the outbreak of COVID-19. Basic Steps Mental Health will continue to remain open during the outbreak of the Coronavirus. We have stepped up our efforts to sterilize our environment and provide universal precautions to our clients whose immune system is compromised. We...Learn More