Counseling – Basic Steps Mental Health

An AI Intervention

Scott Alpert — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 04:50:21 +0000

Okay, so I am addicted. Do I have to claim that I am powerless and that a power greater than myself is going to restore me to sanity? Yeah, no. I’m not into that kind of language. However, for the past 10 days, I have been addicted to AI and just can’t stop. I have […]

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The Basic Steps of Counseling

Scott Alpert — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 15:00:48 +0000

We have a new intern at Basic Steps Mental Health, and I thought it would be helpful to write out the basic steps of being a therapist for them. Then it dawned on me that writing an article on this would be helpful for anybody interested in the healing arts. For those who do not […]

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“I Don’t Believe in Therapy”

Scott Alpert — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 16:05:08 +0000

Yes, not one but two people this week entered therapy and blurted out, “I don’t believe in therapy, but my spouse made me.” I chuckled. This wasn’t the first time I had heard this, nor probably will it be the last, but this reminded me of me in 1989 when I attended my first counseling […]

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Am I Burning Out?

Scott Alpert — Wed, 30 Jul 2025 15:00:46 +0000

I had a first-of-its-kind week — every session was filled! In fact, even our IOP program was at maximum capacity. Because of this, I am exhausted. Running a facility is interesting. I am, first and foremost, a counselor and have done this for 30 years. I know what I am doing in this regard and […]

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Feelings of Frustration

Scott Alpert — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 15:00:45 +0000

I am beyond frustrated. I just had my computer wipe out the article I was preparing, and “frustrated” doesn’t begin to describe the feelings shooting through me. It was going to be the greatest paper ever created, but no—my computer had another agenda of its own. So now I am faced with a decision: either […]

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Have You Avoided Therapy for Years?

Scott Alpert — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 15:22:46 +0000

Years ago I saw a billboard that said “We cater to dental chickens.” Did chickens have teeth? I was confused. I asked a friend, who laughed at me. Of course, this was in my substance use years, but as my mind cleared, all I did was laugh at myself. I was going to title this […]

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Out of Control

Scott Alpert — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 11:50:20 +0000

We have no control over anything. Not our children, the dog, people at work, or the neighbors that are driving you crazy. This is because each person is in control of themselves. We have a very powerful mind and our mind determines our actions “and” nobody has access to another person’s inner workings but themselves. […]

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Special Memory #10

Scott Alpert — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 17:55:21 +0000

In 2012 as the world worried about extinction, I took a gamble. Since my ten-year relationship just ended, I wanted to get out of Los Angeles and explore my horizons. Ultimately I took up an offer to open up a Residential Treatment Facility 1,000 miles away. Moving from my family, friends, and steady job was […]

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Special Memory #5

Scott Alpert — Wed, 07 Aug 2024 17:00:34 +0000

The most humbling experience I have ever had in my career was with an 18-year-old woman who attended my residential treatment program and we just did not connect. It happens, not every person is going to get along with me. She was there, not of her own choice but her family insisted that she clean […]

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Special Memory #2

Scott Alpert — Wed, 17 Jul 2024 15:10:35 +0000

The special memory series continues from my 30-year career in the healthcare industry with this gem of an experience. It took place at the Mental Health Urgent Care Center in Long Beach California where I worked for 11 years. The Urgent Care Center was set up to take the pressure off of the psychiatric hospitals […]

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