A Typical Couple’s Intake
The following is a dramatization – no real persons were depicted or harmed “I don’t know why we are going here. We can handle things on our own,” says the husband as the wife drives them into the parking lot. “I’ve tried, you haven’t, and things are not changing. We need help and that’s why we’re here,” the wife replies as she parks the car and opens her door. “Now, I’m going in...Learn More
A Fond Farewell – Charity
With a heavy heart, one of my staff members is leaving the nest and moving to Florida with her family in a few days. We have been together for six years and after supervising her during her college years and while she was working to obtain her counseling license we had grown very close. I am well aware of the fact that people enter and leave our lives, but that doesn’t prepare you for the...Learn More
A Tribute to Peter
Last week my father-in-law passed away. The tricky thing was he lived 30 miles away from the nearest neighbor, just north of Joshua Tree National Forest in California, and all by himself. It was a miracle a delivery person found his body or his dog Max would have been lost too. Peter was a young 82-year-old, who walked 5 miles a day but had a problem with smoking. The desert oasis he lived...Learn More
Energetic Family
Psychology is the science of relationships. Our relationships with ourselves mirror our relationships with others. Therefore, it is extremely important for us to have a good relationship within. To do so becomes quite an art form – from repeating positive affirmations, using self-appreciation, to setting intentions to be more positive can set you on the proper path to being more kind to...Learn More
Family Therapy
According to the Family Systems Theory, your current relationships are influenced by your family of origin. If you have problems with communication, and closeness, or get frustrated easily, take a look back and see how your family acted while you were growing up. To make a profound change, Family Systems Theory believes that the family system itself needs to change. We all are born into...Learn More
Are People Ever Fully Fixed?
Living in a quick-fix society, people come to our facility looking for that one fix-it-all that will change their lives forever. Well, occasionally that happens, but it is rare. Because we are so complex, the pill, the prayer, or the special activity won’t fix the matter, psychotherapy can but only with dedication. Are people ever fully fixed? We can help them learn a wide array of tools and...Learn More
Holiday Greetings
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...Learn More
Expectations
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...Learn More
Becoming an Equal
We are all the same. Nobody is above or below us. Until we realize that we are all in this family of life together, we can learn to bridge the gap between people, countries, and this world. Such a lofty way of looking at life, many would think, but when you get right down to the fact that we are all 99.999% the same the only difference is what we think. I recall an episode years ago on a...Learn More