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
Is There an Art to Traveling?
I thought I was properly prepared for my European getaway and once thrust into the situation I felt clueless! Thus began my vacation adventure. Everything that I held as normal vanished! In my world, almost everyone spoke English. Yes, I listened to my French language audio study course and thought I did quite well with it, and then was plopped into a cab with a man who only spoke French....Learn More
It Is Time
What I have been planning for the last three months is almost upon me. My trip to Europe. I may have butterflies in my stomach now, but I will reframe that as being excited. What faces me is my Ideal Vacation Scene of traveling across the pond with my inner child in hand. Hey, taking care of my younger wounded self has spurred on incredible adventures and this is the next. Adventure? Sure. I...Learn More
Family Sculpting
I’ve learned a few rather obscure tools in the 29 years I have been practicing psychotherapy. I guess the most obscure tool is from Family Systems Therapy designed by Virgina Satir. There are more common approaches that lean on the obscure side and my favorite would be from Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP). NLP addresses our inner aspects or sub-personalities. I’m sure you are aware of that...Learn More
Dad’s Memorial
A rainbow followed me as I drove to work this morning. The morning before my father’s memorial celebration. He lived a good 90 years and seemed to have a good life. I came to love my father after the rocky start of his abuse in my younger years. Because of this I went through extensive therapy and was then able to confront him as an adult. From that moment we began to build a wonderful...Learn More
The Three Foot Plan
Excited, I grabbed the basketball and toed the marker some 12 feet away from the basket. Same game, different environment. I was standing in front of my classmates at the University of Santa Monica, the graduate school where I studied Spiritual Psychology. It wasn’t new for me to shoot in front of a lot of people. I had once shot at halftime at a Lakers game at the Forum in from of 17,505...Learn More