A Heart Felt Thank You
12 years ago I moved up to this area to open up a residential treatment facility unlike any other. No, not another 12-step facility, mine was using clinical psychology with a smattering of spirituality which had incredible success at the first Mental Health Urgent Care Center in the country. The residential facility had a pretty good run for a number of years but seeing the limitations of...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
Special Memory #7
I’m sure you’ve heard the expression: “What’s the worst thing that can happen?” Have you ever considered what is the best thing that can happen? In graduate school, we were shown how to map out everything we wanted to happen through visualization and affirmation. The premise was, that if you can visualize it taking place, you can attract it into your life. For years I created these “Ideal...Learn More
Special Memory #4
When a client talked about it, it didn’t seem like it was a coincidence when people showed up in their life, it got me thinking. As I look back on my life, I have met some extraordinary people who have shaped the path I am currently walking, and was that a coincidence? This article is about one special man that I met on my path that I wish you all had the privilege to meet – Albert...Learn More
Top Ten Reasons to Not Attend Treatment
I thought I would Dr. Phil in my article today, just to have a little fun, since he is known for his top 10 lists. For years therapy has been frowned upon and many clients who have attended it have been chastised. As of recent, more and more are entering treatment due to the state of affairs in the world, and when somebody new enters my facility, I ask them what has prevented them from...Learn More
Who Am I?
A common theme this week has been people trying to discover their own identity. Who am I? Why am I alive? Is there some special purpose for me? Or, am I destined to struggle day in and day out, simply exist, and then die? What is the point? Is there a reason that we are all alive? Deeper thoughts on this post than most. The big question is – do we even have time to ponder why we are even...Learn More
Life and Loss
We had a common theme this past week at Basic Steps Mental Health and that was with loss. The subject of loss has many facets. There is loss of life, loss of a relationship, loss of health, and loss of purpose – as with retirement – to name a few. When we go through an abrupt change it can be startling. There is the classic Kubler-Ross stages of grief that can be used as a guide, in which I...Learn More
The Passing of Two Friends
This past week marked the passing of one of my best friend’s father, and the wife of another dear friend. Both of these people loved life, loved people, and were active in the community. The biggest part of being a therapist is keeping yourself in balance. In doing so, you are able to be there for others, unfortunately, both of the deaths hit me hard and I found myself counseling myself as I...Learn More
Continuing Education
Continuing coursework is crucial for people working in the mental health field. For me personally, I get bored presenting the same information over and over again, so I am always in search of information and techniques that grab my attention. To be honest, I get pretty giddy when something comes along that intuitively I know will be of great help. Sometimes I review approaches or periodicals...Learn More