Kissing the Boo Boo – Self Help
The aim of this organization is to teach people the skills to help themselves. At Basic Steps Mental Health, we understand that we cannot fix anybody, that that isn’t our job, the real fixing comes from each person. However, without the proper tools and mindset, any tools learned will fail. In the book “Self Helping” by myself, I step a person through many tools that help us on four levels:...Learn More
Let Go of Being Right for a Change – The Illusion
I recently read the book Buddhism 101 by the Dalai Lama and noticed a lot of similarities with psychology. What struck me was their belief that everything in life is just an illusion. Something happens, it goes through our filter, and we make it either good or bad. Therefore, fine-tuning our filter to how the Buddhists urge – seeing each person’s “loving essence” can free us from frustration,...Learn More
Self Help Tool | Free-Form Writing
Do people heal? This question was asked of me when I started working at a luxury treatment facility in Malibu. The nighttime supervisor only saw warehousing of clients and no recovery up to that point. My reply was, “Just watch.” Unfortunately, my clients were healing too quickly and this didn’t fit my boss’s treatment philosophy, so I was let go. I guess it is a bad business model to...Learn More
Open Topic Workshop
On May 1st, 2021 from 3:00 pm to 5:00 PM we are going to conduct an open discussion on the problems that confront you. Learn some innovative techniques, get some things off your chest, and get support from others that are on the call. This is a departure from the normal format Basic Steps Mental Health normally provides. On this day we go into the trenches with you, see what is going on in...Learn More
Helping the Suicidal
Suicide. Not a pleasant subject but working in the Crisis field ten years ago and treating thousands that were suicidal makes me some kind of an expert, I guess. The facts are that if we don’t get a handle on depression, it can take you out. As a supervisor of interns, it is my job to help new therapists read the signs. Does the person have a desire to kill themselves, do they have a plan, is...Learn More
Mental Health Tune-Up Workshop
Basic Steps Mental Health is conducting another Zoom Meeting to help people get through the difficulties in their life through self-help tools. One in five people have problems that warrant serious treatment of which many cannot afford. We continue our series of free workshops to help people in our community learn self-help methods to counsel themselves through the difficulties they face. Many...Learn More
Moving to the New Office – The Saga
Blurry eyed, I am writing an account of what went down during our move to Everett Washington over the holiday season. I forgot how difficult moves can be – if difficult can come close to describing it. Why the Move Our expensive lease was up and what started out as an adventure to downsize and save some extra money each month, turned into a monster. It seemed like it was the perfect time to...Learn More
Active Recovery
When I began my career in 12 Step Recovery a whole new world opened to me. It was what I liked, being around a lot of people, people opening up and talking about their difficulties, and others lending support. The 12 Steps were new to me because my recovery was basically white-knuckling it and praying the cravings would go away. My recovery was simply five months of pacing my apartment and...Learn More
Depression Treatment Workshop
Basic Steps Mental Health is conducting another Zoom Meeting to help people get through the difficulties in their life through self-help tools. A little knowledge can go a long way, a lot of knowledge can help you thrive. Our program teaches people the Spiritual Psychology approach. No, it is not some voodoo, but a clinical approach that mixes and matches 10 of the top Psychological...Learn More