12 Steps vs Spiritual Psychology
When somebody remarked in group that our program is not the 12 Steps, a fire was ignited. And no, it is not. When I was admitted into graduate school, I had been working at a 12-Step facility for years and quickly learned that this was the real thing. This is not to say that the 12 Steps are horrible and that people don’t heal and grow from its application, but being a brash young man, I...Learn More
Assessments for the Courts – My Battle
It was inevitable that I’d write about the legal system. Doing Mental Health and Substance Use Evaluations for court proceedings pits one genre against another. The courts try to decide what is right or wrong, but according to Spiritual Psychology, there is no right or wrong—only learning. How do I survive my interactions with the legal system when I tend to lean toward the learning side?...Learn More
Substance Treatment
I was asked to write a note to a lawyer ensuring I was providing substance treatment to their client, so I thought I’d use this as an opportunity to draft something that I could have on my website. My approach is different than 98% of the approaches out there because we focus on the core wounds underneath substance and mental health treatment. Ours is a program of empowerment, where people...Learn More
Feelings of Frustration
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 be angry and complain to my staff, or take it in stride and see the computer glitch as...Learn More
Overcoming Anxiety
It’s about time to talk about my battle with anxiety. Anxiety was thought of as a burden that everybody had to carry. I looked at it as the cross I had to bear for the rest of my life. As most of my friends did, I turned to drugs to numb my fears, but after years of doing so, I became a prisoner and felt there was no way out. Because of my drug use, my personality began to change. I became...Learn More
How to Obtain Mental Health
Obtaining mental health shouldn’t be a secret. Everyone should be entitled to experience peace, joy, laughter, hope, and love. Just because you may feel you had the perfect upbringing and the perfect life doesn’t guarantee happiness. Happiness takes work on a daily basis it is not simply given to you. Since the late 1800s the practice of Psychology has tried to assist people in living...Learn More
Why Are We Here?
Our eyes open, there are people peering at us, and all we can do is look back. We are a helpless child trying to make sense of the world upon our birth. Not able to think, all a baby can do is observe, but as we grow, our brain wires, and suddenly we have the ability for complex thinking. Then comes the universal questions: Where did life come from? Why are we here? What happens after we...Learn More
Year End Summary
I got pretty emotional today while I watched a duo exercise in our Intensive Outpatient Program. A duo is basically two participants pairing up and one acts like the counselor and the other acts like the client. After the exercise is over they switch roles. This is how we practiced in graduate school, this is how we conduct business at Basic Steps Mental Health. Why I became emotional was...Learn More
Something I’ve Avoided
There is one subject I have tried to sidestep for decades, not wanting to upset people who cannot relate to religion or spirituality. As my practice has progressed, I’ve realized that the mindset I have gained through a spirituality lens has gotten me through each and every day and can only be of benefit to others. I received my master’s degree in Spiritual Psychology – not from a religious...Learn More