What is an Addiction?
What is an addiction? An addiction is something that you are compelled to do and find it almost impossible to stop. I know this isn’t the clinical definition, but simply put this explains it. Not all addictions are bad. Addiction to exercise, a healthy diet, personal growth work, education, and helping out humanity are positive addictions. At the extreme, as in most things, even the great...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
Out with the Old
Happy New Year to you. It’s time to purge out the old and start anew. Well at least that is the tradition – but why should this only be highlighted in the new year. This could be a daily habit if you think about it. You know, discovering what no longer serves you in your life and remedying it. This is the foundation of therapy. What do you want out of your life? Resentments? Harsh feelings...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
How to Choose One of Our Programs
Choosing the type of treatment you go through is very important because there are many factors to consider. How much time can you devote to treatment, are there financial and insurance constraints? Bottom line, the real issue is properly addressing the problems you are dealing with. I have a friend that is a dentist and he tells people that you can play with it and go the cheap route or you...Learn More
The Benefits of Intensive Outpatient Treatment
If you need treatment for an addiction or a mood disorder and have been considering attending residential treatment, there is another option – Intensive Outpatient Treatment. Let’s be honest, it can be humiliating packing up your bags, leaving home, and being confined in a facility that limits your phone calls, computer access, and freedom. Oh yes, some of the residential facilities are very...Learn More
If You Are a New Counselor
This article is written for people just starting out in the helping profession. My passion is teaching students and graduates the fine art of counseling. I simply want to pass on the knowledge. Right off the bat, I want to extend a thank you to all people who want to make a positive change in this world. My advice is for you to put aside all the tools and procedures you’ve been taught and...Learn More
Family Therapy – When a Family Member is Sick
When a family member is sick it puts the whole family system out of balance. The good news is – this can be used as an opportunity for the entire family to heal. In this article, we take a look at Family Therapy. They believe that when somebody is sick the family is looked upon as being in need of repair. The system doesn’t only refer to your family, it can refer to as the relationships...Learn More
Heart Centered Living Workshop
A Return to My Roots In the late 1980s, I began my personal growth journey by attending a 2 1/2 day workshop presented by Insight Seminars. This training opened my eyes to not only to Psychology but realizing emotions can be healed. Up to that point, I played make believe that I was “fine”. I attended training for all the wrong reasons, however, what I found instead scared and wounded me....Learn More