“What we call normal in psychology is really a psychopathology of the average, so undramatic and so widely spread that we don’t even notice it ordinarily.” This is a quote by Abraham Maslow, the theorist who gave us the idea of the hierarchy of needs (once your basic needs are met you begin to seek higher needs) and the idea of self-actualization.

Maslow’s point is that being normal, being average, although normally perceived as okay, is pathology. Pathology can be simply defined as disease or sickness. The free online dictionary’s definition of psychopathology is “The study of the …

Originally this article was entitled “Being Happy.” But “Being” seems more appropriate. We are caught in an endless strive to be happy. We want to increase our pleasure and decrease our negative emotions. This article will discuss ways to accomplish this, while at the same time not neglecting the emotions we are less comfortable with.

There are many articles describing what it takes to be happy. Recently there was a simple article on MSN’s website about “9 Things You Can Do To Be Happy In the Next 30 Minutes.” And there is good advice there: exercise, accomplish a nagging task; learn something new, act happy to be happy, or reach out to someone you haven’t been in contact with …

There have been a lot of sports figures in the news recently as a result of drugs. Most recently, Alex Rodriguez has been accused of steroid use. This was a major story as he appeared to be one of only a handful of “clean” baseball heroes of recent times. Just prior to the Rodriguez scandal was the Phelps scandal. If you are one of the three people in the country that haven’t heard, he had been photographed smoking marijuana from a bong. And drugs and sports grabbing headlines doesn’t stop there, as recent articles on Fox Sports have discussed steroid use among the 70’s Steelers, and the recent arrest of Corie Blount, a former …

It is no secret that maintaining spiritual peace or balance in these tough economic times can be difficult. Fear, anxiety, and worry are pervasive emotions in those around us, in those we work with, in those we are close to. But there is a way to keep your spiritual equilibrium.

Having the finances to study and practice does make keeping a spiritual perspective easier. Reading books helps make the spiritual a regular part of your life. Purchasing books or magazines that you are attracted to and reading the material keeps the spiritual focus, as well as allows your unconscious to guide your choices. Taking a yoga class, a meditation class, or going to spiritual seminars can assist in keeping the focus …

Whenever I tell others that as a therapist I teach anger management, the response is often similar. They usually range from “really, you teach anger management?” to the sarcastic, “yeah, that’s appropriate” followed by some laughter. Once in a while I get a more enlightened response suggesting I look like I used to have an anger management problem. I have to admit, I’m not the stereotypical anger management facilitator. For one, I probably don’t have the look expected. But more importantly, I am a passionate individual. I raise my voice when excited, and have been known to joke about “choking the life” out of some types of drivers. Of course I would never do this, and can’t even remember the …

Recently we have had several clients present for psychotherapy treatment who are court stipulated to a drug program because of drug charges. Of course this is no surprise. But what is surprising is the level of charges and the clients we are seeing. For example, one of our clients could be confused with just about any other hockey mom (perhaps a recent exception). She is white, upper middle class, college educated, and working in a professional position. And although she has drug trafficking charges, which are a felony, the drugs she had in her possession were for private use and were prescription (of course she didn’t have a prescription). What is even more surprising is that she didn’t even …

This paper will address the importance of the grieving process to sustaining addiction recovery. In order to accomplish this I will utilize several sources which discuss the grieving process, including Elizabeth Kubler-Ross’s stages of grieving, J. William Worden’s book called “Grief Counseling and Grief Therapy”, and Robert Helgoe’s book “The Hierarchy of Recovery”. Additionally, some personal and professional experience will also be included.

There are three reasons that the grieving process is important to sustained, rewarding recovery. The first is many addicts have unresolved grief issues from their pasts. Perhaps the death of a relative or the dissolution of a close personal relationship has occurred. The use of drugs and alcohol hamper the grieving process, resulting in a delayed grief …

As many people in recovery have probably heard, (and often ignored or debated) it is detrimental to early recovery to become involved in romantic relationships. This article will discuss some of the reasoning behind the often-proposed suggestion “no relationships for the first year.”

Perhaps it is best to start with a definition of a romantic relationship. Romantic in the sense it is being used here refers to experiencing feelings of attraction, infatuation, closeness, or what the individual considers love. Relationship in the sense we are using it refers to ongoing or regular contact between an individual or individuals who are experiencing these feelings. This article will describe some of the reasons that romantic relationships are detrimental to early recovery and …

Many people who enter treatment for addiction recovery are taken aback by the spiritual concepts normally associated with a recovery program. Others initially welcome the spiritual aspects, returning to a religious belief system they once were familiar with, as it instills a sense of hope for them. Still others view the 12-step program as a cult like movement. Others are atheists, and have trouble with any program that suggests they rely upon an unseen force or entity. This article will attempt to address these circumstances, as well as provide some spiritual beliefs that the reader may have been previously unfamiliar with. It will also focus on some of the similarities between religions of the world, spirituality, and the 12 …

It seems the more experience I gain in the field of psychotherapy, the more clients I interact with, the more I live my own life, the more I believe the attempt to inappropriately control events is at the core of unhappiness. The use of control is paradoxical: we believe taking control will bring us security and happiness, yet in many cases it causes unhappiness, anxiety, and malaise. In this article I will explain this premise, and support my observations with some findings regarding happiness.

I am often confronted with clients who have addiction problems, depression, marital issues, anxiety, and anger issues. It is my contention that these difficulties have a common thread: control.

Let’s start with depression. I have several clients …