By:  Rev. Daniel Gowan, M.Div, M.A., LPC-S, LCDC, CSAT “The alcoholic is a sick person trying to get well, rather than a bad person trying to get good.”  “I am convinced that the number one feature of this disease is denial.  This is true for both the alcoholic and the Al-Anon member.” Many clients trying […]

 An affirmation links a described behavior to a character trait. Say with enthusiasm and celebration!  1. You finished the taxes! Look at what you’ve accomplished! You must feel proud of your perseverance and discipline!  2. I really appreciate the planning you’re doing. You’ve got such good organizational skills.  3. You have such an open mind. […]

Emotional trauma, by its simplest definition, is an extremely stressful or disturbing event or event(s).  There are two types however and one of them is usually overlooked.  We need to reach into the grammatical style guide (shout out to my journalist son for the clarification) to begin to differentiate Trauma vs trauma.  Trauma with a […]

Purchasing a new car and driving it off the showroom floor is a thrilling event. We’re mesmerized by the new car smell, the glossy paint, and all the latest “bells and whistles.” The last thing on our mind is future fluid changes, tunes ups, and replacing worn out parts. In high school I had my […]

The number one human need after survival is to seek connection.  It is a biological imperative that this happen through attachment, and it makes sense when we consider that the infant sees the world first in the eyes of their mother and father.  This gaze back and forth creates the attachment and the connection and […]

I have spent all of parenthood trying to share my experience with my children. I have concluded that this attempt has been a horrible failure as it relates to changing their choice of behavior. As I have watched others struggle with child rearing, and struggled myself, I have concluded that natural consequence is the most […]