I sometimes introduce myself as YodaNinja. "Yoda on the outside, Ninja on the inside." Outside, I seem calm and composed. When I speak (or write), what I say can be profound, perplexing... or both. But my inner world is another story. Deep inside of me is a Ninja battleground where thoughts, emotions, ideas, and utter randomness all fight for my attention. Every once in a while, they actually cooperate and I have to say, I'm deadly. But then they go at it again... and "Everybody is Kung Fu fighting." I'm a dad, a husband and a guy whose mind has a mind of it's own. My recovery from my addiction to numbing myself (with pretty much anything I can get my hands on) is a lifelong journey. I live with depression, anxiety and adhd... and sometimes they don't get along very well with my family, or with the rest of my life. Professionaly, I make my living as a Counselling Therapist in Edmonton, Canada. I teach on addiction and psychopathology at City University, and I have a small counselling practice where I use superheroes and other geeky stuff to help people make peace with their own personal YodaNinja. This blog is part of my healing and writing keeps me grounded. I hope that something I have written may add a little bit to your journey. Keep it Real
For article on how Recovery and How Responsibility Will Set You Free, click on the photo above. I write articles about wellness, leadership, parenting and personal growth. My hope is to deliver the best content I can to inspire, to inform and to entertain. Sign up for my blog if you want to receive the … More Deciding That You Are Dysfunctional is Safe
For article on how In Recovery, Your Destination is Not Your Destiny, click on the photo above. I write articles about wellness, leadership, parenting and personal growth. My hope is to deliver the best content I can to inspire, to inform and to entertain. Sign up for my blog if you want to receive the … More In Life, How We Travel Tells Our Story
For article on the 10 Ways that you protect yourself from pain and what you can do about it, click on the photo above. I write articles about wellness, leadership, parenting and personal growth. My hope is to deliver the best content I can to inspire, to inform and to entertain. Sign up for my blog … More How I Made a Deal to Have Peace Rather than Face Reality
Are you in need of a second chance today? ___ If you are, you are in good company. Today I am in need of a precious second chance. In fact, every day for me is a second chance at living. It is true that all that we have is today, so why not make today … More Recovery and Making Today Your Next Second Chance
For article on how Depression is Like a Monkey in Your Mind, click on the photo above. I write articles about wellness, leadership, parenting and personal growth. My hope is to deliver the best content I can to inspire, to inform and to entertain. Sign up for my blog if you want to receive the … More Depression and the Monkey on Your Back
Part of being an addict is thinking there’s an easy way out of things. Ready to Test Earlier this year, I posted about how I am working towards a certification as a Clinical Addiction Counsellor. The only remaining part of my work is to successfully complete a 3.5 hour exam. I finally have a date … More My Upcoming Clinical Addiction Exam
For article on how how in recovery: Your Destination is not your Destiny, click on the photo above. I write articles about wellness, leadership, parenting and personal growth. My hope is to deliver the best content I can to inspire, to inform and to entertain. Sign up for my blog if you want to receive the … More In Recovery Your Destination is Not Important
For article on how The Most Important Think About Your Recovery is Knowing What Recovery is Not, click on the photo above. I write articles about wellness, leadership, parenting and personal growth. My hope is to deliver the best content I can to inspire, to inform and to entertain. Sign up for my blog if … More Recovery is Not Getting Things Right
Want to know how to recover well? Begin with what NOT to do. ___ What is recovery to you? You may define it as quitting: drinking, smoking, drugs. Or not feeling: depressed, anxious or angry. Or not being: compelled to behave in self-destructive ways. Or making amends. However you define it, your recovery is personal. … More The Most Important Thing About Your Recovery is Knowing What Recovery is Not
For article on how In Recovery: Your Diagnosis is not Your Destiny, click on the photo above. I write articles about wellness, leadership, parenting and personal growth. My hope is to deliver the best content I can to inspire, to inform and to entertain. Sign up for my blog if you want to receive the latest … More Your Diagnosis is NOT Your Destiny
Getting High on Recovery 