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 Men Face Their Trauma, 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 and best of … More How Men Overcome Their Trauma
Has your story gotten the best of you? I doubt it. ___ Your life is not defined by the words that you say, nor are you the sum of your thoughts. What defines you is the stories that you tell yourself and that other people tell about you. How many big words do you know? … More Recovery and Why the Best Parts of Your Story are the Sh**y Parts
For article on how your Destination is not your Destiny, click on the photo. 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 and best of … More Why Does Recovery Need to Be So Serious?
Yes, you are becoming your parents… relax, that can make you even better ___ I swore I would never be like him. I dressed differently. I didn’t drink. I broke the cycle. But no matter what I did, I still have become like my father. It’s taken me a lot of years to admit it, … More Do You Hate Yourself For Being Like Your Parents?
For article on how you become your diagnosis and it will become you, 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 How You Describe Your Mental Health Will Frame How You Experience It
Recovery is not about the drugs or the depression. It is about what happens today. ___ Dwelling on what was will rob you of what is. Hector and the Search for Happiness How old are you? Does age really matter? Probably not. Other things matter more, like health, happiness, relationships and a sense of meaning. … More Dwelling on What Was will Rob You of What Is
For article on What Does it Mean to Be Fully Alive? 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 and … More Being a Decent Human Being is Not Natural. It is A Choice.
Changing your mind happens one thought at a time ___ Your thoughts. In recovery they are your friends. But some days… well, your thoughts can become an intimate enemy. Thoughts can get us into trouble when they become rigid patterns, or when we stop thinking about our thoughts and just react. In recovery thoughts are … More 10 Common Thought Distortions and How to Learn to Change Your Mind
Taking risks can make you airsick. I wonder if there will be barf bags in hell? ___ My family and I are on vacation as I write this. We are visiting Disneyland. It’s a blast. But getting here, well that was a much different story. I will spare you the gory details, but our connecting … More Recovery: Postcard From The Edge of Risk and Faith
For article on The Healing Power of Silence in Recovery, 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 and best … More Recovery and The Power of Being Quiet
Getting High on Recovery 