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
A diagnosis does not have to be the end, it can be a new beginning. ___ I live with depression, but my diagnosis is not who I am. You and I are much greater than any illness or diagnosis that we may have received. “Diagnosis.” It’s just one word, but it is powerful. Getting a … More Become Your Diagnosis and Your Diagnosis Will Become You
Therapy is dead. Instead, think of it as teamwork: It’s time to ask yourself who is on your team? ___ Men and therapy go together about as well as cheese and peanut butter. Both taste great on toast, but just not together… not that there’s anything wrong with that. In the same way, most men … More For the Men Who Hate Therapy but Desperately Need It
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 Heal From Our Trauma
What does it mean to be fully human? I think the question is important because there is something in each of us that drives everything that we do. There is a desire to discover who we really are. We long to be tested and to discover what it means to authentically be in our own … More What Does it Mean to Be Fully Alive?
Sean Swaby tells his story of trauma and healing. ___ Trauma. Ask a man if he has experienced any trauma and he will probably just shrug his shoulders. He will tell you he’s never faced any of it, so go ask the next guy. The reality is that most men have experienced some level of … More How Men Face Their Trauma
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 Recovery Means that You Can Finally Be Yourself
The art of recovery ___ Recovery is about just doing the work? True. But Perhaps… Perhaps recovery is also An Art. Consider this… The moment a viewer recognizes a painting as beautiful, it transforms from an object into a work of art. The act of looking, then, becomes a creative process, and the viewer becomes … More To Recover, You Must Be Willing to See
Your difficult moods have a gift for you: They will make the good days stand out. ___ How are you today, how is your mood? The trouble with moods are that they can move up and down faster than the Stock Market after a new President takes over. The trouble with moods are that they … More Depression is Like a Monkey in Your Mind
Mental illness can be defined with just seven words. Be careful, because the words you choose will speak for you. ___ “When you miss work because of surgery, you get flowers and casseroles. When you are depressed and can’t come to work, you are seen as lazy and weak and no one knows how to … More Seven Words That Will Change How You View Mental Health
10 Ways to understand your personal recovery ‘sweet spot’ ___ “Improve a little each day. It compounds. When 1% compounds every day, it doubles every 72 days, not every 100 days. Compounding tiny excellence is what creates big excellence.” James Altucher As I wrote in the first part of this series, recovery is about learning how … More Recovery and Learning to Respect Your Limits, Part 2
Getting High on Recovery 