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 the article on how you are worthy of 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 How to Get Your Mind to Be Your Partner in Recovery
Have you experienced the power of a Zero? ___ Recovery begins with a Zero? Zero. It seems like a cold, lonely number. Most times the zero is forgotten. It gets tacked at the beginning or the end of the real numbers. Zero is a put-down that is akin to saying someone is a loser, a … More ZERO is the First Step in Your Recovery and Healing
For the article on Addiction and forgetting your way into 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 Miracles That Happen When You Slow Down
Do you deserve effort, attention, or respect from the people in your life (including yourself)? ___ Think about that question for a moment: Do you deserve effort, attention, or respect from the people in your life (including yourself)? Your mind is a comparison machine. It will automatically twist things to comparison instead of consideration of your … More Are You Worthy of Your Recovery?
For the article on the 9 Ways to deal with the energy vampires in your life, 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 … More 9 Ways To Deal With People Who are Draining
Principle #3: Recovery includes your unique strengths, needs, and background. ___ In a recent article, I discussed how the way that we look at recovery is changing and opening up to include recovery from mental illness. The reality is that it is impossible to separate a person’s addiction from their mental health recovery. The two … More The 10 Guiding Principles of Recovery: #3 Choose Your Own Path
For the article on how your attitude determines your well-being, 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 Your Attitude Will Change Your Well-Being
For the article on what recovery means to 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 latest and best of … More How You Think About Your Recovery IS Your Recovery
For the article, Recovery and How to Deal With Your Energy Vampires, 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 Do You Really Have Time For People Whose Entire Focus is Negative?
For article on the 10 Guiding Principles of Recovery: #1 Your Recovery is Possible!, 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 Recovery is Possible for You!
Getting High on Recovery 