Site maintanance

In order to correct some technical difficulties, I am no longer using an RSS feed to publish my blog on my own webpage. Instead it will remain on the blogger.com server and have links to my site, Sacramento Christian Counseling.

Since I had to migrate old posts, everything below this posting appears to have been written at the same time. They weren't, the time-stamp is due to the move.

Recovery & Stewardship: Is "What's in your wallet?" affecting your bottom-line?

Have you ever heard the term, "secondary addiction?" Understanding secondary addictions are a very important in addiction recovery, and unfortunately often don't receive adequate attention.If you have ever been to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting you may know what I am talking about. Have you ever SEEN so much caffeine and nicotine in your life!?For many of the addicts I see on a daily basis, spending tends to be a "popular" secondary addiction.

Click HERE to read more.

Please visit my Practice's webpage at Sacramento Christian Counseling

Eleven Unethical Managed Care Practices Every Patient Should Know About (With emphasis on mental health care)

This month I am adding an article by Ivan Miller, PhD. I found this very enlightening (and disturbing) article on another webpage. There was a note with the article giving permission and encouraging its redistribution.

If you have ever wondered why so many therapists are no longer paticipating with managed care companies or taking insurance, this article explains many of the reasons.

Below I have listed the bullet points to the full article. Click HERE for the complete article.

Eleven Unethical Managed Care Practices:
1. Disregarding personal and medical privacy.
2. Using false advertising.
3. Using deceptive language.
4. Violating traditional scientific ethics.
5. Practicing outside of a professional's area of competence.
6. Creating and intensifying conflicts of interest.
7. Keeping secrets about financial conflicts of interest.
8. Violating informed consent procedures.
9. Using "kickbacks" to keep patients away from specialists.
10. Squandering money entrusted to their care.
11. Disregarding information about harm to patients.


Please visit my practice's webpage: Sacramento Christian Counseling

I'm Listening...

I am interested in your feedback.For those of you who have seen a therapist before:1) What was the most positive part of your experience?2) What was the most negative part of your experience?For those who have never seen a counselor or therapist:1) Have you ever considered counseling or therapy?2) For what reasons did you decide NOT to go?For BOTH (have been and have not been to therapy):1) What do you, or would you, look for in a counselor or therapist?


Please visit my practice's webpage: Sacramento Christian Counseling

"Of course it isn't working..."

I was thinking to myself today about how patients tell me they are considering quitting therapy. Usually I anticipate this conversation well in advance. After working with someone for a time, seeing them deal with their "stuff" and meeting treatment goals, they are done and we both know it. For others, it is not quite as straight-forward. A common line I hear is, "I don't think counseling is working." Now I am not under any delusion that I am the best match for every patient, but I have learned that if a patient stays long enough to use this line, it is not a "match" issue. I usually sense a desperation in their tone, as if to ask for help. I find there tends to be a common theme of helplessness, dare I say "victim." This is not the same tone as willing desperation. Willing desperation with do whatever it takes to get better.It is quite normal to peak, plateau and even lose some ground when it comes to therapy or recovery. I remind people this almost daily when they feel discouraged. It is OK to express feelings of helplessness and even whine and complain a bit. However, it is always problematic when patient live in this place. These are the patients who inevitably say, "counseling is not working." These are the patients who may come for a few "feel good" sessions but don't want to do any work. They want me to take away their problems...... If I were really that powerful there would be world peace. I have seen patterns like this... 1) patient starts therapy and has a few "feel good" cathartic sessions, 2) patient starts to act more depressed and helpless, 3) I notice patient stopped really working after the first few sessions, if at all, 4) attendance suffers, 5) "I don't think counseling is working," 6) quit therapy. How do you respond to this question when a patient hasn't kept an appointment for over a month? Of course a good therapist spots this before a client voices his or her discouragement, but we sometimes don't have the opportunity to address a clients discouragement when they never make it to our office. I guess you can say they never showed for even the first appointment.This isn't a forum for me to express my frustrations, nor is it appropriate to discuss an actual patient. In fact any and all mention of patients are composites of several, usually past, and some theoretical. My purpose is really to encourage those out there who may feel counseling isn't working for them. Maybe it isn't, and if that's the case you NEED to discuss this with your therapist or counselor. A good therapist won't be offended or get defensive with you. Maybe there is something your therapist can do differently and sometimes that is all we need to know to make a change. But maybe you aren't taking responsibility for your own recovery. When I give assignments in therapy, most couples or individuals don't remember what the homework was the following week. I remember a former supervisor in graduate school told us if we felt like we were working too hard with a patient, we were. We [therapists] sometimes need to get out of the way so our patients can do the work. If you are feeling like quitting counseling because it isn't working, first ask yourself, "are YOU working."

Please visit my practice's webpage Sacramento Christian Counseling

Maintaining a Pure Dating Relationship

I regularly contribute articles for the "Every Man's Battle" website. The following article will be appearing on their website very soon (probably later this week). Here is a sneak-peak of my latest article. Parents, I want to encourage you to share these principles with your teens and pre-teens.
(please excuse any formating "issues") “How Far is Too Far?” Physical Boundaries for Singles By: Bob Parkins, MS, LMFT
Virtually everyone has struggled with physical boundaries in a dating relationship. Unfortunately most parents and youth pastors do not have an adequate answer for the question, "how far is too far." This article finally gives answers to this age-old question. Whether you are in a dating relationship or responsible for someone who is, you can now confidently face this question.
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Go ( here) for the complete article

Welcome Message

Welcome, I am glad you found my blog! I hope you will both gain insight from and possibly contribute to the discussions here. I will occasionally post articles for discussion and am open to reviewing your relevant articles for publication on this site.If you have stumbled on this site looking for a referral, please contact me directly. If you are local, I may be able to see you for therapy myself. Otherwise I will try to help you by giving an apropriate referral.Please note: No professional or theraputic services are offered directly on or from this site.You may reach the official website of my practice, Sacramento Christian Counseling.