The Intentional Clinician: Psychology, Philosophy, Therapy, & Change

Fighting for Patients In a Broken Mental Health System with Dr. Alice Feller, MD [Episode 142]

Dr. Alice Feller, MD speaks with Paul Krauss MA LPC about her experiences working as a psychiatrist both within the public mental health system and private practice. Dr. Feller discusses the barriers inside the current system that are diminishing care to helping those who are most afflicted by mental health concerns. Dr. Feller tells stories of those she has worked to help and how some healthcare policies, current laws, and ignorance of mental health conditions negatively affect those seeking care of severe mental illnesses such as Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia. Dr. Feller and Paul discuss the correlations between homelessness and those suffering from mental illnesses.

According to Dr. Feller, author of American Madness: Fighting for Patients In a Broken Mental Health System, the deinstitutionalization movement (especially the obscure "16-bed law" regarding public federal healthcare funding) caused many of the homelessness issues we see today, and that mental illness and addiction don't necessarily cause homelessness — but that homelessness often triggers or exacerbates mental illness and addiction. What's more, most treatment for serious mental illness and addiction is doled out in American prisons, an issue which criminalizing homelessness would only worsen.

• Get involved with the National Violence Prevention Hotline: 501(c)(3)
  • Donate
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• Preview an Online Video Course for the Parents of Young Adults (Parenting Issues)
• Unique and low cost learning opportunities through Shion Consulting

Paul Krauss MA LPC is the Clinical Director of Health for Life Counseling Grand Rapids, home of The Trauma-Informed Counseling Center of Grand Rapids. Paul is also a Private Practice Psychotherapist, an Approved EMDRIA Consultant , host of the Intentional Clinician podcast, Behavioral Health Consultant, Clinical Trainer, Counseling Supervisor, and Meditation Teacher. Paul is now offering consulting for a few individuals and organizations. Paul is the creator of the National Violence Prevention Hotline as well as the Intentional Clinician Training Program for Counselors. Paul has been quoted in the Washington Post, NBC News, Wired Magazine, and Counseling Today. Questions? Call the office at 616-200-4433. 

If you are looking for EMDRIA consulting groups, Paul Krauss MA LPC is now hosting a weekly online group.  For details, click here.

For general behavioral and mental health consulting for you or your organization.

Follow Health for Life Counseling- Grand Rapids:

Instagram   |   Facebook     |     Youtube

 Original Music:

”Alright" from the forthcoming album Mystic by PAWL (Spotify)

"What I was thinking" from ba ba ba by P:ano (Spotify)

"Old Shoe" from ba ba ba by P:ano (Spotify)

 

Why Western Therapeutic Psychology has largely failed to improve Human Lives w/ Daniel Chapelle [Episode 141]

Daniel Chapelle is a Psychologist and Author who believes that the Western Therapeutic Psychology model has a lot to learn from Eastern Philosophical traditions. Daniel speaks with Paul Krauss MA LPC about his new book: A Minimalist Ethic for Everyday Life. Daniel speaks about how Buddhist philosophy, Confucius, and other philosophies can influence our overall belief system and improve our lives. Daniel is an advocate for learning to shift our identification from away from individual selves through meditation and other practices.

Daniel Chapelle is the author of Meditative Self-Care; A Minimalist Ethic for Everyday Life; The Necessity of Unhappiness, A Paradox; Karma for Westerners; Nietzsche and the Buddha, Different Lives, Same Ideas; Nietzsche and Psychoanalysis; and The Soul In Everyday Life.
Originally a native of Belgium, he has lived in the United States for over forty years. He has a dual background in theoretical or philosophical and clinical psychology, with a doctorate from the Institute of Philosophic Studies at the University of Dallas. His views and practice combine Western psychology and philosophy, Buddhism and Buddhist meditation, and practical ancient Chinese philosophy (especially Confucius, Lao-Tzu, and Zhuangzi).
For more than thirty years he worked as a clinical and consulting psychologist. 

• Get involved with the National Violence Prevention Hotline: 501(c)(3)
  • Donate
  • Share with your network
  • Write your congressperson
  • Sign our Petition

• Preview an Online Video Course for the Parents of Young Adults (Parenting Issues)
• Unique and low cost learning opportunities through Shion Consulting

Paul Krauss MA LPC is the Clinical Director of Health for Life Counseling Grand Rapids, home of The Trauma-Informed Counseling Center of Grand Rapids. Paul is also a Private Practice Psychotherapist, an Approved EMDRIA Consultant , host of the Intentional Clinician podcast, Behavioral Health Consultant, Clinical Trainer, Counseling Supervisor, and Meditation Teacher. Paul is now offering consulting for a few individuals and organizations. Paul is the creator of the National Violence Prevention Hotline as well as the Intentional Clinician Training Program for Counselors. Paul has been quoted in the Washington Post, NBC News, Wired Magazine, and Counseling Today. Questions? Call the office at 616-200-4433. 

If you are looking for EMDRIA consulting groups, Paul Krauss MA LPC is now hosting a weekly online group.  For details, click here.

For general behavioral and mental health consulting for you or your organization.

Follow Health for Life Counseling- Grand Rapids:

Instagram   |   Facebook     |     Youtube

 Original Music:

”Alright" from the forthcoming album Mystic by PAWL (Spotify)

"Continuum 3" from Endlessness by Nala Sinephro (Spotify)

"Continuum 4" from Endlessness by Nala Sinephro (Spotify)

EMDR and Trauma Therapy inside a war zone: Ukraine w/ Dr. Joshua Kreimeyer [Episode 140]

Dr. Joshua Kreimeyer PhD and Paul Krauss MA LPC discuss Dr. Kreimeyer's work training clinicians and providing EMDR and other trauma-informed therapies in Ukraine, right now, even as the war between Ukraine and Russia rages on. Learn about Dr. Kreimeyer's mission and how he is collaborating with the Ukrainian government and the United Nations to build programs with an outstanding level of care.

Dr. Kreimeyer began his career in the military as a cryptologic linguist before transitioning into counseling. He has worked in various settings, including community clinics, private practice, and the VA. He holds a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision and has taught in graduate programs such as Colorado Christian University. Dr. Kreimeyer has been involved in international work, helping to develop trauma-informed counseling programs in Ukraine and serving as a contractor with the UN. He is a member of the American Counseling Association's International Association for Resilience and Trauma Counseling.

The Ukrainе Institute of Traumatherapy, was created to help veterans and their family members to achieve optimal well-being & adjustment as the war continues or after their service has been completed. We are also focused on helping women and children who suffered from war. This includes mental, physical, spiritual, occupational, and social wellness as well as family life. Our mission is also to educate other professionals in the application of cutting-edge approaches and standards of traumatherapy. The war has been continuing for over 10 years and many soldiers, veterans, women, and children are in need of help today. In addition, we need to be ready to help the 3 million veterans returning home after they have completed their service in the future. Also see their other site: The Center of Psychological Counseling & Traumatherapy Open Doors: Providing US Standards of Care in Ukraine.

• Get involved with the National Violence Prevention Hotline: 501(c)(3)
  • Donate
  • Share with your network
  • Write your congressperson
  • Sign our Petition

• Preview an Online Video Course for the Parents of Young Adults (Parenting Issues)
• Unique and low cost learning opportunities through Shion Consulting

Paul Krauss MA LPC is the Clinical Director of Health for Life Counseling Grand Rapids, home of The Trauma-Informed Counseling Center of Grand Rapids. Paul is also a Private Practice Psychotherapist, an Approved EMDRIA Consultant , host of the Intentional Clinician podcast, Behavioral Health Consultant, Clinical Trainer, Counseling Supervisor, and Meditation Teacher. Paul is now offering consulting for a few individuals and organizations. Paul is the creator of the National Violence Prevention Hotline as well as the Intentional Clinician Training Program for Counselors. Paul has been quoted in the Washington Post, NBC News, Wired Magazine, and Counseling Today. Questions? Call the office at 616-200-4433. 

If you are looking for EMDRIA consulting groups, Paul Krauss MA LPC is now hosting a weekly online group.  For details, click here.

For general behavioral and mental health consulting for you or your organization.

Follow Health for Life Counseling- Grand Rapids:

Instagram   |   Facebook     |     Youtube

 Original Music:

”Alright" from the forthcoming album Mystic by PAWL (Spotify)

"Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 15: III. Allegro" from · Garrick Ohlsson · Sir Donald Runnicles · Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra by Ludwig van Beethoven (Spotify)

Systemic Failures in Treating Substance Use and a Mother's Story of Love, Loss, and Addiction w/ Patricia Roos [Episode 139]

Patricia Roos, Retired Professor Emerita of Sociology at Rutgers University speaks with Paul Krauss MA LPC about her personal story of losing her son to addiction as well as the systemic failures that contributed to his death. Pat and Paul take a deep dive into the sociological issues, mental health and addiction stigmas, the criminal justice system's approach to addiction, and many addiction treatment centers that are not in-line with what the latest research is reporting works with people experiencing substance use addiction.

Mother’s Day 2024 will mark nine years to the day since the police showed up on Patricia Roos’s door to report that her son died. In 2015, Roos’s twenty-five-year-old son, Alex, died of a heroin overdose. Turning her grief into action, Roos, a professor of sociology at Rutgers University, began to research the social factors and institutional failures that contributed to his death. Surviving Alex: A Mother’s Story of Love, Loss, and Addiction (Rutgers University Press) tells her moving story—and outlines the possibilities of a compassionate and effective approach to addiction treatment and policy.  

Patricia Roos' website contains resources and more about her work.

• Get involved with the National Violence Prevention Hotline: 501(c)(3)
  • Donate
  • Share with your network
  • Write your congressperson
  • Sign our Petition

• Preview an Online Video Course for the Parents of Young Adults (Parenting Issues)
• Unique and low cost learning opportunities through Shion Consulting

Paul Krauss MA LPC is the Clinical Director of Health for Life Counseling Grand Rapids, home of The Trauma-Informed Counseling Center of Grand Rapids. Paul is also a Private Practice Psychotherapist, an Approved EMDRIA Consultant , host of the Intentional Clinician podcast, Behavioral Health Consultant, Clinical Trainer, Counseling Supervisor, and Meditation Teacher. Paul is now offering consulting for a few individuals and organizations. Paul is the creator of the National Violence Prevention Hotline as well as the Intentional Clinician Training Program for Counselors. Paul has been quoted in the Washington Post, NBC News, Wired Magazine, and Counseling Today. Questions? Call the office at 616-200-4433. 

If you are looking for EMDRIA consulting groups, Paul Krauss MA LPC is now hosting a weekly online group.  For details, click here.

For general behavioral and mental health consulting for you or your organization.

Follow Health for Life Counseling- Grand Rapids:

Instagram   |   Facebook     |     Youtube

 Original Music:

”Alright" from the forthcoming album Mystic by PAWL (Spotify)

"Honeywisp" from Golden Pear by Omni Gardens (Spotify)

"Salt Lamp" from Golden Pear by Omni Gardens (Spotify)

EMDR for Athletes and High Performers: Making the most of your therapy and moving on with life w/ Brendan Cole LPC [Episode 138]

Brendan Cole LPC and Paul Krauss MA LPC discuss EMDR Therapy for athletes and high performers, performing at work, Olympic athletes, mental health hacks for athletes, the power of EMDR, sports psychology, and how to get the most out of your therapy experience. Brendan is passionate about therapy and helping people not only feel better, but also meet their highest potential.

Brendan Cole MA LPC is a therapist in Grand Rapids, MI serving the West Michigan area both in-person and through telehealth. Brendan has extensive experience working with adults, young adults, and teens from a variety of backgrounds through individual therapy, couples counseling, premarital, and using EMDR Therapy. Brendan has helped people overcome issues with athletic performance, business performance, relationship conflict, trauma, depression, anxiety, and other issues. Brendan specializes in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Narrative Therapy, and Strengths-Based Therapy to help you meet your goals. Brendan identifies as a married white male who cares deeply about the community.

Brendan Cole LPC's therapeutic specialties:

• EMDR Therapy and CBT Therapy for Athletes
• EMDR Therapy for High Performers and People in Business
• EMDR Therapy Intensives (4-hours) (for faster improvements), upon request.
• Freeing Oneself from a Pornography Addiction
• Couples Therapy
• Premarital Therapy

• Get involved with the National Violence Prevention Hotline: 501(c)(3)
  • Donate
  • Share with your network
  • Write your congressperson
  • Sign our Petition

• Preview an Online Video Course for the Parents of Young Adults (Parenting Issues)
• Unique and low cost learning opportunities through Shion Consulting

Paul Krauss MA LPC is the Clinical Director of Health for Life Counseling Grand Rapids, home of The Trauma-Informed Counseling Center of Grand Rapids. Paul is also a Private Practice Psychotherapist, an Approved EMDRIA Consultant , host of the Intentional Clinician podcast, Behavioral Health Consultant, Clinical Trainer, Counseling Supervisor, and Meditation Teacher. Paul is now offering consulting for a few individuals and organizations. Paul is the creator of the National Violence Prevention Hotline as well as the Intentional Clinician Training Program for Counselors. Paul has been quoted in the Washington Post, NBC News, Wired Magazine, and Counseling Today. Questions? Call the office at 616-200-4433. 

If you are looking for EMDRIA consulting groups, Paul Krauss MA LPC is now hosting a weekly online group.  For details, click here.

For general behavioral and mental health consulting for you or your organization.

Follow Health for Life Counseling- Grand Rapids:

Instagram   |   Facebook     |     Youtube

 Original Music:

”Alright" from the forthcoming album Mystic by PAWL (Spotify)

"Spotlight" from *69 b/w Spotlite by Born at Midnite (Spotify)

”A Figure in the Surf" from The Sunset Violent by Mount Kimbie (Spotify)

Existential Philosophy meets Buddhism meets Modern Observations with Joe Singleton [Episode 137]

Joe Singleton and Paul Krauss MA LPC discuss Joe's new book MARA DAWN BUDDHA RISE: THE AWAKENING . Joe Singleton discusses his background in Existential Philosophy, Buddhism, his previous, his current pursuits, as well as a deep dive into why he believes philosophy and Buddhist practices may help a modern person cope with chaos and difficulties of modern living. Joe's writing and speaking are both poetic in nature and his observations of the current state of the world are at once sharp and loving. If you are wondering why life seems like it never makes it to the point you want, and you notice continuous suffering--this podcast episode is for you. If you are questioning your own life philosophy and you are looking for applied practice--take a list to this episode.

JOE SINGLETON IS AN AUTHOR, EDITOR, PUBLISHER, TAROT CARD SPINNER, ROCKHOUND, LAPIDARY ARTIST AND CO-OWNER WITH NOELLE EDWARDS OF 'THE LOCAL STONE' CRYSTAL, TAROT AND CHAKRA JEWELRY BOUTIQUE IN GALVESTON, TX. EVER SEEKING TO FULFILL THE CHALLENGE AND QUEST OF THE GOD APOLLO TO 'KNOW THYSELF', HIS LITERARY JOURNEY HAS TAKEN HIM FROM THE CORE OF EXISTENTIAL PHILOSOPHY ALL THE WAY TO THE REALMS OF THE SPIRITUAL BUDDHAVERSE.

 

• Get involved with the National Violence Prevention Hotline: 501(c)(3)
  • Donate
  • Share with your network
  • Write your congressperson
  • Sign our Petition

• Preview an Online Video Course for the Parents of Young Adults (Parenting Issues)
• Unique and low cost learning opportunities through Shion Consulting

Paul Krauss MA LPC is the Clinical Director of Health for Life Counseling Grand Rapids, home of The Trauma-Informed Counseling Center of Grand Rapids. Paul is also a Private Practice Psychotherapist, an Approved EMDRIA Consultant , host of the Intentional Clinician podcast, Behavioral Health Consultant, Clinical Trainer, Counseling Supervisor, and Meditation Teacher. Paul is now offering consulting for a few individuals and organizations. Paul is the creator of the National Violence Prevention Hotline as well as the Intentional Clinician Training Program for Counselors. Paul has been quoted in the Washington Post, NBC News, Wired Magazine, and Counseling Today. Questions? Call the office at 616-200-4433. 

If you are looking for EMDRIA consulting groups, Paul Krauss MA LPC is now hosting a weekly online group.  For details, click here.

For general behavioral and mental health consulting for you or your organization.

Follow Health for Life Counseling- Grand Rapids:

Instagram   |   Facebook     |     Youtube

 Original Music:

”Alright" from the forthcoming album Mystic by PAWL (Spotify)

"Black Sand" from Mahal by Glass Beams (Spotify)

”Windshield" from the forthcoming album Mystic by PAWL (Spotify)

Solving ADHD: Actually treating the cause, improvements, and differential diagnoses with Dr. Connie McReynolds PhD [Episode 136]

Dr. Connie McReynolds, PhD has caused quite the stir in the fields of psychology, psychiatry, and counseling as she has approached the ADHD and ADD diagnoses much differently than most practitioners. Rather than debating the nuances of "does someone HAVE ADHD or not", Dr. Connie has researched and utilized sophisticated Neurofeedback Assessments that differentiate multiple different issues that could be contributing to the largest gestalt (or diagnosis of ADHD): Including multiple tiers of auditory processing disorders, visual processing disorders, general learning disorders, differential medical diagnoses, environmental factors, and overlapping clinical psychological diagnoses. If this sounds intriguing, this is an episode you need to hear and she has written a book that I would recommend reading.

Dr. Connie McReynolds, PhD and her team have fearlessly pushed forward into researching the nuances of all types of people tagged with the label "ADHD/ ADD." In going deeper, with their neuropsychological assessments and sophisticated proprietary and targeted neurofeedback treatments, they have discovered that there are a myriad of issues that are contributing to what your average clinician may conclude is ADHD (referencing the DSM or ICD codes). Not only have they been able to figure out the etiology of the symptoms that are contributing to the clinical picture / diagnosis--they have worked on treating these symptoms WITHOUT medications or minimal medications, and also with minimal therapy (unless called for from a crossover of other behavioral, environmental, or psychological factors). Dr. Connie McReynolds' team have had incredible results from only 20 thirty minute targeted neurofeedback subjects who are coming in with a range of ADHD-related symptoms. And 6 and 12 month follow up assessments and subjective reports are just as stunning! However, the idea that you can actually reduce ADHD symptoms for the long-term without extensive medications and behavioral therapies goes against the status quo of most practitioners in the United States. Thus, this has not yet been popularized. It also doesn't cost that much money and the treatment is not life-long, so thus it has not yet been picked up by the typical profiteers.

The best news is that the data speaks for itself. From multiple published articles to the examples in Dr. Connie McReynold's book, there is hope for those that suffer from ADHD, auditory processing issues, visual processing disorders, and related issues. A guest on CBS, NBC, and NPR, I recommend checking out her website for a free assessment.

Dr. Connie McReynolds is a Licensed Psychologist & Certified Rehabilitation Counselor with more than 30 years of experience in the field of rehabilitation counseling and psychology. She is the founder of neurofeedback clinics in southern California working with children and adults to reduce or eliminate conditions of ADHD, anxiety, anger, depression, chronic pain, learning problems, and trauma.

 

A seasoned and inspiring speaker, and author of the award winning and Amazon  #1 best-selling book in eight categories, Solving the ADHD Riddle, Dr. Connie’s whole-hearted mission is to bring hope and resolution to those who are struggling with the symptoms of ADHD, their parents, and teachers. 

 

She earned her Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison gaining valuable experiences in the Outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment Program at the Middleton VA Hospital, at the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Neuropsychological Clinic at Meriter Hospital, and the Mendota Mental Health Institute.

 

• Get involved with the National Violence Prevention Hotline: 501(c)(3)
  • Donate
  • Share with your network
  • Write your congressperson
  • Sign our Petition

• Preview an Online Video Course for the Parents of Young Adults (Parenting Issues)
• Unique and low cost learning opportunities through Shion Consulting

Paul Krauss MA LPC is the Clinical Director of Health for Life Counseling Grand Rapids, home of The Trauma-Informed Counseling Center of Grand Rapids. Paul is also a Private Practice Psychotherapist, an Approved EMDRIA Consultant , host of the Intentional Clinician podcast, Behavioral Health Consultant, Clinical Trainer, Counseling Supervisor, and Meditation Teacher. Paul is now offering consulting for a few individuals and organizations. Paul is the creator of the National Violence Prevention Hotline as well as the Intentional Clinician Training Program for Counselors. Paul has been quoted in the Washington Post, NBC News, Wired Magazine, and Counseling Today. Questions? Call the office at 616-200-4433. 

If you are looking for EMDRIA consulting groups, Paul Krauss MA LPC is now hosting a weekly online group.  For details, click here.

For general behavioral and mental health consulting for you or your organization.

Follow Health for Life Counseling- Grand Rapids:

Instagram   |   Facebook     |     Youtube

 Original Music:

”Alright" from the forthcoming album Mystic by PAWL (Spotify)

"Hide in a Song" from La Fleur by Kelley Stoltz (Spotify)

"Make Believer" from La Fleur by Kelley Stoltz (Spotify)

Preventing Relationship Dysfunction with Annual Relationship Check Ups with Dr. Edward James [Episode 135]

Dr. Edward James III and Paul Krauss MA LPC discuss the importance of using prevention methods in your relationship. Dr. Edward discussed many communication ideas for couples looking to repair or deepen their connection. Dr. Edward discusses his experience as a therapist and professor in this episode of the Intentional Clinician. In addition, Dr. Edward discusses the "Annual Relational Check Up" that he offers via tele-health or in person.

Dr. Edward James III  DSW, MSW, ACSW, LMSW is a Social Worker/Marriage Therapist/Life Coach as well as an Organizational and Educational Consultant in Scottsdale, Arizona.

You can contact Dr. Edward James on Psychology Today.

Dr. Edward James can be contacted on Black Therapists in AZ.

 

• Get involved with the National Violence Prevention Hotline: 501(c)(3)
  • Donate
  • Share with your network
  • Write your congressperson
  • Sign our Petition

• Looking for excellent medical billing services? Check out Therapist Billing Services. A behavioral and mental health billing service developed by therapists for therapists.
• Preview an Online Video Course for the Parents of Young Adults (Parenting Issues)
• EMDR Training Solutions (For all your EMDR training needs!)

Paul Krauss MA LPC is the Clinical Director of Health for Life Counseling Grand Rapids, home of The Trauma-Informed Counseling Center of Grand Rapids. Paul is also a Private Practice Psychotherapist, an Approved EMDRIA Consultant , host of the Intentional Clinician podcast, Behavioral Health Consultant, Clinical Trainer, Counseling Supervisor, and Meditation Teacher. Paul is now offering consulting for a few individuals and organizations. Paul is the creator of the National Violence Prevention Hotline as well as the Intentional Clinician Training Program for Counselors. Paul Krauss MA LPC is the Clinical Director of Health for Life Counseling Grand Rapids, home of The Trauma-Informed Counseling Center of Grand Rapids. Paul is also a Private Practice Psychotherapist, an Approved EMDRIA Consultant , host of the Intentional Clinician podcast, Behavioral Health Consultant, Clinical Trainer, Counseling Supervisor, and Meditation Teacher. Paul is now offering consulting for a few individuals and organizations. Paul is the creator of the National Violence Prevention Hotline as well as the Intentional Clinician Training Program for Counselors. Paul has been quoted in the Washington Post, NBC News, Wired Magazine, and Counseling Today. Questions? Call the office at 616-200-4433. 

If you are looking for EMDRIA consulting groups, Paul Krauss MA LPC is now hosting weekly online and in-person groups.  For details, click here.

For general behavioral and mental health consulting for you or your organization.

Follow Health for Life Counseling- Grand Rapids:

Instagram   |   Facebook     |     Youtube

 Original Music:

”Alright" from the forthcoming album Mystic by PAWL (Spotify)

"Fight for Love" from 11 by SAULT (Spotify)

"My Love Mine All Mine" from The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We by Mitski (Spotify)

Learning about Nonmonogamous Relationships and the Importance of Communication with Kelly Benzin LMSW and Brittani Decess LPC [Episode 134]

Paul Krauss MA LPC speaks with Kelly Benzin LMSW and Brittani Decess LPC about Non-monogamous Relationships and the Importance of Communication. The conversation covers many aspects including: Myths and Facts of Non-monogamous Relationships, Important Terminology, Intersectionality, Judgements and Stereotypes, Cultural Bias, Intersectional Lens, Safety, Weaponizing Non-monogamy, Jealousy, Communication, etc. 

 

For further exploration:

Books

• Polysecure by: Jessica Fern
• Polywise by: Jessica Fern 
• The Ethical Slut: A Practical Guide to Polyamory, Open Relationships, and Other Freedoms in Sex and Love by: Janet W. Hardy and Dossie Easton
• Open Deeply by Kate Loree, MFT
• Multiamory: Essential Tools for Modern Relationships by: Dedeker Winston, Jase Lindgren, Emily Sotelo Matlack
• More than Two by: Franklin Veaux and Eve Rickert
• The Polyamory Workbook by: Sara Youngblood Gregory 
• Hot and Unbothered by: Yana Tallon-Hicks
• Opening Up: A Guide to Creating and Sustaining Open Relationships by: Tristan Taormino

 

Podcasts

• Multiamory
• Queer & Poly
• Remodeled Love
• Cheaper Than Therapy

 

Instagram and/or TikTok

• @chillpolyamory
• @shelovesradically
• @elzcunningham
• @remodeledlove 
• @polyphiliablog 
• @unapolygetically 
• @the_vspot 
• @annie_undone 

Kelly Benzin, LMSW is therapist serving clients in Grand Rapids, MI. She focuses on working with women, the LGBTQIA + community, and those in non monogamous relationships. Kelly works through a Feminist Theory lens and how the current systems in our society impact our community’s mental health. She is a trauma informed and EMDR trained clinician, as well as a self identified Relationship Anarchist. 

Brittani Decess, LPC is a mental health therapist at Health For Life Counseling and has been practicing since September 2021.  Brittani identifies as a queer cis-gendered white female and uses she/her pronouns . Brittani has worked with a variety of individuals and families across the life span using talk and creative therapies to aid clients in healing and processing. Brittani holds a Bachelor’s degree in Art Therapy and a Master’s Degree in Counseling with a focus on Marriage, Couples, and Families. Brittani is also continuing training in EMDR techniques and Couples Therapy Modalities. Brittani has several years of trauma-informed work including facilitating a Cognitive-Behavoral-Therapy curriculum to youth in court system, being a public speaker and educator on topics related to sexual assault and domestic violence, and counseling children, teens, and caregivers moving through the adoption and foster care system before coming to Health for Life Counseling- Ada, MI. Brittani specializes in topics and issues related to lifespan changes/transitions, trauma, anxiety, depression, relationship dynamics (couples, families, and other relationship groupings), attachment, communication, self-esteem, LGBTQ+ experiences , sexuality and intimacy, and impacts of unhelpful social narratives. Brittani approaches therapy by working towards processing the meaning of experiences by exploring the intersectionality of cultural identities and how connections to people, places, and events have impacted the client(s) mental health and other areas most important to them.

• Get involved with the National Violence Prevention Hotline: 501(c)(3)
  • Donate
  • Share with your network
  • Write your congressperson
  • Sign our Petition

• Looking for excellent medical billing services? Check out Therapist Billing Services. A behavioral and mental health billing service developed by therapists for therapists.
• Preview an Online Video Course for the Parents of Young Adults (Parenting Issues)
• EMDR Training Solutions (For all your EMDR training needs!)

Paul Krauss MA LPC is the Clinical Director of Health for Life Counseling Grand Rapids, home of The Trauma-Informed Counseling Center of Grand Rapids. Paul is also a Private Practice Psychotherapist, an Approved EMDRIA Consultant , host of the Intentional Clinician podcast, Behavioral Health Consultant, Clinical Trainer, Counseling Supervisor, and Meditation Teacher. Paul is now offering consulting for a few individuals and organizations. Paul is the creator of the National Violence Prevention Hotline (in progress) as well as the Intentional Clinician Training Program for Counselors. You can find Paul on Insight Timer. Paul has been quoted in the Washington Post, NBC News, Wired Magazine, and Counseling Today. Questions? Call the office at 616-200-4433. 

If you are looking for EMDRIA consulting groups, Paul Krauss MA LPC is now hosting weekly online and in-person groups.  For details, click here.

For general behavioral and mental health consulting for you or your organization.

Follow Health for Life Counseling- Grand Rapids:

Instagram   |   Facebook     |     Youtube

 Original Music:

”Alright" from the forthcoming album Mystic by PAWL (Spotify)

"Cherry Colored Funk" from Heaven or Las Vegas by Cocteau Twins (Spotify)

"Heaven or Las Vegas" from Heaven or Las Vegas by Cocteau Twins (Spotify)

How to Help Children with Anxiety and OCD in Small Steps with Dr. Stephen Whiteside, PhD, LP [Episode 133]

Paul Krauss MA LPC and Stephen Whiteside PhD, LP speak about how parents and caregivers can learn to play an important role in helping decrease anxiety and OCD symptoms in children. Stephen Whiteside has authored a new book entitled "Anxiety Coach: A Parent’s Guide to Treating Childhood Anxiety and OCD."  Dr. Whiteside's book gives parents and caregivers an entire outline of what constitutes clinical levels of anxiety and OCD and what is normal in childhood development. He then explains many different types of treatments that are available and especially the current research on exposure therapy. Through reading this book, parents and caregivers can not only locate the most appropriate care of their child, they can also learn to assist their child in gaining confidence and possibly lowering their symptoms as well.

Stephen P. Whiteside, PhD, LP is a Board-Certified Clinical Psychologist, Professor of Psychology in the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, and Director of the Pediatric Anxiety Disorders Program at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. He received a BA in Psychology from Northwestern University and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Kentucky before completing a pre-doctoral internship in Pediatric Psychology at the Geisinger Medical Center and a post-doctoral fellowship in Child and Family Medical Psychology at the Mayo Clinic. His research focuses on improving access to evidence-based care for pediatric anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder through the development of effective and efficient treatments facilitated by technology. He has received research funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the International OCD Foundation, and the Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation. He has published over 80 scientific articles, co-authored the books Exposure Therapy for Child and Adolescent Anxiety and OCD, Exposure Therapy for Anxiety: Principles and Practice (2nd Ed), and Mayo Clinic Anxiety Coach: A Parent’s Guide to Treating Childhood Anxiety and OCD.

• Get involved with the National Violence Prevention Hotline: 501(c)(3)
  • Donate / Share with your network
  • Write your congressperson / Sign the Petition

• Looking for excellent medical billing services? Check out Therapist Billing Services. A behavioral and mental health billing service developed by therapists for therapists.
• Preview an Online Video Course for the Parents of Young Adults (Parenting Issues)

Paul Krauss MA LPC is the Clinical Director of Health for Life Counseling Grand Rapids, home of The Trauma-Informed Counseling Center of Grand Rapids. Paul is also a Private Practice Psychotherapist, an Approved EMDRIA Consultant , host of the Intentional Clinician podcast, Behavioral Health Consultant, Clinical Trainer, and Counseling Supervisor. Paul is now offering consulting for a few individuals and organizations. Paul is the creator of the National Violence Prevention Hotline (in progress) as well as the Intentional Clinician Training Program for Counselors. You can find Paul on Insight Timer. Paul has been quoted in the Washington Post, NBC News, Wired Magazine, and Counseling Today. Questions? Call the office at 616-200-4433. 

If you are looking for EMDRIA consulting groups, Paul Krauss MA LPC is now hosting weekly online and in-person groups.  For details, click here.

For general behavioral and mental health consulting for you or your organization.

Follow Health for Life Counseling- Grand Rapids:

Instagram   |   Facebook     |     Youtube

 Original Music:

”Alright" from the forthcoming album Mystic by PAWL (Spotify)

"Adrifting" from Casio Jazz by Kelley Stoltz (Bandcamp)

The Future of Violence Prevention and the National Violence Prevention Hotline [Episode 132]

Paul Krauss MA LPC shares the unedited audio of his interview with NBC 12 News in Phoenix, AZ. Paul Krauss MA LPC was asked to give a few quotes about the growing violence that Phoenix is experiencing due to gangs of youths forming in the suburbs and beating up (and filming) other teenagers.  NBC 12 was particularly interested in the National Violence Prevention Hotline that Paul is working on creating.

Some segments of audio that were recorded professional by NBC 12 may be used in upcoming segments. The audio for this podcast was recorded by Paul and he was not able to use a professional microphone.

• Get involved with the National Violence Prevention Hotline: 501(c)(3)
  • Donate
  • Share with your network
  • Write your congressperson
  • Sign our Petition

• Looking for excellent medical billing services? Check out Therapist Billing Services. A behavioral and mental health billing service developed by therapists for therapists.
• Preview an Online Video Course for the Parents of Young Adults (Parenting Issues)
• EMDR Training Solutions (For all your EMDR training needs!)

Paul Krauss MA LPC is the Clinical Director of Health for Life Counseling Grand Rapids, home of The Trauma-Informed Counseling Center of Grand Rapids. Paul is also a Private Practice Psychotherapist, an Approved EMDRIA Consultant , host of the Intentional Clinician podcast, Behavioral Health Consultant, Clinical Trainer, and Counseling Supervisor. Paul is now offering consulting for a few individuals and organizations. Paul is the creator of the National Violence Prevention Hotline (in progress) as well as the Intentional Clinician Training Program for Counselors. Paul has been quoted in the Washington Post, NBC News, Wired Magazine, and Counseling Today. Questions? Call the office at 616-200-4433. 

If you are looking for EMDRIA consulting groups, Paul Krauss MA LPC is now hosting weekly online and in-person groups.  For details, click here.

For general behavioral and mental health consulting for you or your organization.

Follow Health for Life Counseling- Grand Rapids:

Instagram   |   Facebook     |     Youtube

 Original Music:

”Alright" from the forthcoming album Mystic by PAWL (Spotify)

"May Ninth" from A LA SALA by Khruangbin (Spotify)

Face Truths, Make Sense, Deal with the Pain, and Move Forward w/ Merle Yost LMFT [Episode 131]

Merle Yost, LMFT and Paul Krauss MA LPC speak about how to go beyond recovery from trauma, depression, and anxiety---and actually how to become empowered and live your life with enjoyment. Merle Yost is a major advocate for people going beyond the "unstuck" paradigm and owning their power as they move into their next phase of the journey.

Merle believes in his mission so much, that he is offering his book FOR FREE to listeners of the Intentional Clinician. Just please give us a rating on your podcast app and then claim your free gift BELOW.

Facing the Truth of Your Life by Merle Yost, LMFT <--(Free GIFT DOWNLOAD)

Merle Yost, LMFT writes, speaks, and consults full-time. After 25 years in private practice as a psychotherapist, he is now a lecturer and consultant, and provides intensives, helping individuals move past their grief and make meaning of their life. After more than 35 years of working both personally and professionally, Merle has used his expertise and experience to aid others.

The theme of all his books is improving people's lives. Merle is dedicated to carrying on with his instruction and self-education initiatives.

Merle's personal recovery journey shaped his great faith in people's ability to recover and take back control of their lives, as well as his intense empathy for the emotional suffering they endure.

You can find out more about Merle on his website, merleyost.com , and about his workshop, Unspoken Boundaries, at unspokenboundaries.com. If you’d like to reach out to him, you can email him at merle@merleyost.com , and you can find him on Instagram @loveyost. Merle is a writer, speaker, and consultant. He also does Intensive trauma work as a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist In California, which you can also learn about on his website. He is also the author of six books, his last one Facing the Truth of Your Life; you can find links to them on his website, merleyost.com , and Amazon.

• Get involved with the National Violence Prevention Hotline: 501(c)(3)
  • Donate
  • Share with your network
  • Write your congressperson
  • Sign our Petition

• Looking for excellent medical billing services? Check out Therapist Billing Services. A behavioral and mental health billing service developed by therapists for therapists.
• Preview an Online Video Course for the Parents of Young Adults (Parenting Issues)
• EMDR Training Solutions (For all your EMDR training needs!)

Paul Krauss MA LPC is the Clinical Director of Health for Life Counseling Grand Rapids, home of The Trauma-Informed Counseling Center of Grand Rapids. Paul is also a Private Practice Psychotherapist, an Approved EMDRIA Consultant , host of the Intentional Clinician podcast, Behavioral Health Consultant, Clinical Trainer, and Counseling Supervisor. Paul is now offering consulting for a few individuals and organizations. Paul is the creator of the National Violence Prevention Hotline (in progress) as well as the Intentional Clinician Training Program for Counselors. Paul has been quoted in the Washington Post, NBC News, Wired Magazine, and Counseling Today. Questions? Call the office at 616-200-4433. 

If you are looking for EMDRIA consulting groups, Paul Krauss MA LPC is now hosting weekly online and in-person groups.  For details, click here.

For general behavioral and mental health consulting for you or your organization.

Follow Health for Life Counseling- Grand Rapids:

Instagram   |   Facebook     |     Youtube

 Original Music:

”Alright" from the forthcoming album Mystic by PAWL (Spotify)

"This Time Around" from Quiet Signs by Jessica Pratt (Spotify)

"World on a String" from Here in the Pitch by Jessica Pratt (Spotify)

How Unhealthy Relationship Dynamics Contribute to Dysfunction, Injustices, and Traumas with Dr. Melanie Joy PhD [Episode 130]

Dr. Melanie Joy, PhD speaks with Paul Krauss MA LPC about her new book How to End Injustice Everywhere: Understanding the Common Denominator Driving All Injustices.  Melanie's How to End Injustice Everywhere shows the underlying denominator driving all types of injustice and provides an assessment of unjust structures and behaviors, as well as practical techniques to help increase awareness, eliminate infighting, and develop more resilient and successful justice movements. She explains that all injustices, including racism, patriarchy, animal exploitation, environmental degradation, and domestic abuse, have one common denominator: relational dysfunction, or dysfunctional ways of relating to other people, social groups, nonhuman animals, and the environment. This is an interesting discussion that discusses something so simple, yet so difficult to change: human relationships and the way that systems function relationally. 

Also discussed: Relational dysfunction, forms of injustice, different mentalities, toxic communication, non-relational mentality, how are we being socialized, changing our thinking, reduce infighting, produce more equitable social justice movements, producing healthier systems, polyvagal theory, integrity, dignity, morale values, practices, compassion, caring, justice, the golden rule, humanistic perspectives, etc. 

Dr. Melanie Joy is an award-winning psychologist specializing in the psychology of oppression. A longtime advocate for justice, she was a lecturer at the University of Massachusetts for 11 years, has written seven books, and is a recipient of the Ahimsa Award—previously given to the Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela—for her work on global nonviolence. She’s also the founding president of the international NGO Beyond Carnism. Melanie's work is a call for anyone working toward justice for humans, animals, or the environment to unify behind a shared “metamission” of creating a more relational world. Her book provides an empowering and unique approach to ending injustice, and it offers not only an examination of non relational systems and behaviors, but also practical tools to help raise awareness, reduce infighting, and build more resilient and impactful justice movements.

• Get involved with the National Violence Prevention Hotline: 501(c)(3)
  • Donate
  • Share with your network
  • Write your congressperson
  • Sign our Petition

• Looking for excellent medical billing services? Check out Therapist Billing Services. A behavioral and mental health billing service developed by therapists for therapists.
• Preview an Online Video Course for the Parents of Young Adults (Parenting Issues)
• EMDR Training Solutions (For all your EMDR training needs!)

Paul Krauss MA LPC is the Clinical Director of Health for Life Counseling Grand Rapids, home of The Trauma-Informed Counseling Center of Grand Rapids. Paul is also a Private Practice Psychotherapist, an Approved EMDRIA Consultant , host of the Intentional Clinician podcast, Behavioral Health Consultant, Clinical Trainer, and Counseling Supervisor. Paul is now offering consulting for a few individuals and organizations. Paul is the creator of the National Violence Prevention Hotline (in progress) as well as the Intentional Clinician Training Program for Counselors. Paul has been quoted in the Washington Post, NBC News, Wired Magazine, and Counseling Today. Questions? Call the office at 616-200-4433. 

If you are looking for EMDRIA consulting groups, Paul Krauss MA LPC is now hosting weekly online and in-person groups.  For details, click here.

For general behavioral and mental health consulting for you or your organization.

Follow Health for Life Counseling- Grand Rapids:

Instagram   |   Facebook     |     Youtube

 Original Music:

”Alright" from the forthcoming album Mystic by PAWL (Spotify)

“Prayer of Peace” by Beautiful Chorus (Spotify)

 

How Categories in Schools Create Inequality w/ Dr. Emily Penner and Dr. Andrew Penner [Episode 129]

From early labels like “kindergartner” or “English-language learner” to later designations such as “honor roll student,” how do categories assigned in school affect a young person’s life? Paul Krauss MA LPC speaks with Dr Emily K Penner and Dr Andrew M Penner about their new book “Schooled and Sorted: How Educational Categories Create Inequality.” 

Schooled and Sorted: How Educational Categories Create Inequality, a new book by Andrew M. Penner, UC Irvine professor of sociology; Emily K. Penner, UCI associate professor of education; and Thurston Domina, professor of educational policy and organizational leadership at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Also discussed: What messages are students getting from their schools when they are divided into categories, what types of categories are there, Who makes the decisions that affect students, the history of schooling in the United States, social categories, instructional categories, a trauma-informed perspective, contradictions, how can educational institutions make more equitable choices, some examples of problematic categories in education that tend to advantage some students over others, What practical steps can higher education practitioners take to address issues of inequality stemming from educational categories & sorting, etc. 

• Get involved with the National Violence Prevention Hotline: 501(c)(3)
  • Donate
  • Share with your network
  • Write your congressperson
  • Sign our Petition

• Looking for excellent medical billing services? Check out Therapist Billing Services. A behavioral and mental health billing service developed by therapists for therapists.
• Preview an Online Video Course for the Parents of Young Adults (Parenting Issues)
• EMDR Training Solutions (For all your EMDR training needs!)

Paul Krauss MA LPC is the Clinical Director of Health for Life Counseling Grand Rapids, home of The Trauma-Informed Counseling Center of Grand Rapids. Paul is also a Private Practice Psychotherapist, an Approved EMDRIA Consultant , host of the Intentional Clinician podcast, Behavioral Health Consultant, Clinical Trainer, and Counseling Supervisor. Paul is now offering consulting for a few individuals and organizations. Paul is the creator of the National Violence Prevention Hotline (in progress) as well as the Intentional Clinician Training Program for Counselors. Paul has been quoted in the Washington Post, NBC News, Wired Magazine, and Counseling Today. Questions? Call the office at 616-200-4433. 

If you are looking for EMDRIA consulting groups, Paul Krauss MA LPC is now hosting weekly online and in-person groups.  For details, click here.

For general behavioral and mental health consulting for you or your organization.

Follow Health for Life Counseling- Grand Rapids:

Instagram   |   Facebook     |     Youtube

 Original Music:

”Alright" from the forthcoming album Mystic by PAWL (Spotify)

“Show Me How” from Oncle Jazz by Men I Trust (Spotify)

“Sugar” from Untourable Album by Men I Trust (Spotify)

Healing from Child Abuse & Reuniting with Siblings After Foster Care w/ Barbara Lane [Episode 128]

Barbara Lane speaks with Paul Krauss MA LPC about her extraordinary true story of living in the foster care system, suffering abuse, healing, and reuniting with her sisters after 43 years of separation.

• At three, orphan life with my sisters wasn't bad--it was basically all I knew. Love filled the void left by our parents. But our separation shattered that love and we were lost in the system and separated for most of our lives. The pain lingered for 43 years until a miraculous discovery and reunion occurred. "Broken Water" tells my story - surviving foster care abuse while searching for my sisters. It's a journey of reunion, shared histories of hardship, and a testament to resilience, sisterhood, and faith.

 

• In her writing, Rev. Barbara Lane incorporates her experiences as a foster kid, educator, ministerial counselor, speaker, entrepreneur, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and author. Barbara de-stigmatizes the fate of child abuse survivors by sharing her own story, which inspired her to create "Broken Water." In addition to her 25 years of experience working as a ministerial counselor in private practice, Barbara is inspired to share her knowledge of related topics by her education in human development, social sciences, and family psychology with a focus on child abuse. These topics include the family, family separation, the foster care system, attachment and bonding, child maltreatment, relationship formation, the human spirit's resiliency, healing from trauma, and the strength that comes from believing in a force bigger than oneself. 

 

• Get involved with the National Violence Prevention Hotline: 501(c)(3)
  • Donate
  • Share with your network
  • Write your congressperson
  • Sign our Petition

• Looking for excellent medical billing services? Check out Therapist Billing Services. A behavioral and mental health billing service developed by therapists for therapists.
• Preview an Online Video Course for the Parents of Young Adults (Parenting Issues)
• EMDR Training Solutions (For all your EMDR training needs!)

Paul Krauss MA LPC is the Clinical Director of Health for Life Counseling Grand Rapids, home of The Trauma-Informed Counseling Center of Grand Rapids. Paul is also a Private Practice Psychotherapist, an Approved EMDRIA Consultant , host of the Intentional Clinician podcast, Behavioral Health Consultant, Clinical Trainer, and Counseling Supervisor. Paul is now offering consulting for a few individuals and organizations. Paul is the creator of the National Violence Prevention Hotline (in progress) as well as the Intentional Clinician Training Program for Counselors. Paul has been quoted in the Washington Post, NBC News, Wired Magazine, and Counseling Today. Questions? Call the office at 616-200-4433. 

If you are looking for EMDRIA consulting groups, Paul Krauss MA LPC is now hosting weekly online and in-person groups.  For details, click here.

For general behavioral and mental health consulting for you or your organization.

Follow Health for Life Counseling- Grand Rapids:

Instagram   |   Facebook     |     Youtube

 Original Music:

”Alright" from the forthcoming album Mystic by PAWL (Spotify)

"Time (You and I) " from Mordechai by Khruangbin (Spotify)