Mark Bottinick, LCSW-C, and I meet to have a lively discussion about EET, our wonderful clinical experiences using it, and some practical limitations inherent in this technique.

I've been learning about the role of forgiveness in healing. I find that forgiveness is easier said than done. Perhaps you may agree. However, because I believe that forgiveness in healing may be as important as detoxification in living, it's worth knowing how to go from mere words to the embodiment of forgiveness. Read on as I share a couple of simple stories that illustrate the power of forgiveness and how to forgive more easily.

How will embracing duality help us create spark and excitement in life? How is duality a part of a healing crisis? And, what does G. Holbrook Jackson's quote, "Happiness is a form of courage," have anything to do with duality? Read on for more insights!

It's been a month since I presented at the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology (ACEP) conference: first at their Research Symposium and then at a 2-hour Learning Lab on the Infinite Intention Technique. Read on for stories about my experiences.

In this update, I reflect on retrieving forgotten experiences from our childhood, and how integration allows us to experience greater compassion, tenderness, and fulfillment.

I've been reflecting on happiness and how to create a life where happiness isn't so ephemeral or unreliable. My reflections led to a greater appreciation of cultivating gratitude. Read on for a holistic psychiatrist's humble musings on obtaining and maintaining the ultimate desire of every human heart.

I have read that betaine HCl is the same as trimethylglycine (TMG), which is also called betaine. But are they really the same? If I were to prescribe one of these supplements, would it cover both functions simultaneously?  Read on for answers to these important questions!

This Holistic Update focuses on the problem of overdosing on energy interventions and trying to go too far too fast. How does this happen? What occurs when too much energy is applied? Finally, how can this problem be avoided? 

I'm excited to participate in the upcoming International Association of Comprehensive Energy Psychology (ACEP) conference on June 1-5, 2023 in Baltimore, Maryland. Please register soon to get the discounted pricing! Read more to learn about what I have planned for my learning lab at the conference.

Is the serotonin hypothesis behind the use of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) for the treatment of depression valid or evidence-based? This update answers that question.

Remedies for lowering histamine and inflammation: In this article, you’ll find a brief overview of my approach to treating two major culprits of mental illness: high levels of histamine and inflammation.

I found an interesting quote that made me reflect on the nature of strength. Sometimes, I need some ideas that can guide and realign me with what I want to be. Today's update is my own revised version of that quote, which helps me to be strong. I hope it will help you too.

Vibration plate technology was first used in the 1970s by Russian cosmonauts to combat muscle and bone loss caused by extended time in outer space. After some research, I bought one and tried it out. The experience felt similar to sitting in a massage chair except the vibrations can be adjusted to higher amplitudes and frequencies. Read on to learn more!

With enough experience over the years, I've learned how to differentiate the easy from the hard patients using their psychiatric history. In fact, I've come to realize the number one factor that makes the greatest difference on how fast a patient will heal. I'd love everyone to know what this factor is and why. Read on for more insights!

I hope you'll enjoy the unexpected topic for my podcast and Holistic Update this week: healing hypertension and premenstrual symptoms holistically.

I have good news and bad news about Leslie's healing journey since last week's breakthrough. As promised, I will go over the energy healing techniques used and report on some of my clinical findings. Read on to find out how to heal some of the most common invisible determinants of mental health.

I recently had a thrilling breakthrough in my understanding of medication withdrawal. This breakthrough will help my patients with their recovery tremendously. Read on as I describe the nature of the problem, and in next week’s article, I’ll share some solutions as well.

Today's article is the third and last one in a series that reflects back on my years of practice and asks: What has changed? I've discovered that certain perspectives, which had once been a big part of my life, no longer influence me.

Today I want to highlight three interventions that I don't use anymore and why. Leaving these tools behind reflects new beliefs or a change in the healing paradigm that I've gained over the years.

A new perspective on establishing good habits gives me patience: to keep trying, even when my efforts seem to take forever to make any difference. Read on for further insights on how to create positive change without the typical frustrations and disappointments.

Believe me, there is a lot more to successful medication withdrawal than to lower the medication slowly. What are the top 5 mistakes that lead to psychiatric medication withdrawal failures? I want you to be more informed before you start lowering your medications so you will have a greater chance of success and ultimately, freedom!

I'm really excited to share my new, updated version of the Empower Energy Technique (EET) that is so fast, easy, and powerful that I like using it even more than my EET + Logosynthesis technique. I've been using this approach and have tested its effects on myself and my patients both in my office and over Zoom. Its results are truly amazing!

In a recent conversation I had with Dr. Ran D. Anbar, MD, he explained to me that all hypnosis is self-hypnosis. He also emphasized that everyone already engages in self-hypnosis effortlessly. It's just that when we are doing it, we don't realize that we are in a hypnotic state. Read on for some simple ways to apply self-hypnosis and decrease your stress over the holidays.

How do people end up being who they are? How do we understand someone's underlying motivations and core issues? Read on as I share some reflections on dissecting psyches in order to make souls whole.

Everything requires, to some extent, judgment. Without proper judgment, we're left with delusions, confusion, and misunderstanding. In my search for the optimal path for my patients, I have often been misled by advertising, conditioning, and my senses. Read on for stories on how I learned to pick magic wands over black holes after years of trial and error.

At the last minute, I almost decided not to attend my 40-year high school reunion—for a lot of reasons. High school is a critical developmental time in our lives. Once we leave, our experiences freeze in our memories with various distortions. Read on for my reflections as I visited the ghosts of high school past.

Whether it has to do with our relationships, work, or environment, life is full of choices. When we make tough choices and stand up for what we want, we create the better lives that we deserve. Read on for more reflections on these topics.

Have you ever tried to photograph hummingbirds? Unlike recording them on video darting from flower to flower, taking still photographs of hummingbirds requires patience. What can a few minutes of photographing hummingbirds teach us about life? A lot more than I ever imagined! Read on for my reflections.

Recently, I was fortunate to talk to two patients from over a decade ago to find out what happened to them. I reflected on the ripple effect of each person's healing journey and the profound impact that our choices have over time. Read on to learn what happened to these individuals after they left my holistic practice!

If a maverick means being rejected by the "in-group," then I'm definitely a maverick. It would be nice, for once, to belong to an "esteemed group" of mavericks. I would imagine a meeting of mavericks to go something like this . . . Read on for my reflections.

By definition, a delusion is a fixed, false belief that is resistant to reason or confrontation with actual fact. Although psychiatry judges who is delusional and who is not, it fails to perceive some obvious delusions within its own paradigm. Read on for more of my reflections on this issue.

How do we find abundance? How do we rid ourselves of scarcity? Is there a way for us to be creators of abundance rather than victims of scarcity? Read on for some of my experiences and reflections on this topic.

To underscore just how strange my life as a holistic psychiatrist can be, I've had some supernatural experiences the past few weeks working on my patients' spiritual health. To put it candidly, I've been trying to clear some unhelpful spiritual attachments from my patients' lives. Read on for more reflections.

A number of clinicians have approached me to ask how they can do what I do. Their requests make me appreciate the path that has allowed me to create a new, effective way for treating mental illness. Read on for more of my reflections.

Over the centuries, people have been curious about planetary effects on human life. I indulged my curiosity when I called Ken Bresee, a renowned astrologist, for an astrological reading. Read on for more reflections on this topic.

In my holistic practice, I have learned to assess patients' needs and introduce interventions based on a good psychiatric history that appreciates the importance of change. Read on for additional reflections on this topic.

Just like its name, the Infinite Intention Technique carries facets and uses that are easily adaptable for different problems. In this article, I compare this technique to other energy medicine techniques and go over its versatility and power. Read on for more of my reflections.

When something unlocks the closet of repressed memories along with their associated states of being, unresolved traumas emerge, replaying the same horror movie frozen in their hidden cryotube of time. Read on for my experiences that have expanded my awareness of the subconscious and how repression of chronic stress/traumas can profoundly affect our psychological development and condition.

What is hypnosis? Does it help heal people from trauma? Psychologist Dr. Annie Alexander will be sharing her clinical understanding of the role of hypnosis in healing mental health on The Holistic Psychiatrist podcast. Read more for my reflections on this topic and on the subconscious from my own experiences.

From working with children, I learned that healing them from mental illness is much easier than helping adults taper off their medications decades later. It's my belief that no mother would want their child to take a psychiatric medication if there's a natural, holistic alternative that would heal the child just as effectively.

What allows a psychiatrist to be open to using supplements and apply them in one's practice? What experiences are required to help a doctor gain the compassion and motivation to stick with a holistic path even at great risk to one's personal career? I'm excited to share my experiences from my decision to be a psychiatrist, my medical training, and the shift to a holistic paradigm.

As a holistic psychiatrist, I am at a crossroads in many people's lives where they need some direction and safety as they cross the street of life. In this Weekly Update, I share an important spiritual vision I had as a 17-year-old, and what it has meant for my journey as a holistic psychiatrist.

Ana is an exceptional woman who is coming off six psychiatric medications with ease. What are the secrets to her amazingly successful healing journey? In this week's update, I provide some commentary for the next episode of my new podcast!

In alignment with Dr. Kopacz's interview topic this week, I want to share my insights on why people fight with each other from a holistic psychiatrist's perspective. Hopefully, as we notice these tendencies within ourselves, we can consciously create peaceful, harmonious relationships. Read on for my reflections.

Read on for reflections on the Hero's Journey, wounded healers, the medicine wheel, and more on the second part of Dr. David Kopacz's podcast interview. This week, we will be exploring all of these topics as we holistic psychiatrists shoot the breeze on all things abstract and mental.

In this update, I introduce the next three episodes of The Holistic Psychiatrist Podcast. We'll have the wonderful opportunity to listen to Dr. David Kopacz, an integrative and holistic psychiatrist, author, and artist practicing in Seattle, Washington. I explore what it is to be a holistic, integrative, and quantum psychiatrist and clinician.

This article supports my patient Liz’s healing story with insights on the treatment of bipolar disorder and provides some clinical guidance for those who are curious about her incredible healing process.

This article is about disappointment, creativity, and fulfillment, using the ball in Cinderella's story as a metaphor for life. What is this fairytale teaching us through its symbols? Read on for my reflections.

Though mysticism is, by its very nature, mysterious, I am open to exploring and understanding it better rather than stigmatize or delegitimize it. Read on for some of my reflections on this topic, as well as a preview of my new podcast episode with mystic and author Karan Tumasz!

Not all SSRIs only inhibit SERT receptors. Read on for very important information about how one SSRI may differ greatly from another.

I am so pleased that starting tomorrow, you'll hear stories from people in holistic mental health that you've never imagined possible. It's not just a podcast debut, it's gonna be a psychiatry reboot!

Using the Infinite Intention Technique has resulted in powerful, transformative healing both for me and my patients. I’m excited to share some of my patients‘ written responses to their healing experiences, how I've been applying it, and its resulting outcomes.

The Holistic Psychiatrist podcast will be a fun, fascinating, and informative resource for those who want to know more about holistic psychiatry. Read on to learn more before the launch on February 17th!

The Infinite Intention Technique applies creativity to heal. It is an integrative energy healing approach that harnesses the whole mind to create a new state of being in four-dimensional reality and can address specific problems through the use of imagination. Read on to learn more.

Sick systems create mental illness. The goal for each person is to live in alignment with their true path and purpose. How do we maintain our intellectual freedom in the face of powerful, manipulative forces?

Given the past four years under You-Know-Who, I suggest we use him as a model of what not to do. He is the inflammation behind the political boil in need of lancing. His character—the underlying dysfunction behind his politics—must be examined not only within government but also within each of us as the poisons we need to remove.

What determines who we become, is it nature or nurture? Read on for my reflections on this issue as I traveled through the canyonlands of Capitol Reef National Park with my aunt.

As a new year arrives and another comes to a close, I wonder how many of us wish time could stop when it comes to aging. This article focuses on how to avoid aging by adopting an integrative approach to life.

As I reflect on this holiday season, I realize that many of us will face the loss of loved ones, our jobs, or our homes. We might feel sad or guilty that we won't have the financial means to give the gifts that we assume are expected from us this year. Read on for some ways to share spiritual gifts that are “the best and most beautiful things in the world .”

Oftentimes, our lives are like dessert. We want to enjoy it, but there's a part of it that can hurt us or isn't good for us. How can we find a way to have our cake and eat it too? Read on for my reflections on the transformative power of positive energy.

Today I briefly summarize what I have found to be helpful with meditation when it comes to medication withdrawal. My goal is to provide a resource that can help patients have an easier withdrawal process.

What is your understanding of the nature of spirituality and its role in creating health and well-being? Read on for a brief explanation of spirituality, the laws that govern it, and how to integrate it into our lives when we want to heal.

Today I want to share an experience I had with a patient that illustrates how a gradual withdrawal came to a screeching halt when a medication was lowered too quickly. Read on to see how we can connect the dots between symptoms of mental illness and inappropriate medication withdrawal.

With my recent move to Utah, the past few weeks have been truly challenging. When nothing is where it belongs, what can we learn as we create order out of chaos? Read on for my reflections!

As a holistic psychiatrist, I see the connections between politics, environment, health, and the soul. Each aspect is equally important in our ability to be well, happy, and whole. Read on for my reflections on the aftermath of the election.

Through my empirical experiences as a holistic psychiatrist, I now understand that the psychotherapeutics of well-being can make or break a medication withdrawal process. I hope this article will help to clarify the reasons why both aspects—psychotherapy and biochemistry—are important for a successful withdrawal process.

This week, I encountered someone whose perspective was so optimistic and positive that it was practically delusional, but in a very good way. I'll share this frustrating, funny, and surprising experience with you and hope that you will gain as much from it as I did.

It’s true: the world is changing, but I'm changing with it. Today's article explores 5 factors that allow us to either embrace change or run away from it. Enjoy!

Benzodiazepine withdrawal has developed a reputation of being extremely difficult, but over the course of my practice, I have seen patients taper off their benzodiazepines with ease. This article focuses on a holistic approach to benzodiazepine withdrawal in a 19-year-old young man, diagnosed with bipolar disorder, who has been taking Klonopin. Read on for more.

What happens when antidepressants like SSRIs “stop working?” Over the years, I've developed my own understanding of why patients’ antidepressants "stop working," why they feel worse when they stop them, and how to improve their health when it happens. Read on for a brief explanation.

Have you been experiencing big changes in your life? Has the pandemic caused your life to shift in a completely different direction? Read on for my reflections on how my move is transforming my self-perceptions and creating opportunities for new connections.

Because medication withdrawal is poorly understood by psychiatrists and patients, it's easy to think of medication withdrawal as a single phenomenon. Read on for an important insight and its implication for treatment that will transform how you handle medication withdrawal.

I share my experiences with finding the perfect house to show how intentions work despite the social situation and our own lack of commitment to those intentions when challenged. Read on for the whole story and a picture of my new house!

Healing is never a one-way street. It is a circular, holistic process where everyone benefits from the therapeutic relationship. Read on for my reflections on how my patients have shown me a great deal about how to be patient myself.

Read about my personal experiences as an immigrant growing up in Utah and my journey as a holistic psychiatrist, where I explored the tension between living authentically and the desire to fit in.

A lot has been going on in my life and practice: my search for a new home in a different state, the IMMH conference this weekend, and arrangements for the upcoming podcast. Here are just some updates this past week that I hope you'll find interesting.

When we take a medication, it creates a variety of side effects: some good and some bad. As a holistic psychiatrist, I've come to appreciate patients' descriptions of side effects because they reveal a great deal of information about a patient's health and how to properly care for them.

The effects of taking medications go far beyond just the physical. It can rob us of our identity and self-confidence. We must treat the damaging, traumatic effects of medication use (past and present) like they were psychological traumas and not just as biological phenomenon.

I came across this essay by Rue Hass, a master EFT therapist who works with highly sensitive people, which I found very helpful and comforting. It's perfect for those times in our lives when we go for something new and embrace a lot of change.

As I move to a new location, I will try to remember this important phrase: “wherever you go there you are,” so that I can make every experience a step towards self-awareness and personal growth.

The Holistic Psychiatrist Podcast is going to show the impossible, the miraculous, and the existing state of holistic psychiatry: what is currently possible and the patients who have succeeded and are ready to share their amazing healing journeys. Here's a preliminary peek at some of the material that we've already recorded and will be coming out on a weekly basis soon!

Should 5-HTP be used to help patients during their SSRI withdrawal? In this article, I share a holistic psychiatrist's perspective on serotonin syndrome and the risks and benefits of using 5-HTP during SSRI withdrawal.

Here's a story about how my daily morning meditations led me to almost murdering a couple of birds—with hopefully a few helpful insights mixed in!

What I learned from my patients is that miracles take work and dedication. As part of my own personal commitment to creating miracles in my life, I am reading and applying the principles in "The Miracle Morning" by Hal Elrod. I am excited about empowering and changing my life by using his approach and hope that you'll join me in this amazing process.

This article is an overview of all that I know about SSRI withdrawal in a nutshell. Though this summary is not meant to replace proper medical care, it may help you avoid rushing into a process that you are not ready to face.

Have you ever felt creatively stifled by your circumstances or career? Let's learn how to recognize the Creator in you, redefine the essence of creativity, and integrate more creativity into your life, to help you feel more whole and complete.

When I began to learn about functional and energy medicine as an integrative psychiatrist, I learned critical information that helped me to understand how social stressors affect mental health and how to intervene to restabilize patients who have withdrawn from their psychiatric medications. Read on to learn more.

Living during this historic time gives us the opportunity to observe how groups may influence our perspectives in subtle and powerful ways. I hope that you will be alert to these influences, protect your values, and keep your inner compass pointed true north.

What is a Herxheimer reaction? If the treatment that causes the Herxheimer reaction is supposed to be good for you, why do you feel so bad? Read more to find out what causes this effect, how to minimize it, and how to create a smooth, easy healing process.

For many, the coronavirus stay at home order has intensified loneliness and isolation. However, others struggle with being at home with their family 24/7 without much of a break and have too little alone time. How to create the best outcomes for these starkly different experiences? Read more to find out.

What kinds of basic information do patients need to know before they attempt to lower their antipsychotic medications? What does a clinician need to know in order to facilitate a successful withdrawal process for the patient? Here is an essential two-minute summary to help you have a broad understanding before you get started.

Is it okay for people to put poop in our cans? Metaphorically speaking, I’ve been pondering on this theme: people who take advantage of others and violate others’ boundaries. Here are some of my reflections, growing understanding, and awareness of the balance between being nice and being angry, and how we can appropriately channel our feelings for good.

How do we boost our mood naturally during stressful times? Are there ways to lessen the harm and negative impact of loss, insecurity, and sadness? Here are some holistic and integrative resources rather than taking a prescription medication.

Do we really have guardian angels who help us in our daily lives? Here is what happened when I began to explore the practical application of angelic guidance in my day to day life and in my holistic psychiatric practice.