Giving Thanks

Giving Thanks

As I reflect back over the past year, I try to look at the three major factors in my life: my work, my family, and myself. And as I examine the entirety of the last year of my life, I find so many things about which I am thankful.

Professional

On the whole, this past year has been the busiest year at PACFlorida. Over the past year we have had the opportunity to work with hundreds of individuals and families. And I know that I speak for my partners and “work-family” when I say that we are humbled by the number of people who place trust in us to help them and their loved ones during very trying times in their lives.

And speaking of my “work-family,” I have to say that it has always been a dream of mine to have such a team. I truly feel as though everyone that works with me at PACFlorida is family.

The most important people in any practice are those who interact with every patient. Ms. Rebecca and Ms. Dian have just as much passion and determination to help others as our clinicians. They are crafty and creative in their drive to find appointment slots and get patients in as quickly as possible. Without the two of them, we would not have seen such growth here at PACFlorida.

While working to find appointment times for patients is challenging enough, Ms. April does an amazing job orchestrating all of our forensic responsibilities. While we joke about her “sending us to jail” (to conduct evaluations), I do not know anyone who could manage the dynamic – and often frustrating – nature of PACFlorida’s forensic responsibilities any better or more professionally.

Ms. Cassie is our newest clinician, though she has been with us now for over a year. I actually met Ms. Cassie when she was a graduate student in a course I was teaching. Her intelligence and compassion is palpable and felt first hand by her patients and the families with whom she helps.

I first met Dr. Ellen in the same graduate program wherein I met Ms. Cassie. Only, at that time I was in a role where recruited Dr. Ellen as an instructor. Dr. Ellen immediately struck me as a quality psychologist. To put it quite simply, she cares about people. Dr. Ellen is versatile and creative and has a passion for her work. I could not be happier that she chose to join PACFlorida.

I have known Dr. Marshall for almost 15 years. In fact, he was my internship supervisor as I worked to finish up my graduate program. We have worked together, in one capacity or another, since 2002. He is a great friend, a faithful partner, and an experienced and knowledgeable clinician.

Over the last year, the four of us have supported each other in a variety of ways. As a result, we have all grown professionally and personally. I’ve said it before and I will say it again; I am so happy to have my work family and I know that they are the engine that helps keep PACFlorida going.

Family

Although I spend a lot of time working, my family means the world to me. And the past year has seen some amazing development. My wife and I are as happy as we have ever been. We love spending time with our children and grandchildren. Our daughter is nearing graduation from college with her first degree and our son is quickly becoming a man, both in size and in maturity.

I could not imagine many ways in which my family could be much better. Their stability, understanding, and flexibility have allowed me to grow professionally while remaining an integral part of their lives.

Personal

The success of PACFlorida and the stability of my family have created an ideal scenario for me to do some of the things that have helped me grow individually.

Although we started recording podcasts in 2014, we have been able to expand our podcasts significantly. I love teaching and I see our podcasts as a way to do a little teaching every day. This coming weekend we will post Episode 115 of The Mental Breakdown podcast and we are already at Episode 60 of The Mental Breakdown Morning Show! All together, by the end of this year, we will have posted a total of 200+ podcasts on iTunes and nearly 150 YouTube videos. These posts reach thousands of people, far more than could sit in a classroom once a week.

This year Dr. Marshall and I published an update to the first part of our parenting book as well as a manual to help folks identify issues with their diet. That said, there is much more writing to do. We look forward to finishing the revision of parts 2 and 3 of our parenting book, to write a second book specific to parenting teenagers, and to start several other books over the course of the next year. This work has allowed our publishing company, Paedeia, LLC, to grow and has created opportunities for us to do workshops and seminars all over the US.

In addition to personal growth in the professional domain, I have continued my role as a coach. In addition to my son’s competitive soccer team, I have also continued to coach my granddaughter’s soccer team. I love coaching and always look forward to being out on the pitch with my players, regardless of their age. But this year, I have had the opportunity to expand my coaching role, as I was named the Official Sport Psychologist of the Lakeland Futball Club. In this role I get to work with players from other teams in our club, helping them to maximize their performance on the pitch and improve their understanding of the mental aspect of the game.

I still have a lot of growing to do. While I hope that I am on the path to become the man I am meant to be, I see many more areas of needed growth and development. Those things will come in time. But for now, I am happy with where I am, my short and long term goals, and the destination on the horizon. It may take some time to get there, but just look at all of the opportunities that lie between here and there!

So as I start to close out 2016, I look forward to 2017 with hope, excitement, and determination. And I hope that you will as well. There is very little that is outside the reach of the determined individual. With a little grit and a healthy dose of stubbornness, you will find that despite the inevitable setback, sticking to your goals will be immeasurably rewarding. And when you achieve your goals and look back at the path you have just walked, you will undoubtedly see that the path was never straight. It shifted and turned and led you in unexpected directions. But that determination got you to exactly where you were supposed to be.

Good luck. Stay focused. Learn from your experiences. And greet 2017 with an understanding and clarity that will bring you success.