Children generally rest in a state of relaxation, joy and play, with bouts of discomfort and pain. With this said, childhood is a mixture of magic and suffering. If a child’s process is not properly honored, mentored and helped through the magic and suffering can become extremely polarized for years to come.

We often assume that suffering is directly correlated to a person or event in the present, when in reality the root likely stems from our most early years of life. Keith explores the mind of the child and how mental accomplishments and struggles follow you into adulthood and what impact that has on your life. With this said, it’s safe to say that, most likely, what you’ve been struggling with, you’ve always been struggling with.

It is common to come across clients who resist treatment even though they keep seeking out therapy services.  Resistance to change is both an important strategy for maintaining familiarity, as well as a roadblock to making necessary shifts. Keith explores certain coaching techniques, particularly the study of values and cognitive and behavioral applications as a way to help clients move beyond treatment resistance and into a state of transformation.

Typically, clients who fight change feel as though they are disconnected from their purpose. This is evident in the fact that purpose grounds people into a direction for their life where they will embrace both difficulties and rewards along the way to achieving it. Once we can help clients bridge that gap into their deepest purpose, things become more clear and they tend to become more adaptable and fluid in their lives. With this this in mind Keith will share a number of other coaching tools on how to inspire resistant clients to get off the couch and go after what they want in the world.have an easier time inspiring your treatment-resistant clients’ into a place of clarity and hope.

It’s known that with school out of session and vacation days being used, it is hard to obtain steady clients, and a dependable income. A number of years ago, Keith grew tired of this feast and famine mentality driven by the summer caseload drop off. Believing it “just has to be this way” is driven by a mindset that keeps the bank account like a rollercoaster instead of on a steady incline. In this episode, Keith discusses 7 practical tips that he used to keep a consistent income and practice in the summer, without working noticeably harder. If you begin to plan in advance, it is easier to avoid the typical summer slump. Using these beneficial methods, you will no longer feel the stress that many clinicians anticipate during this time of year. Among other tools that Keith explains, if you plan early, increase local outreach, launch groups, or teach a summer course, you can say goodbye to to eating away at savings and the stress of waiting for the slump to come to an end.

How do we know if we are in a state of mental health or illness? In modern clinical psychology, the definition of “mental health” and “mental illness” is not a stable, set definition; but it is an important one. In fact, a true working definition of mental health has never really been defined.

In order to truly understand how to help people reach their potential in all areas of life, it’s important to understand the spectrum of a healthy mind and how it becomes disorganized.

Keith explains how mind and body fluidity can greatly affect our mental health, along with the role relationships play in the process. He explores the impact of physical imbalances on the mind, as well as how relationship attachments interact with the mind. Keith also explores the socio-political arena of mental health and illness and why a new working definition of mental health is necessary for our society.

Keith recognizes that forgiveness is most often used as a way for people to move on from tough situations in life. In some case that actually seems to be true. However, after speaking with many clients over the years and a lot of exploration around the topic with other professionals, he has identified some myths about forgiveness, how it can hurt more than help, and other ways to move on from troubles in the past.

Forgiveness seems altruistic by nature. At first glance it appears to be an act of kindness. But what if it was more self-serving than one might think? When speaking with your clients, it is very important to dive into their history in order to see if there are underlying resentments. Focusing on the reasoning behind forgiveness–such as underlying resentments–can help people stop a perpetual loop of blame and move them into a place of empowerment.

Even though forgiveness in some cases seems to be useful, it often just perpetuates a cycle of pain. Can you imagine a life without needing to forgive anyone, as if the power to move on from past hurts was truly in your own hands?

Our guest, Dr. Gabor Maté, a renowned speaker and bestselling author, sheds light on the true nature of addiction, and why so many of us fall victim to this harsh reality.  

Society has created an ideal around feeling “normal” and finding “mental sanity,” when we do not even have a clear definition of what“mental sanity” is. So many people struggle with emotional pain on a day-to-day basis. When that pain becomes overwhelming, especially from early childhood trauma and attachment injuries, it’s human nature to try and escape that pain until it gets resolved.

Gabor describes his clinical experience of helping those struggling with addiction, and how he concluded that addiction is always a strategy to escape from emotional pain, trauma, and attachments injuries during childhood. He speaks authentically  and shares about his experience of addiction, while giving hope with the basic aspects that help people heal.

Keith Kurlander, CEO of Higher Practice, in a fierce and loving dialogue, joins his inner circle in a conversation about community, relationships, love, mental health, and spirituality. Guests include The Smart Couple Podcast Founder, Jayson Gaddis, a Boulder, Colorado Men’s Group leader, Reuvain Bacal, and a thought leader in Integrative Psychiatry, Dr. Will Van Derveer.

In this episode, Keith and his inner circle explore the values of supporting and challenging each other, how to navigate the most difficult moments in life together through personal examples, and ways in which powerful friendships lead to personal and professional growth. When those around you have visions that align with your own, it automatically sheds light on your purpose, which leads to a more fulfilled life.

So many people claim they want to be happy, but so few people ever attain it. Keith Kurlander, CEO of Higher Practice, explains why it’s impossible to achieve the stereotypical version of happiness and redefines it into something that’s not only achievable, but something worth fighting for.

Many people feel as though they have tried everything they can in order to maintain a happy existence, but most people report dissatisfaction on a regular basis. It is easy to feel hopeless, and as if there is no coming out of your unhappy slump when it kicks in. However, when three essential components are brought back into balance, you can feel focused and clear, and obtain experiences of happiness and joy.

In this episode, Keith goes into detail about these three components and some tools and tips to help you and your clients experience a truer sense of happiness. There is a secret to happiness, but it begins with understanding and and changing your mindset so you can live in a healthy way.