Jupiter Center for Growth and Healing

I have published a book called Firewalking on Jupiter: A Therapist’s Guide to Fearless Self-Discovery.  It is available on Amazon.com. This announcement might seem like a shameless plug. I suppose in a way it is. I want people to buy the book because I really think it is pretty good at getting to some of the thorny issues that keep people stuck in difficult places in their lives. It brings most of my previous writings and some new material all together in a single place. That’s why I did it. On the other hand, I want my therapy clients to benefit from the contents of the book as supplemental to their therapy work, but without feeling any pressure to buy the book (that would feel weird). So, for current clients, I plan to give them each one free printed copy (and they can choose to read all of it, part of it, or none of it, whatever works for them).

If you want to buy the printed version of the book at Amazon.com, click here.

If you have a Kindle, or the Kindle program on an iPad or other device, you can buy a Kindle version of the book here.

You can also take a look at my author page at Amazon. This is what it says about me and my writings. Thinker, fighter, healer. These aptly describe my personality and mirror my education, career choices, and the general bent of my writings. After surviving what was by any measure a harrowing childhood, I found a love in Philosophy at college. This is the “thinker” part. The idea of becoming a Professor of Philosophy at some small college appealed to me.  In the end, though, I had other needs and considerations, so I chose the legal profession. This is the “fighter” part. It turned out to be a good fit, for a while (13 years). I still had some fight in me from my days growing up with eight brothers, three sisters, a rather nasty father, an absent mother, and then bouncing around in group homes during my teens. After the fight wore off, so did the appeal of the law. Next came the “healer” part: mental health therapist. Call it redemption, payback, or just my natural state, but I still find myself needing to help others in the ways others helped me. I bring the thinker, the fighter, and the healer to my work as a therapist and to my writings. All three characteristics—thinker, fighter, and healer—are central to my work. I encourage strength, empowerment, anti-racism and anti-oppression in all its forms. I encourage selfishness, and also love. I encourage personal growth by respecting and then overcoming all manner of deep feelings that keep us stuck in difficult places–things like shame, anger, depression, anxiety, guilt, and fear. My writings are designed to inspire hope, but realistic hope, by pointing out the hard work that must be done, as well as the great rewards that come with it, all by getting to know yourself, and accepting every part of yourself. This is all based on a simple premise: “If I can do it, so can you.” If you knew me, knew my story, you’d hardly believe it possible that I have overcome so much, and yet I have. Add to this the concept of humility, that I am no big deal. I am just some guy. That means, if I can do it, so can you, if you try, do the real work of self-discovery, and stay on it, always. Over ten years of working with and watching many others follow this path has taught me a great deal about the power of courage, hope, depth, constancy and honesty. “Thinker, fighter, healer,” all wrapped in “just some guy.” That about sums me up, and my writings, for now.