This Self-Managed Journey is based on a Basic Empowerment Plus® Evaluation. This is an approach that I use it with all of my clients. It is something that can be useful to people of all ages. Going through the steps in this journey helps you to get a better idea about this approach to wellness. Then you can decide if it makes sense for you. If you, your child or someone else you are concerned about fits the classic patterns that are described, you will know what to do to help that person achieve success.

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Quick Jump to FAQ

As you can see from the diagram below, we will be exploring five areas of functioning:

1. Attention
2. Learning
3. Personality
4. Food Sensitivities
5. Other Factors

Many of my clients find that this process helps them to better understand, accept, and celebrate themselves. It also helps to solve many of their concerns. I hope that this is true for you as well. If you are following the Self-Managed Journey on behalf of someone else please substitute his or her name for the term "you".

For each step, there is a separate page outlining the goals, general procedure and detailed instructions. If you need more information, there is a We're Here to Help Page following each step. This page contains suggestions, ideas, and useful links to explore each area further. It also contains a Self-Evaluation.

The 12-item Health and Wellness Survey will help you measure how you are doing now. It can also pinpoint your specific areas of need.

Remember that direct assistance is always possible through Let's Chat!

If you want to get the most out of this process, I encourage you to do EVERY STEP. Take your time and enjoy learning more about yourself. It can also be very helpful to have a person, who knows you well, assist you with this process. Their opinion of this "helper" is important and can help you to figure out some of the answers.

Print your own journey circle and use it like I have (see my example) as you go through your journey.

Let's begin... Step One: Attention

In the following section, there are some FAQ and answers. They are not an essential part of the Self-Managed Journey. It's up to you whether or not you have a look at them now, later or not at all. The questions are listed first and then the questions with their answers follow.

Q1:	Why is the Empowerment Plus® process called an integrated, wholistic, cost-effective approach to wellness?
Q2:	Whom does it help?
Q3:	How effective is the Empowerment Plus® method?
Q4:	How long will the Self-Managed Journey take?
Q5:	What if I need more help than this?
Q6:	What will I get out of this journey?
Q7:	How do you normally work with your clients?
Q8:	How is this Self-Managed Journey different from what you do with your clients?
Q9:	What if I want this kind of help and I don't live close to you?
Q10:	How is your way of working different from that of other psychologists?

Q1: Why is the Empowerment Plus® process called an integrated, wholistic, cost-effective journey to wellness?

A: It is:

• "Integrated" or balanced because it includes both natural and traditional approaches to wellness
• "Wholistic" - because we look at the whole person - mind, body and spirit
• "Cost-effective" because research has shown that this approach can help many people with a minimum of cost-time, effort and financial investment.

This method is also practical, because the information you learn about yourself is useful and can be used right away. Lastly, it is respectful of your values and beliefs.

 

Q2: Whom does it help?

A: The purpose of the Empowerment Plus® approach and this Self-Managed Journey is to help you understand, accept and celebrate yourself. It can be helpful to people of all ages from all walks of life facing many different types of challenges. It may not be all you need, but it may give you a good start.

You may already be feeling good and want to use this process, to make sure that you are not missing anything that could help you even more. Or you may have challenges in being able to concentrate, learn, achieve, be productive, feel happy, calm, and peaceful and/or get along with others. In this case, there is sure to be some information that should help you.

Q3: How effective is the Empowerment Plus® method?

A: Many of my clients find that the Basic Empowerment Plus® Evaluation (see FAQ 7) is all they need to reach their goals. Others need more individual help. You won't know how it works for you until you try!

Q4: How long will the Self-Managed Journey take?

A: This journey could take you a week, a month, a year or more, depending on your own needs, choices and how fully you decide to participate. You may find that you are part of the 84% of my clients who feel better within one week. Of this group, 13% have symptoms that disappear completely! This happens after they take a food(s) out of their diet (Step Four). In this case, you will be done within a week!

Or, you may need more time to understand yourself. Perhaps you will find that you start doing better in school or work once you understand your learning strengths and challenges (Step Two). Perhaps you will find it useful to know what you need to be successful according to your personality type (Step Three). Or it may be that you need more individual help in order to feel better (see FAQ 5).

Q5: What if I need more help than this?

A: In this case, you may want to work together directly with me (Let's Chat!) or find someone else who can assist you. Options include further help through the Links to other web sites that are listed at the end of each Step. You may also wish to order some of the Self-Help Books, Videos and Materials. There are Workshops and Consultations available for Professionals who want to use these tools with their clients

• Direct one-to-one assistance (Let's Chat!)
• Books (Resources)
• Training in how to use this with clients (Workshops)

Q6: What will I get out of this journey?

A: As a result of this journey, you will better understand yourself and/or those you work with, in terms of:

Step One: Attention:

• If there is a concern in this area
• How it affects you and what to do about it

Step Two: Learning

• If you have a challenge in this area
• What to use as by-pass strategies in order to be successful
• Likely causes and treatments for any reading concerns

Step Three: Personality

• What your preferences are
• What you need to do to have optimum energy, the ability to communicate effectively with others, and efficient time management.

Step Four: Food Sensitivities

• If removing certain foods (e.g., dairy products, wheat, corn or sugar) for a week helped you to feel better
• What you can do to deal with any food sensitivities

Step Five: Other Factors

• What makes you the unique person that you are
• If there are additional concerns that need to be treated to help you be the best you can be as naturally as possible

Q7: How do you normally work with your clients?

A: When I work with clients, I follow the Empowerment Plus® process. It usually consists of three phases:

Phase 1 - A Group Information Session - this is a 1-hour lecture that explains the method. The video on the main page will give you the same information.

Phase 2 - A Basic Empowerment Plus® Evaluation - this is a process that has three individual sessions and a follow-up telephone interview. This can be done in person, through the Internet or via long distance or local telephone calls.

• Individual Session #1 - 2.5 hours - consultative assessment to explore each of the five areas in the order they are presented on this web site. At the end of the first session, we select one food for removal from the diet for one week.
  
  
• Individual Session #2 - 2.5 hours - held one week after Session #1. During this session, we can usually make a diagnosis (Dx) and decide upon treatment strategies (Tx). For instance, if there is a diagnosis of AD/HD, clients make a choice of whether or not they wish to try medication or more natural treatments.
  
  
• Individual Session #3 - 1 hour - held 3-6 weeks after Session #2 in order to evaluate the success of the treatment strategies.

Follow-Up Phone Interview - 15 minutes - held 3 months after final appointment.

Phase 3 - Additional services are arranged if needed. This might include counselling, treatment for trauma and/or formal psycho educational testing.

Q8: How is this Self-Managed Journey different from what you do with your clients?

A: What I do with my clients is very similar to this Self-Managed Journey. Some of the differences are:

• We talk directly to each other
• We begin with goal-setting (see examples of goals)
• We measure changes in goals at various points (e.g., the beginning, after one week and at the end of our work together)
• We can make a diagnosis (e.g., AD/HD, LD, depression) if that is desired

Q9: What if I want this kind of help and I don't live close to you?

A: There are many ways that you can access my services. Telephone and Internet consultations are now available. For more information see Contact Us and/or Resources.

Q10: How is your way of working different from that of other psychologists?

A: I have many of the same skills and follow the same ethical guidelines, however I work very differently from other psychologists.

• I ask that potential clients to decide if the process I use makes sense before our first appointment.
  
  
• I talk about learning and attentional challenges in positive ways. I try to avoid using words like "deficit", "disorder" or dysfunction". I will write them in reports, if necessary, but not use them in the office. For instance, I call Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder or ADD "Attention Deluxe Dimension" and instead of Learning Disabilities, I say "Learning Discrepancies"
  
  
• I believe in giving IQ, achievement and personality tests only if we can't find the answers out in any other way. It has been my experience that normal testing procedures are expensive and time-consuming and often give more information than clients can use or understand. Under some circumstances, such as an fatigue, stress or feeling unwell, the individual's test results may not be a good refection of a their true ability. I find that describing classic patterns (e.g., in learning, personality and food sensitivities), and having clients recognize themselves, helps me to understand clients very quickly. This takes a lot less time and is less expensive for clients. And it seems to get very good results!
  
  
• I have people take a food out of their diet the first week of working together. This is very controversial. However, it allows us to find out the role that food is playing in how they think, feel and behave. I have found that this approach gives very good results and makes the road to recovery much faster.
  
  
• I believe that medication has a place in the treatment of AD/HD, Depression, etc. but it belongs "at the caboose of the train rather than near the engine".
  
  
• I believe that we are each beautifully and wonderfully made. One of the secrets to happiness is learning how to keep our mind in the present moment while being connected to Spirit for wisdom and guidance for our everyday choices. It also helps if we can understand who we are and what we need to be successful. I call it writing our own "Owner's Manual". If we can then accept and celebrate who we are, we can be channels of God's Light and Love in the world. This is the path to happiness.
  

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