Howard Brockman, LCSW is one of the top psychotherapists and counselors in Salem Oregon for over 32 years. Howard has authored two popular books: Dynamic Energetic Healing and Essential Self-Care for Caregivers and Helpers. To learn more about Howard Brockman, please visit the full bio.
Decades ago when I was reading Carlos Castaneda’s books, I recall how Don Juan (Carlos’ teacher and mentor) assigned him a task to review his entire life and “recapitulate” his life story, including every significant encounter he could… Read More »The Power of Story Helps Dying Patients
This may seem counterintuitive but most of us work too hard and end up juggling too many responsibilities every single day. We say it cannot be helped and after all, Americans are famous for a strong work ethic. So be… Read More »Self-Care Tip #2: Take a Nap
Whether or not you care for or help others, finding ways to connect to the earth is deeply healing. If you garden, take your shoes off and rub your feet into the soil or grass. Flower and vegetable gardens help… Read More »Self-Care Tip #1: Grounding
On August 5th I found myself in the Salem hospital diagnosed with acute appendicitis. The surgeon came in and chatted with me, reviewed the procedure and told me all of things that could go wrong. I liked him and felt confident he would perform the removal of my diseased organ with skill and positive intent. After next being introduced to the anesthesiologist I was wheeled into the operating room, moved from my gurney to the operating table and the next thing I became aware of was awakening in the recovery room with a nurse by my side. I was tethered to an IV drip pole on wheels with a bag of pain medication, antibiotics and a bag of saline. I spent the night in the hospital, being checked on every three hours by a very kind nurse and then walking up and down the hallway for 10-15 minutes at at time, pushing my IV array that was connected to my arm by a plug-in directly into my vein.
The body can change so quickly, shifting from health to illness literally over night. I was now the one needing help and assistance. I was the one who for a time, was completely dependent on strangers to take care of me in my most vulnerable condition, strangers who I had no choice but to trust with my life. It was a bit surreal to me. I started in urgent care, walked over to the emergency room for an ultrasound and diagnosis, walked over to the hospital, was wheeled into the operating room and ended up in a room in the hospital over night where watchful and attending nurses would make sure I would survive the night.Read More »On Being a Patient
An effective way to maintain your sanity is learning to manage your day-to-day overwhelm. Choosing tasks deliberately is the key. This means stepping out of your email and away from your computer for a few minutes and thinking through your… Read More »Time Management Tips
Many of us are tyrannized by automated thinking patterns. These thoughts that tend to be self-devaluing become habituated. Habits are difficult to stop. What to do? Recruit your attention to stalk the thinking habit(s). Stay with them and find out… Read More »Inner Stalking
People create all kinds of reasons to not speak up and express their feelings to others. These reasons create and often reinforce a self-narrative that over time comes to define their identity. This identity eventually becomes a limiting core self-identity… Read More »Being Authentic and Energetic Boundaries
A new article in Salem’s Statesman Journal has described family and friends of people with Alzheimer’s in Oregon providing about $2.2 billion worth of unpaid care. Projections are that the scourge will continue to grow by 69% (up to 110,000)… Read More »Alzheimer’s is growing in Oregon
Being in the forest for a city dweller is a remarkable experience. It truly is a blessing. Hard to imagine that so much of our world used to be thick forests where only filtered light came through its canopy and animals freely roamed. I bring my mind back to the basalt walls bordering the trail and the black moss on it. I have read it moved to this location through glacial movement a long time ago, carving out the Columbia Gorge. I hear the river down to the right as I shadow it walking onward deeper into the experience of this extraordinary Eagle Creek hike. Read More »Reflections of “No Mind” hiking in the Columbia Gorge
Essential self-care for caregivers and helpers includes various recreational activities. What do you consider recreational? Generally, recreation includes some form of leisure and enjoyment, even fun! Recreation is definitely an essential part of our lives. It helps us to get out of the habit (or at least enjoy a brief respite) of working and fulfilling our social duties borne out of necessity or social obligation. While some people categorize recreational pursuits as “leisure time” that stands in the way of progress and prevents us from succeeding in our normative work ethic, many argue that our modern lifestyle actually demands more responsibilities than ever before, generated by too many tasks.
I happen to believe that the pursuit of recreation is central to staying sane and centered in a culture where things are seemingly moving too fast all the time. There are so many wonderful recreational choices including gardening, hiking, travel, reading and all kinds of sports. Read More »The Importance of Recreation for Longevity