The effectiveness of neurofeedback as an adjunct treatment for various addictive and mental health disorders has been documented by several researchers over the past 40 years.

As the mayor of a small town, I’ve found there are very few official duties and many unofficial ones. A resident called me one frigid winter Saturday evening to ask if there was something that could be done about a dog roaming his neighborhood. I suppose in a less rural area the resident would have been advised to call animal control, but since I have a heart for animals, I didn’t want the animal to either freeze to death waiting for animal control to respond, or end up being euthanized.

“Group drumming is a cost-effective evidence-based strategy for integrative teams working in a whole-person approach.” — Barry Bittman, MD, Mind-Body Wellness Center, Meadville, PA

According to the research of Aikido master George Leonard, one of the five keys to professional development of any career is to “play the edge” (Lent, 2007).  At the edge of traditional human services are a wealth of tools that are non-pharmacological, and yet evidence-based.  Although music is arguably one of the most utilized self-help strategies for individuals facing the challenges of addiction, psychological illness and even job stress, the use of one of the simplest instruments, the drum, has garnered strong clinical support and statistical evidence in the past decade.

Out here on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula the weather cycles can get rather weird. Despite several false starts, spring has finally come to our little corner of the world.

Regardless as to whether you’ve tackled your annual household cleaning, now is a perfect time to undertake some “spring cleaning” in your recovery program. (Remember, we’re all in recovery from something.) An annual cleaning ritual, by whatever name we choose to call it, carries profound ramifications for moving forward in our lives. Symbolically, this focused cleansing process enables us to let go of whatever no longer continues to serve us, making room to attract into our lives new opportunities, challenges and vistas for growth.

We are celebrating Oscar season as I write this, so I want to give a nod to the famous, faceless gold statuettes, and a Walt Disney classic. Allow me to review a critically acclaimed movie that’s not in the running — in fact it’s 68 years old. It features a sort of wooden performance. Yet, counselors can creatively use the movie’s dynamic main character, and his escapades, to teach any number of lessons. And may my nose grow if I exaggerate that “Pinocchio” provides tremendous insight into the consequences of addiction.

On Feb. 8, 2007, the front desk staff at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla., made a desperate 911 call: “We need assistance to room 607 at the Hard Rock. It’s in reference to a white female. She’s not breathing and not responsive ... actually, it’s Anna Nicole Smith.”

Anna Nicole Smith was found lifeless in room 607 after bodyguard Maurice “Big Moe” Brighthaupt called the hotel front desk from Smith’s sixth floor room. Brighthaupt, a trained paramedic, administered CPR before Smith was rushed to Memorial Regional Hospital at 2:10 p.m. The TV reality star and former Playboy Playmate of the Year was pronounced dead at 2:49 p.m. (CNN.com, 2007).