June this year (2026) marks my 20th year in private practice working in the mental wellness space. Ten years ago I wrote an “I AM 10” blog article, so it seemed fitting that I celebrate my 20th professional anniversary with an update.
In the last ten years, several significant things have happened, most notable amongst them the formation of the psychotherapist regulatory body in Canada (the CRPO), and my formal designation as Registered Psychotherapist (I was the 35th person who qualified to join).
Next came the publishing of my #1 international best selling book Winning Mindset: Psychological Strategies they Drive You to Succeed. The book documented my journey from my previous career in Aerospace and Automotive Designer, as well as summarizing many of the tools and tricks I’d invested over a decade into learning.
Shortly after that I was invited on Rogers TV to discuss my book and the work I do by the sadly departed Garth Riley. It was fun playing around with his mind on TV and challenging his beliefs about life and reality.
I became the first person to reach the maximum number of biofeedback sessions possible with the Mind Mirror software I was finishing up my training for while writing my I AM 10 blog. I just received updated hardware today, so I’m planning to go deeper into consciousness development as part of my ongoing self development.
Somewhere along the way my love of Earl Grey Tea was replaced by a deeper appreciation of Darjeeling Tea (it really is the champagne of tea!), and I got addicted to double cream brie with red grapes no cashew nuts on artisan fog and walnut buns (don’t judge!)
It’s not all been great however. My darling doggie is now completely deaf, almost completely blind and suffering daily from dementia, so we no longer get to go for walks or chase squirrels. She is 18 this year so I can’t complain since she has had a lovely life, and still has a little left in her old bones.
As I prepare myself to miss her presence deeply, I am grateful for both the patience and sheer joy for life she taught me daily. She still gets excited every single time I bring her back in the house after doing her doggie business, but she frequently has no idea who I am or where she lives.
For a while I delved deeper into identity work, which spawned a new book I’m holding off publishing called The Power Story Formula. It was formed around the narrative therapy and personal story work I’d been perfecting for several years.
Shortly after finishing it I felt myself being called back to a short manual on stress management I’d written in collaboration with Dr Richard Earle, Director of the Canadian Institute of Stress. It’s a small part of the Subconscious Self Sabotage studies I’ve spent the last 20 years exploring.
Over 20 years ago my brain had secretly sabotaged my design engineering career. Something I wasn’t happy about at the time, but today I’m extremely grateful for. Otherwise, I’d still be stuck in an unfulfilling career, living an unfulfilling life.
I’ve no idea what the next 20+ years will bring me, but I hope to continue working well into, or we’ll past my eighties. Partly inspired by my last therapist, who passed away at 94 having come out of retirement after meeting me at a brief psychotherpy training course. He missed “doing the work” and greatly appreciated me bringing him into the online therapy world.
Covid lockdowns and his cancer did not stop us from meeting weekly, laughing together, crying together, and working to train my brain into being a better therapist, coach, researcher and writer. Nothing beats being accepted and understood by someone well trained who only has your best interests at heart. I only hope I can continue to make him proud, wherever he is now.