Basic Steps Mental Health

At Basic Steps Mental Health, our individual therapy sessions target the unresolved core issues that keep a person from living life to the fullest.

Schedule an Appointment HERE:
https://basicsteps.life

Join us this Sunday for the ROAR Awareness Walk, supporting Respect Oversight Advocacy and Reform for Long-Term Care.

The walk will raise awareness for individuals who have experienced mistreatment in nursing homes and care facilities. Basic Steps Mental Health is proud to support this important cause, with Dr. Scott Alpert participating as a key speaker.

When: Sunday | 9:00 AM–12:00 PM
Where: Jake Hyde Park | 1741 N Schuster Pkwy, Tacoma, WA 98402

Together, we can help promote compassion, accountability, advocacy, and meaningful reform for those receiving long-term care.

I started working at a 12 Step facility 32 years ago – trying to heal the world. I soon discovered that the approach wasn’t working. Too many clients were relapsing and returning to our facility, all saying they were going to do the program better this time. Was it them or was it the program?

Read Dr. Scott's Insights:
https://basicsteps.life/2026/09/recovery-the-12-steps-of-spiritual-psychology

basicsteps.life

At the end of each week, our clients talk about what they learned. This gives us good feedback and the opportunity to make changes. It’s also important to see things through the eyes of the customer.

If you’ve been in the industry long enough, you realize that therapy isn’t a cookie-cutter approach. Clients are unique and bring into treatment the sum of their experiences. What works for me might not work for them, so the number one task is to give each person the freedom to talk and be heard.

Read Dr. Scott's Insights:
https://basicsteps.life/2026/09/treatment-the-way-you-always-wanted

This Labor Day, Basic Steps Mental Health recognizes and appreciates the dedication, compassion, and hard work of every individual who contributes to our communities.

Your efforts matter, and so does your mental health. Be sure to take time to rest, recharge, and care for yourself.

Wishing everyone a safe and peaceful Labor Day!

https://basicsteps.life

If you weren’t aware of it by now, you are the only person who is going to heal you. You might think that your parents, your partner, a friend, the government, your Higher Power, or even your therapist is going to heal you – but that isn’t true. The only person that has ultimate control is you and that is the person who has the ability to do so.

Read Dr. Scott's Insights:
https://basicsteps.life/2026/09/on-your-mark-get-set-go

The elite recovery facilities often boast of having a 97% success rate or higher. How can this be verified? If I advertised that we had such a high success rate, it would be a lie. Nationwide, people new to recovery have a 60% relapse rate in the first year. What is important for these people is to catch their slips quickly, learn from them, and keep on pushing forward. Why do people relapse? Well, people are different, and one approach might not work for everyone.

We all have our unique history and way of dealing with problems, so treatment programs need many approaches and tools to teach their customers so that if one thing fails, they can turn to another.

Read Dr. Scott's Insights:
https://basicsteps.life/2026/08/relapse-the-honest-truth

Since 2008, I have enjoyed teaching new therapists how to do therapy. In this article, I will share information on how to get over the initial hurdles in this industry to create the proper atmosphere to not only survive but thrive as a counselor.

The elements of therapy I’ve found to be the most effective are easy to learn and are helpful to fall back on when you get overwhelmed. Trust me, these feelings are common when you first begin, and if they didn’t, I’d be concerned. The most important thing to remember is that you don’t heal people – they do.

Read Dr. Scott's Insights:
https://basicsteps.life/2026/08/teaching-new-therapists

Teaching New Therapists Relationship 101 by Dr. Scott at Basic Steps gives a few ways to learn about how to improve your relationships by improving oneself first.

To be blunt, our relationships are in chaos because we’re in chaos. Since mental health has not been a priority in school, this is probably the reason so many relationships are suffering. Until people are taught the tools to keep their emotions in check, relationships will suffer. Not knowing the proper tools, instead of focusing on cooperation, couples focus on competition. Another problem is couples getting locked into the “I’m right, and you’re wrong,” mindset.

Read Dr. Scott's Insights HERE:
https://basicsteps.life/2026/08/relationship-101