Author Archives: jamesmatter

About jamesmatter

Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) in private practice in San Francisco. I work with adults, adolescents, and couples, with focus on substance use and abuse and co-occurring disorders (having both a mental illness and an addiction).

Stigma, Mental Health, Addiction, Cannabis

Posted on April 23, 2019

THIS INFORMATION WILL BE UPDATED. IF YOU SEE THIS NOTICE THE MATERIAL POSTED MAY CHANGE IN THE NEAR FUTURE, PLEASE CHECK BACK. Mental illnesses and addictive disease are sometimes lumped together under the category “behavioral health.” One thing they have … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Your Sense of Self is Behind the Times

Posted on March 29, 2019

I was reminded about this when I saw a post on NPR about insects changing their behavior situationally. It turns out that shy, solitary grasshoppers turn into swarming locusts under stress. Same critter, amazingly different behavior. I first identified the issue … Continue reading →

Posted in change, mental health, Recovery | Tagged | 1 Comment

Take Good Care of Yourself

Posted on January 29, 2019

  I have had a couple of things I have been working on, don’t have anything I feel ready to publish just yet, but ran across this from Center for Greater Good on how getting enough sleep is good for your … Continue reading →

Posted in behavioral health, physical health | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

The Parable of the Shopping Cart

Posted on December 27, 2018

Have you ever gone to a supermarket, gotten a shopping cart, started to push it up the aisle, and realized that it tended to pull to the right (or left)? It’s like a car that needs the alignment done. At … Continue reading →

Posted in behavioral health, choices, Distress tolerance, mental health | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Did You Plant Cotton?

Posted on November 29, 2018

Sooner or later,  people come to some issue where they may want to go it alone, but they need help. I sometimes confront people, but in a way I hope is gentle. I take hold of my shirt sleeve and … Continue reading →

Posted in behavioral health, mental health, Uncategorized | Tagged | 2 Comments

The Boy Who Wanted to Be Happy

Posted on October 20, 2018

I have found myself recounting this story many times in the course of my professional work, most recently in the week just past. I read it many years ago in a collection of children’s stories, and I associate it with … Continue reading →

Posted in anxiety, behavioral health, Depression, Emotions, happiness, mental health, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Resources on Youth, Vaping & Cannabis

Posted on October 11, 2018

I want to thank all the parents and youth who came to the cannabis forum informational event last Wednesday, October 17 at Manuel F. Cunha Intermediate School.You were very kind to me and to the other presenters. I was told … Continue reading →

Posted in Addiction, cannabis, mental health, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment