Dr. Stephen Poulter also serves as the Clinical Director at the Huntington Beach Treatment Center.
Licensed clinical family psychologist in Los Angeles
Dr. Stephan B. Poulter, Ph. D. Is a licensed clinical individual/family psychologist in private practice in West Los Angeles, California. Dr. Poulter has worked with a multitude of psychological/life issues in a variety of settings (former police officer, theological seminary graduate) with hundreds of families, including individuals/children of all ages, parents, step-parents and couples. He has been providing these professional mental health services to clients for over 35 years. Dr. Poulter is also an author, public speaker on parenting, adolescent and spiritual/psychological issues.
Dr. Poulters book, “The Art of Successful Failure”, is a comprehensive discussion on the many different ways people experience their life stages/transitions, relationships, marriage(s) and thus create a deeper sense of self-awareness. What seemingly looks like a disaster, tragedy, bad luck or major loss can be the psychological, emotional and intellectual “opening” for significant life change. Change to any degree is never easy and “The Art of Successful Failure” is a road map on some of the ways to navigate your tough emotional, personal, psychological, career, health and etc.…This book follows up with the on-going family issues.
Hope • Competent • Safe
These three words constitute the foundation for all therapeutic, counseling and family therapy relationships. There is always hope in any and all situations, circumstances, crisis or emotional heartbreaks. Competence is the trust that your set of challenges will be properly understood, addressed and resolved. Lastly, it’s important to be emotionally, psychologically and spiritually open hearted and minded. Feeling “safe” is the starting point to healing, resolving and moving forward in your life, partners and families life. Hope, Competence and Safe are the tools that strong relationships are based on with you and all my clients. These important elements allow for the uncovering and healing of your current life challenge. The short story below illustrates the unlimited gifts, knowledge and treasuries that are within your life waiting for your exploration and discovery.
Look Inside for Happiness
There was an ancient Indian legend about a little known tribe that was constantly at war with other Indian tribes. They abused their religion and their families, had no morals or feelings for others, laughed at wisdom or any kind of order. Murder, theft, and plundering were a daily occurrence. This violent Indian tribe seemed doomed to wipe themselves off the face of the earth. Finally, an old chief gathered together a few of the least violent of the braves and held a council to discuss how they could save their tribe from themselves. The wise old chief decided the only thing to do was to take the secret of happiness and success away from those abused it. They would take this secret and hide it where no one would ever find it so it could not be abused again. The big question was—where should they hide it?
One Indian brave suggested they bury the secret of happiness and success deep in the earth. But the chief said, “No that will never do, for man will dig deep down into the earth and find it.”
Another brave said to sink the secret into the dark depths of the deepest ocean. But again the chief replied, “No, not there, for man will learn to dive into the depths of the ocean and will find it.”
A third brave thought they should take it to the highest mountain and hide it there. But again, the chief said, “No, for man will eventually climb even the highest of mountains and find it, and again take it up for himself.
Finally, the old chief had the answer: “Here is what we will do with the secret of happiness,” he stated. “We will hide it deep inside of man himself, for he will never think to look for it there.” To this day, according to that old Indian legend, man has been running to and fro all over the earth–digging, diving and climbing- searching for something that he already possesses within himself.”
–Indian Legend
(Speakers Sourcebook, Volume I; pages 207-08)