“I was born at an early age”- Bob Bray
I hold a master’s degree in clinical social work from the University of Southern California with mental health, assessment, addictions, and group work concentrations. Much time was spent focusing on clinical work for trauma and recovery. I am licensed with Sask. Association of Social Workers.
I specialize in stress-related trauma problems (PTSD & CPTSD damaged as a child) and co-occurring disorders, such as bipolar, depression, anxiety, addiction, and ADHD.
I have written ebooks such as ADHD, PTSD, Sexual assault and workbooks based on my past. I got serious about learning, but I was scared. I was never a good student (lack of focus for education) but good at work stuff but not relationships. I returned to school and completed a master’s degree with a 91 average at a demanding university (not bad for ADHD) and seventy years of age.
I lost a child to crib death in my first marriage and became a drunk. I have had a successful background as a soldier, police officer, and businessperson. I thought that I had reached a certain level of success, family, house, cars, church, etc. Still, I had no patience with my family, few relations with my estranged kids, not a great relationship with my second wife, anger, resentments, road rage, impatience, etc. Alas, after a lifelong struggle with illness, our 13-year-old son died of respiratory failure. It devastated us, and I began to have more addiction problems and produced another failed marriage.
A new relationship became a repeat of old problems. After attending different counsellors for a few years, I learned I was an alcoholic who hadn’t been a hard drinker in about 30 years. I believed all you had to do was stop drinking, and that would end the problems. All I became was a ‘Dry Drunk”, all the drunk’s narcissistic behaviours but without the booze. My childhood came up, and having been abused as childhood memories began tormenting me. I was an addict who used addictive behaviour to cope with life (alcohol, drugs, sex, porn).
I am a recovered alcoholic (more than ten years), mostly recovered from ADHD, recovery from previously diagnosed Spectrum Bi-Polar, and a (self-diagnosed) Personality Disorder.
I have been the psychological coach for some sports teams, worked in several youth programs, and some pro bono work with clients unable to afford my services. I find that if you want happiness, you have to help someone. I find being Christian works for me. I have a great life, a great wife, children and grandchildren. Still, I have to continually set goals for my life to work well because it wasn’t always like today.
I have taken a hard life and have made it into something meaningful, my friend George
and I started Dynamic Discovery to help others do the same.