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My definition of mental health – is agrowing moment-to-moment awareness of the three loops (self-world, conscious-unconscious& intrapersonal) coupled with an ability to effectively integrate insightgained from the three loops into over-arching narratives – without sacrificingthe constant access to new insight brought by moment-to-moment awareness.  I also believe that compassion (love) for oneself and others is both a natural outgrowth of this type of awareness as wellas a useful tool for achieving it.

This definition is not prescriptivein nature. We don’t have an end goal – or a platonic vision of health to whichwe aspire. 

Let’s use Ryan’s example of the bankerwho had a psychotic break and started drinking. Perhaps the banker had spent alifetime repressing his desire to be a kindergarten teacher. Perhaps losingmoney in the market put him in touch with this deep desire. Perhaps drinkingwas the only way to avoid dealing with the fallout that would cause in hiscurrent life. Or perhaps he his father was an alcoholic and he spent his wholelife running away from the emotional pain caused by their relationship – only tohave it catch up with him when the market crashed. Perhaps he was cheating onhis wife and the guilt drove him to drink.  

The point is I don’t know any ofthis when he walks in my door asking for help. Nor can I know what he should doto improve his life. My sense is that often in these types of situation theperson asking for help doesn’t know either.

So how can we help?  As a mental health practitioner I would twothings. First if I thought he was an immediate danger to himself or others Iwould intervene.  If that wasn’t the caseI would try to help the banker find the moment to moment awareness to engagehis three loops.

Can he become more aware of hisemotions – especially prior to drinking? What can he learn from the conflictgenerated by his drinking?  Whatconflicts are going on in the interpersonal realm? 

Built into this approach is anassumption that people are trying to do the best that they can with the toolsand information that they currently have at their disposal. The idea is that byenhancing their capacity to closely observe the loops we give them a chance tosearch out alternative solutions and meanings. These are not our solutions andmeanings for them, but the outgrowth of their ability to know themselves in a deepand powerful way in each moment. 

 I will also add – that as a practitioner – I wouldtake seriously the idea that I should constantly be engaging in the three loopsand open to all the new information that they offer me – both as a person andas a practitioner.