Rick Hancock - Retired
Marijuana: Not all good or bad
Those living in B.C and, in particular, Vancouver are well aware of the debate regarding the legalization of marijuana. The province recently approved the opening of Medical Marijuana Dispensaries which have very quickly grown in number to rival that of...
Serenity
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference.” (Reinhold Niebuhr) Many know that the Serenity Prayer is recited at the end of each...
A Better Drug Treatment Focus
As an addictions counsellor I have often wondered why many addicts attend one or more treatment centers yet most will continue to relapse. And we have to wonder why the success rates for full recovery only vary from 5 to...
My Job Is Killing Me
As a psychologist in private practice I believe I have one of the best jobs in the whole world. On a daily basis I get to sit down with perfect strangers and in a matter of minutes they are sharing...
An Alcoholic’s Gratitude
Mary grew up with an alcoholic father and she promised herself that she would never marry anyone who was a heavy drinker. But now after 18 years of marriage she finds that her marriage is much like that of her...
Vancouver Riots: The Hidden Victims
On Wednesday, June 15, 2011 the Vancouver Canucks lost Game Seven of the Stanley Cup Finals to their rivals, the Boston Bruins. It was an emotional hockey series and the Vancouver Canucks were favoured to win the Cup. Irresponsible hooligans...
The Measure of a Parent’s Integrity
Kaitlyn (14) approached her mother one afternoon to ask if it would be okay if she and her boyfriend (15) could sleep together in her own bedroom on occasion. They were having sex together at times anyway and it would...
Lessons Learned on a Bike Ride
My wife and I recently completed a fairly long bike trip. What is considered "long" is, of course, open to debate but we were bike touring for over two months and for us, that seemed like quite a long time....
My Midlife Crisis
I recently bought a high-powered sports car. It has an engine the size of a 747 and can go from zero to 100 in about one second. I tell people I wanted something that was sexy and racy with a...
Everything I Know About Parenting I Learned in Doggie Obedience School
Many doggie owners attend obedience school in the hope that they can learn how to convert their unruly, undisciplined, and, generally, uncooperative puppy into a happy, loving, well-behaved member of the household. In other words "obedient". Kids and puppies have...
