On The Internet! Take the Self Improvement Tour
Dr. Dan Edmunds Ed.D., D.D., B.C.S.A.,DAPA The voice of compassion in the mental health system / Relational Approaches to Autism, Trauma, Extreme States of Mind Kingston and Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania batushkad@yahoo.com NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA (SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE)
Dr. Dan Edmunds Quick Facts
Main Areas: Counseling, Extreme States of Minds, Voice Hearing, Autism, ADHD, Schizophrenia, Bipolar, Critical Psychology, Empathic Counseling, Social ActivismBest Sellers: Mystical Metaphors, They Say My Child Has ADHD, The Meeting of Two Persons, Treating the Insanity of the Children's Mental Health System
Career Focus: Psychotherapist, Consultant, Lecturer, Child Development Specialist, Professor of Existential Psychology, Sociologist, Activist
Affiliation: International Center for Humane Psychiatry/ European-American University/ International Coalition for Autism Acceptance
DR. DAN L. EDMUNDS, ED.D.,D.D.,B.C.S.A.
Kingston, Pennsylvania
Born in Tampa, Florida, Dr. Dan L. Edmunds is a noted psychotherapist and traumatologist, existential psychoanalyst, social activist, Professor of Existential Psychology and Director of the Critical Psychology Certificate and Alternative Mental Health Services programs at European-American University. Dr. Edmunds for the past 12 years has been dedicated to drug free relational approaches to help those undergoing extreme states of mind (schizophrenia and psychoses, bipolar) as well as aiding autistic and developmentally different persons. Dr. Edmunds has worked with other 80 autistic and developmentally different clients and developed the Autism Acceptance Coalition to promote autonomy, understanding, and dignity of autistic and developmentally different persons. He encourages dignified and respectful ways to help autistic and developmentall different persons. Dr. Edmunds recently published an e- book to BEING AUTISTIC: AN APPROACH TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING AND ACCEPTANCE which explores autism as a way of being rather than an 'entity' and detail the interactions with over 80 developmentally different clients. Dr. Edmunds has developed relational approaches for autistic and developmentally different persons and had often amzong breakthroughs with these persons all while keeping a focus on the need for acceptance, respect, and dignity. Dr. Edmunds currently resides in Northeastern Pennsylvania and has his private practices in Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania in the Endless Mountains region and Kingston, Pennsylvania.
Dr. Edmunds pioneered an amazing project where persons who would be typically institutionalized and given large amounts of suppressive medication could instead live in the community or with other supportive individuals and be supported in a way where barriers between therapist and client are broken down. This project has been termed "The Sanctuary project/Prince 104" and has been particularly helpful to persons undergoing extreme states of mind. These individuals often came with severe psychiatric labels (schizophrenia, schizoaffective, bipolar) and prescribed many psychiatric drugs. Dr. Edmunds was able to develop a relationship with them where they were able to feel empowered and reduce their dependency on these psychiatric drugs. Dr. Edmunds wrote the book MYSTICAL METAPHORS in collaboration with a young person who had undergone a psychotic experience. MYSTICAL METAPHORS helps to make this experience intelligible. It is one of the most dynamic and personal stories clearly relating the experience of psychosis. Dr. Edmunds has been a contributor to PSYCHOLOGY TODAY in the area of Extreme States of Mind and has written for the Mad in America website.
Dr. Edmunds attended elementary school in St. Petersburg, FL and Fort Collins, CO. Dr. Edmunds graduated from Fort Collins High School in Colorado. He completed undergraduate studies at the University of Florida and received a Master of Arts in Theology from the University of Scranton. He completed post graduate work in Dispute Resolution at Nova Southeastern University. Dr. Edmunds completed his Doctorate of Education in Community Counseling at University of Sarasota. He received Board Certification through the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress.
Dr. Edmunds, from a young age, has always sought for an ethical society based on dignity and compassion. He won a writer's award for Ethical Reasoning sponsored by the Fort Collins Coloradoan in 1987. In 1991, at the age of 16, he was the youngest legislative aide to serve in the Colorado State Senate (working in the office of then State Senator Robert W. Schaffer) and became involved in social activism. He was involved with the Students for Peace and Justice at Fort Collins High School. In 1992, he was on the campaign staff of US Rep. Corrine Brown in Florida and had the opportunity to transport and dialogue with Martin Luther King III. Also in 1992, he organized a Youth Commission in Ormond Beach, FL and been a speaker at various political events. His political commentary has been focused on social justice/equality and civil liberty. He has spoken at numerous political events including a talk to the Pocono Libertarian Party in 2003. Politically, Dr. Edmunds is a left libertarian. He continues to reach out to young people and engage in the activist community through his lectures. Dr. Edmunds spoke at the Wooden Shoe Bookstore in July 2011 and at the Bluestockings Bookstore and Activist Center in New York City on November 26, 2011. Dr.Edmunds has been actively involved in the Occupy Wall Street movement and a speaker at the movements events in Scranton, Pennsylvania and New York City.
Dr. Edmunds has served in the past in ministry and as a chaplain for the elderly and veterans. In 1998, he was inducted into the National Honor Society for Theology and Religious Studies and published an article in the University of Scranton's Diakonia Journal for Eastern Christian Studies. He was ordained in the Eastern Orthodox Church in 1997, later leaving and entering the EADM, a denomination in the Liberal Catholic tradition and the Society for Humanistic Potential. Dr. Edmunds began to challenge dogmatism and developed a more pluralist outlook. He became interested in Buddhist meditation and in 2007, participated in a Mahayana Refuge Vow Ceremony at the Kadampa Buddhist World Peace Temple in Glen Spey, New York.
Dr. Dan L. Edmunds is the compassionate voice in the mental health system. He is a leading figure in the worldwide movement for a more humane psychiatric system and for progressive mental health services. He is a noted psychotherapist, child developmental specialist, sociologist and counselor working with both children and adults. His prolific books have discussed the social, political, and familial processes that create emotional distress and he has developed drug free approaches to aiding individuals undergoing extreme states of mind. Psychologist and Professor Eddy Regnier, Ph.D. remarked that Dr. Edmunds "(has) wonderful openness (and is able) to find calm even in the most troubled situation" and Psychologist and author John Breeding, Ph.D. has stated that Dr. Edmunds is a very clear thinker and writer who has defended and supported the spirited nature of children. Dr. Edmunds' social psychological work has focused on the political, social, and familial dynamics leading to emotional distress and he has frequently commented on the 'numbing' of our society.
Dr. Edmunds is a member of the International Society for Existential Psychology and Psychotherapy. Dr. Edmunds has posed critical questions to the psychiatric establishment and to society as a whole and has developed approaches towards helping distressed individuals that are compassionate and empowering and encourage self-determination and autonomy. He has been an advocate for social justice and for human rights in the mental health system. He has helped many individuals given various serious psychiatric labels live a more fulfilling life and be able to reduce or eliminate their dependency on psychiatric drugs. Many persons who have been damaged by bio-psychiatry have come to Dr. Edmunds for consultation as a last resort. Dr. Edmunds was one of the first to alert to stimulant induced mania and has been an expert witness in cases of involuntary intoxication by psychiatric drugs and has also assisted in situations where persons were to be involuntarily committed. Dr. Edmunds has extensive experience aiding those undergoing extreme states of mind (what is commonly diagnosed as schizophrenia, bipolar, schizoaffective) and those who have the experience of hearing voices. He has worked with over 80 autistic/developmentally children using a relational approach and has been a proponent of the autistic rights movement. Dr. Edmunds' articles "Entering Their Imaginative World" and "The Value of a Relationship Based Approach to Autism" and his book , "Being Autistic: An Approach Towards Acceptance and Understanding" detail some of his loving, respectful, and supportive work with autistic children and their families. Dr. Edmunds has also been involved in successful drug free intervention for children and teens with challenging behaviors, particularly those who have received such labels as Bipolar, Conduct Disorder, ADHD, or Oppositional Defiant Disorder. Dr. Edmunds has been involved in family mediation and offered expert testimony in family courts. Dr. Edmunds' has been active in issues of social justice for some time. Dr. Edmunds' work has become known internationally. He has been featured in various news articles and nationally syndicated radio programs. He previously hosted a local radio program addressing children's mental health. In 2002, while still a doctoral candidate, he was the one of the first mental health professionals to alert to stumulant induced mania and the rise of ADHD labeled children being labeled with bipolar as a result. In 2006, Dr. Edmunds founded the International Center for Humane Psychiatry, an emancipatory movement of mental health professionals, survivors and others seeking to replace biological psychiatry with more humane and dignified therapeutic means of helping those in distress.
Dr. Edmunds' article, "Restoring the Soul to the Mental Health System" was published in the Aaina Journal of the Center for Mental Health Advocacy in Pune, Maharashtra, India and he is currently collaborating in research with the Bapu Trust for Mind and Discourse in Pune, Maharashtra, India. Dr. Edmunds has been involved in mental health reform efforts in Ireland.
He is the author of "The Meeting of Two Persons" and "Mystical Metaphors" as well as numerous articles related to humane psychiatry, ethics in mental health practice, family dynamics, child and adolescent development, and autism. "Mystical Metaphors" was written in collaboration with a young person who had undergone an experience labeled as psychosis. The text seeks to make the experience understandable to convey the emotional distress and needs this person had. "The Meeting of Two Persons" discusses the social, familial, and political factors leading to emotional distress, the role of oppression in our lives, and the role of the therapist as activist and advocate.
Dr. Edmunds has served as a pastoral counselor, Professor of Existential Psychology, psychological associate/evaluator, psychotherapist for community based agencies, clinical director for a therapeutic equestrian program, coordinator of therapeutic communities, and was previously a legislative aide and registered professional lobbyist. He is Board Certified in Sexual Abuse Issues through the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress and is a member of the International Society for the Psychosocial Treatment of Psychoses. Dr. Edmunds hold Diplomate status with the American Psychotherapy Association. In addition, he has been a consultant to special education departments and provided educational advocacy services.
Dr. Edmunds has lectured and delivered seminars throughout North America and has been a guest on radio television programs among them the nationally syndicated radio program "Take America Back", Talk of Connecticut WRDC-AM (Hartford, CT); The American Law Journal television program on Philadelphia CNN Affiliate; Highway to Health (Tropic Wave Radio, Melbourne, FL), PsycheWhisperer with A.J. Mahari, AM Radio in Clearwater, FL , WHO AM 1040 in Des Moines, Iowa; Paranormal Science on WILK-FM (Scranton/Wilkes Barre, PA), WPUL-AM 1590 (Daytona Beach, FL), KFNX (Phoenix, AZ), Naturally Autistics New Generation Radio program, and Freedomain Radio. Dr. Edmunds is a contributor to Psychology Today in the area of Extreme States of Mind. Dr. Edmunds' radio broadcasts are available on ITunes. In 2006, Dr. Edmunds was the keynote speaker at a protest of a psychiatric conference in Niagara Falls, New York. This conference had been promoting psychiatric drugging of infants. Dr. Edmunds presented at the 4th Annual Alternative Education Resources Organization Conference in June 2007 at Russell Sage College in Troy, New York and at the 2005 and 2010 conferences of the International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology. Dr. Edmunds was an invited speaker to the 2013 Society for Humanistic Psychology Conference held at Pacifica Graduate Institute. His articles on autism empowerment have been published in Triple Cities Carousel (Binghamton, NY), Autism File Magazine, Chronogram, and Wilkes Barre- Scranton Independent Gazette.
Dr. Edmunds has guest lectured or presented at the University of Scranton,Pennsylvania State University (Worthington-Scranton), Russell Sage College, Keystone College, and the University of Florida. He has delivered training seminars and offered consultation to a number of mental health agencies.
Dr. Edmunds' approaches have helped to return a 'soul' to the mental health system. With a combined background in community counseling, philosophy, activism, and comparative religion, Dr. Edmunds has sought to integrate new ways of finding meaning and purpose for the persons he serves. Much of his work has been in helping people undergoing emotional and mental distress come to a greater sense of wholeness through personal growth and self-transformation processes.
Dr. Edmunds is a member and supporter of the Unconventional Foundation for Autism, an organization for research on alternative therapies. Dr. Edmunds is also a member of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies.
Dr. Edmunds can be contacted by e-mail for consultation at batushkad@yahoo.com
Dr. Edmunds provides counseling and consultation to children and families from Northeastern Pennsylvania and the Southern Tier of New York from his office in Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania, USA, near Scranton, Pennsylvania and approximately 2 hours from Philadelphia and New York City. Dr. Edmunds is available to provide telephone and internet consultation to those residing in other locations. Dr. Edmunds is also available for lectures and seminars.
Favorite Quotes & Thoughts from Dr. Dan Edmunds
EXCERPTS FROM SOME OF DR. EDMUNDS' BOOKS:
"I share this scenario because sadly it is becoming a frightening reality: a child is considered overly active and has behavioral issues at school. The school recommends psychiatric intervention and even goes as far as to say that medication is necessary, even designating which one... The psychiatrist sees the child for a brief session- it is not thoroughly examined if the child has physical conditions, allergies, etc. Immediately the child is labeled and given a dose of psychostimulant. The child develops side effects such as weight loss, insomnia, possible tics. In order to counteract the insomnia, a new drug such as Klonidine is administered. The child now must receive regular blood tests to insure that liver toxicity does not arise. The child is not overly active, he is quite docile, so it is reported that improvement has occurred. However, with the combination of drugs, he develops some psychotic features where he feels something is crawling on him and has some hallucinations. The psychiatrist is consulted again, and its determined that bipolar with psychotic features exists or maybe even the possibility of childhood schizophrenia. The child is given Risperdal or another neuroleptic. Strangely, the child begins developing unusual movements and muscle rigidity. The parents are concerned and ask if the problems are related to the medication and if the child is overmedicated. The psychiatrist does not answer the question and prescribes Cogentin (used for Parkinson's) to alleviate the problems caused by the development of tardive dyskinesia but fails to remove the offending agent. The child's behavior becomes more unusual and bizarre. The child then requires hospitalization where medications are raised and adjusted. Then comes from the psychiatrist that it would be better for the child to be moved to a residential treatment facility. While in the residential facility, the child is frequently restrained and is injured, he is placed with other children with emotional and behavioral distress. He is discharged home having absorbed negative behaviors from peers, lacking knowledge of the outside world, skills. So, once the child nears adulthood, it is recommended that he live in a group home or other institution. The child has been 'treated'." CHILDREN OUR TREASURE 2006
It is our choice how we wish to perceive events and circumstances. We can take charge and create our existence or we can allow life to control us. Human beings have the capability of being resilient. We have the ability to create, to create our own destiny." BEING AND BECOMING 2007
What is termed 'conduct' problems is usually this desire to break free from what the child has pereceived as oppresive in their lives. Often without the appropriate guidance and 'moral compass' coming from the familial structure, their rebellion turns not just to fighting the familial structure, but the structures outside which also resemble the authority they have found oppressive. This type of rebellion is usually futile and self-destructive. There exists the warring between parents themselves, which cause the children to be placed in the predicament of divided loyalties, not knowing which parent to turn towards. There may exist the opposing styles, one parent who is permissive and one who is the authoritarian. This scenario leads to immense conflict."FAMILY DYNAMICS 2007
When all they knew was that oppression and coercion was said to be because ?we love you?, when ?love? really was only about control, how can the person then understand genuine love? Once again, the confusion sets in. To reach the person who has been deemed ?mad?, we cannot overwhelm. Our sincerity will not be enough, for there trust has been shattered time and time again. It is only through entering their world for what it is, by joining in, and learning to speak the language, can we ourselves begin to understand the experience of these individuals. It is only by this joining in that the person may have the chance for their journey known as "madness" to reach a transformative ending towards recovery."JOURNEY THROUGH 'MADNESS' 2007
Parents and others must stop looking at the child as the 'problem' or try through various means to uncover some 'hidden problem' or try to blame the problem on others. If the parent can be honest and instropective, no matter how difficult and even painful that may be, they will find that there are ways that they can help alleviate the suffering of their child and they may even uncover that there were ways they contibuted to this suffering. This does not mean the parent must wallow in guilt, but rather to recognize the things that must change for the teen and the family to have a more harmonious relationship." HEARING OUR SERIOUSLY DISTRESSED ADOLESCENTS 2005
"What is termed 'madness' or 'mental illness' is for some the only means for expression of their being lost and confused in a world which has caused them deep hurt and pain. Such is not disease but behavior with metaphorical meaning. There has been received through life mixed messages and placement into situations where regardless of the option they choose they felt damned. They seek to break out from the reality which has only caused them distress. The development of hallucinations and delusions are all metaphors for the very real demons they have encountered in disordered society."EXPERIENCE: THE SOUL OF THERAPY 2007
"In aiding children with developmental challenges, we must first realize that this requires a team effort and a strengths based approach. It is necessary to not focus on what the child cannot do but look at what the child can accomplish and build upon this." VALUE OF A RELATIONSHIP BASED APPROACH TO AUTISM 2005
"Lilly is aware that it will profit highly by being able to market a drug as a non-stimulant (though its ill effects are similar), that is not a Schedule II drug thus less subject to scrutiny and regulation...Parents who have refused stimulant dangers because of their knowledge of the hazards involved will now be coerced to utilize Strattera being led to believe it is somehow safer because it does not fall into the category of a stimulant/ Schedule II drug...The U.S. National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference on ADHD in 1998 reported, " we do not have an independent, valid test for ADHD, and there are no data to indicate that ADHD is due to a brain malfunction...and finally, after years of clinical research and experience with ADHD, our knowledge about the cause or causes of ADHD remains speculative." -EXAMINING STRATERRA (2004)
The psychiatric
establishment would ignore this experience, seek to
categorize and pathologize it, and seek to suppress the
experience. It would also see that the complex language
and symbolism cannot be understood and is without
meaning. I take the position that this experience is to be
valued, can be understood, and is a necessary process,
not needing to be suppressed, but supported. It is a
journey, albeit painful at times, but which can also
provide insights to the individual. If there is one to
simply listen and journey with this person. These
experiences can be looked upon as a ‘shamanic
voyage’, and the therapists best role is to be with the
person, to guide them through and help them find
wholeness.- MYSTICAL METAPHORS (2010)
Behavior results from our experience. If a behavior is deemed by some as maladaptive, it
can only be seen in light of experience. But can we really know the experience of
another? Will we only choose to judge the experience of another by our own experience?
Will we invalidate the other because they do not share our perception of experience? Will
we force them to have ‘our experience’ and thus behave as we do?- THE MEETING OF TWO PERSONS: WHAT THERAPY SHOULD BE
Contacting Dr. Dan Edmunds
Dan L. Edmunds, Ed.D.
Scranton/Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
MEETING OF TWO PERSONS LECTURE TOUR
July 22, 2011- Philadelphia, PA at Wooden Shoe Bookstore
September 6, 2011- Daytona Beach, FL (radio broadcast)
September 27, 2011- Keystone College, LaPlume, PA
November 26, 2011- New York City, NY at Bluestockings Bookstore
January 14, 2012- Scranton, PA
DR. EDMUNDS IS AN INVITED SPEAKER AT THE 2013 SOCIETY FOR HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLOGY CONFERENCE TO BE HELD AT PAFICIA GRADUATE INSTITUTE, CARPENTERIA, CA FEBRUARY 28 TO MARCH 3, 2013.
