If you’ve been hanging out with me in my metaphorical garden for any length of time, then you’ve heard me mention MonuMENTAL Health a time or two. I’ve written about it in various contexts, but I can’t help but wonder if I’ve been successful at sowing this seed. And if you’re new here, welcome — this is a great place to start.
This idea got started back in the summer of 2023 when I was visiting friends in South Carolina, on my trip across the country, to spend that summer with my sister in Massachusetts. That was a fun trip and a great summer!
I was out for a walk and came upon a house under construction, and noticed a truck in the driveway whose sign read Monumental Plumbing, or maybe Electrical — I’m really not sure. But when I saw the word Monumental, the MENTAL stood out and I thought, MonuMENTAL Health. Those words captured the idea of an overarching sense of attaining well-being that I had been searching for.
So, I started writing about it, and in January 2025 I said…
MonuMENTAL Health is exactly the term I was looking for to describe the work we need to do as psychotherapists, psychologists, physicians, and a host of other professionals who work with patients, clients, and their families to heal and recover from mental illness. I see MonuMENTAL Health as a compass, a northern star or path to follow, as well as our ultimate goal to achieve.
I’ve used more than a metaphor or two to explain this idea, and recently wrote that MonuMENTAL Health isn’t a destination we arrive at one day, where we’re done with nothing left to do but live happily ever after. But that’s not realistic — life isn’t stagnant, it’s ever changing.
To be more succinct, I thought achieving MonuMENTAL Health means living a harmonious life in mind, body, and soul. This seemed better but again, maybe a little too “woo woo,” and not really expressing this idea that is firmly parked in my consciousness.
Normally I don’t struggle to express my thoughts — or opinions for that matter — but for some reason bringing this concept to life has been a challenge. So, after sitting unsuccessfully with this idea of MonuMENTAL Health being a goal or a destination, a compass on a journey, I’m settling more on the idea of a state of being.
After more brainstorming, picking, and parsing I’m thinking…
MonuMENTAL Health isn’t perfect health or a perfect life. It’s what happens when you stop fighting your mind, your body, and your soul and start honoring all three. Built deliberately, one ordinary practice at a time, so it holds when life gets hard — and it will.
It’s important to me that we understand that our health or happiness will never be perfect — nothing in life ever is. But we can find homeostasis, a comfortable stability, if you will, within ourselves, where we can thrive.
When I was in graduate school we were told in no uncertain terms that practicing psychotherapy was grounded in psychological theory beginning with Freud’s psychoanalytic theory (today’s Neo-Freudian), B.F. Skinner’s Behaviorism (forerunner to today’s CBT), and the third force being Humanistic Psychology (today’s person-centered, Gestalt, and existential therapy) — and it was our task to determine which suited us best, thus forming a solid foundation for us to work from.
I was firmly planted in humanistic psychology, where the focus is on inherent goodness, personal growth, self-discovery, and emphasizing the therapeutic relationship, unconditional positive regard, and authenticity as key to helping clients achieve their full potential.
Humanistic psychology resonated with me because it takes an optimistic view of life and allows for individuality, spirituality, and personal growth for all persons. For me this is essential for meeting the client where they are and helping them get where they want to go.
I have always believed that each of us holds the key to the problems we encounter — we can just get lost or stuck, and sometimes need help finding our way. Therapy can provide that path. I also believe that God wouldn’t give us life, with all its trials and tribulations, without also giving us everything we need to thrive.
So, I’ve gone down this long road to say that MonuMENTAL Health is possible for all of us if we’re willing to look more optimistically at our life. If we will stop seeking perfection, stop comparing ourselves to others, appreciate our unique gifts and talents, and most importantly honor what God has given us — our mind, body, and soul.
The health and happiness we seek is right there in front of each one of us, if we’ll just stop, be quiet for a minute, breathe, listen, learn, rest, hydrate, sleep, eat real food, tune out the chaos, and tune into what life has in store for us.
Or more simply stated — be willing to live MonuMENTALLY healthy lives.
Thank You for being a part of Planting Seeds for Health & Happiness
I’d love to hear your thoughts, please join the discussion on MonuMENTAL Health, just click on the leave a comment button. Let’s keep this conversation going…
If your not on Substack but would still like to share your thoughts just click on the email button below. I will respond to your email.
When your family gathers for dinner tonight, remember the dinner table is a No Phone Zone! Summer is coming to a close, in most places the kiddos are already back in school. Tonight, surprise the family with dinner, picnic style and start a conversation about how we can start to live life honoring our mind, body and soul. Everyone eats, participates, and listens to each other’s stories.
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