In his own private practice as a therapist/counselor and educator for the past two decades, in Southfield, MI, Dale has come to believe the vast majority of mental health issues (and even more so the concept of “mental illness”) are more likely the result of places that taught individual persons how to merely “survive” using poor quality coping skills. This ‘person, in a place, with a process’ model takes the focus off ‘blaming the individual’ and teaches there are more effective, AND SATISFYING, methods of dealing with the complexities of daily living in our modern society. This is where a person’s passion comes into play and makes their life really worth living. Dale strongly believes life should be an adventure to be savored, rather than merely a series of problems to be solved.
Completing his master’s degree in social work, at Wayne State University in Detroit, he established his current private practice in 1985. During his 20+ years as a therapist/counselor and educator, Dale has come to believe teaching the attributes of relatively healthy functioning families, along with the mechanics and roles within dysfunctional families, allows AND ENCOURAGES individuals, families, groups, companies and corporations, and possibly even entire countries to internalize their locus of control and discover healthy normalcy (along with the practiced skill of setting boundaries and learning alternatives to power and control struggles through assertiveness). He enjoys balancing his direct client therapy with lecturing, workshops and writing, as well as volunteering on public program boards and “grass roots” organizational committees.
Dale believes individuals deserve the opportunity to live lifestyles to their fullest, unencumbered and in control of past issues Regarding the broad and important topic of ‘addictions’, he suggests Twelve-Step Programs are excellent for establishing sobriety, while also believing there can be more to living than simply surviving and “taking it one day at a time”. There may be several paths individuals can take during their lifetime’s journey. This is advocating diversity in its broadest definition. As a voluntary professional, Dale has addressed the slow but important emerging area of ‘men’s issues’, the medical and social issues of people actively dealing with AIDS, and minority population issues for over two decades; he has served on four public and professional health speakers bureaus; was a member of the Board of Directors of the Michigan Alcohol & Addiction Association; created and taught, over seven years, two graduate courses on working with specific minority clients; was President of the Southeastern Michigan Information and Referral Alliance; first President of Wellness House of Michigan; helped establish Wellness Networks, Inc. (now a division of the non-profit organization AIDS Partnership Michigan); and was a “therapist”, and consultant, to a five-city syndicated television news segment on relationships.
During his personal time, Dale enjoys antiques and fine art (having previously been an antique dealer for eight years) and gardening - a rather full and passionate life thus far.
Dale G. Ross, msw (Counselor/Therapist and Educator) 206 Americana Plaza, 28475 Greenfield Rd. Southfield, MI 48076 (248) 544-7041 RealitiesUnlimited@Comcast.net
Dale also sees clients through St. John Hospital’s Eastwood Clinics, in Royal Oak, MI (248) 288-9333 and Livonia, MI (734) 425-4070.
