Transformation is a therapeutic approach that centers on the power of my thinking—on how my thoughts and beliefs create my experiences and shape the trajectory of my life. At the heart of this philosophy, especially in the treatment of addictive behaviors and mental health issues, is one crucial idea:

The most important thought I have is the thought I hold about myself—my self-image.

My self-image, a term originally emphasized by Dr. Maxwell Maltz, consists of what I believe about my value and worth as a human being. When my self-image is negative—when I secretly believe I am not good enough, inadequate, damaged, or less than—I will suffer. That belief will show up as addiction, depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and many other forms of emotional pain.

Transformation Counseling is about learning to change these negative thoughts and beliefs about myself into positive, truthful affirmations. As I change my inner conversation, I begin to experience authentic self-respect and self-love. When I truly know that I am perfect, whole, and complete in this present moment, many of my struggles—including substance abuse and other addictions, as well as mental health problems—can and will be resolved.

The Principles of Transformation are the foundation of this new way of living. They form a matrix of a new belief system that allows me to step out of victimhood and into responsibility, to move from self-condemnation to self-love, and to reconnect with Spirit, Source, Higher Power, or God.

Below are the Principles of Transformation.

I Am Responsible for All My Experiences

I am responsible for everything I think, believe, say, feel, and do. I am responsible for all my experiences because of the ideas and thoughts I accepted early in life, repeated, and ultimately turned into beliefs about my value and worth—my self-image.

From these beliefs, I created my experiences, including my addictive behavior with drugs and alcohol and my mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. My belief that I am not good enough, not enough, inadequate, damaged, or less than is not something that happened to me; it is a thought I accepted and continued to reinforce.

I am not, and have never been, a victim. Victimization is a belief I created to avoid acknowledging my responsibility. My work in transformation is to take complete responsibility for all my thoughts, beliefs, words, feelings, actions, and experiences. When I accept this responsibility, I reclaim my power to change. I created my negative thoughts and beliefs, and I can create positive ones just as easily.

I Choose Everything That I Experience

I choose all my experiences and how my life is occurring. I choose my thoughts and beliefs, my words, my feelings, my actions, and therefore the experiences and consequences that follow—including my addictive behavior and my mental health challenges.

Every choice I make arises from the context of my self-image—what I believe about my value and worth as a human being. My self-image shapes my decisions in every area of life. Yet I have always had the power to choose differently. I have always had the free will to choose positive, life-affirming thoughts instead of negative ones.

My work in transformation is to become consciously aware of my thinking and of the choices I am making from moment to moment. When I recognize that I am the one choosing my thoughts and their consequences, I can begin to choose differently. In this awareness, I leave behind the illusion of victimhood and step into my power to transform my life.

I Have the Power to Transform My Experiences

I have always had the power to change and transform my life. I am the cause of my life, not the effect of it. I am not powerless, and I am not doomed to remain the way I have been.

I have always done the best I could in each moment with the knowledge, understanding, and awareness I had at the time. When I gain more truthful and adequate knowledge—especially about who I really am and how my mind works—I create the possibility of doing differently and better.

My power to transform my life is found in transforming my thinking. By changing my negative thoughts and beliefs about my value and worth into positive ones, I can end my addictive behavior to drugs and alcohol and find real resolution to my mental health problems. My negative thoughts about my self-worth are just thoughts I created. I can replace them with thoughts that reveal my true nature: perfect, whole, and complete.

The solution lies in learning how to use my mind to think positively, lovingly, and truthfully about myself.

My Thoughts Create All That I Experience

My thoughts, beliefs, and thinking patterns are powerful and creative. They create how I feel, what I say and do, and how my life occurs for me from moment to moment in the Now.

I created my addictive behavior and mental health problems by repeatedly choosing and believing specific negative thoughts about myself. Over time, I came to accept these as “truth,” especially the thought that I am not good enough. This self-limiting belief dictates every aspect of my life. It shapes what I believe is possible and what I assume I deserve.

I am not truly addicted to drugs and alcohol; I am addicted to negative thinking and to the belief that I am not good enough. My addiction is to the way of thinking generated by my negative self-image. When I change my thinking, my experiences inevitably change as well.

My Point of Power Is in the Present Moment

My power to change and transform my life is always in the present moment—the Now. The past and the future have no real existence; they live only as thoughts in my mind. Only the present moment is real, and only here can transformation occur.

What I think and do in this moment is what matters. It is in this moment that I create what I will later call “my life.” When I learn to stay grounded in the Now, I access my true inner power—the power of my thoughts and beliefs, the power that comes from my connection to Source, Spirit, Higher Power, or God.

By staying present, I can hear the guidance of Spirit, experience who I truly am, and use my thinking to transform my life. In the present moment, I can choose new thoughts and a new way of being.

My Thoughts Create What I Experience in My Body

My thoughts and beliefs not only create my emotional experiences; they also affect my physical body. There is no real separation between mind and body. What happens in my mind is reflected in my physiology.

My thinking can support illness or health, depending on whether my dominant thoughts are negative or positive. When I think negatively about myself and my worth, my body responds in kind. When I think positively, lovingly, and affirmatively about myself, my body moves toward health and balance.

To care for my body, I must also care for my mind. Positive, life-enhancing thoughts create a supportive environment for physical healing. Negative, self-attacking thoughts create stress, tension, and dis-ease.

I Am Always Doing the Best That I Can

Everything I think, say, feel, and do is rooted in the knowledge and awareness I have at the time. Knowledge is power, and the effectiveness of my power depends on how adequate and truthful that knowledge is.

I am always doing the best I can with the knowledge, understanding, and awareness I possess in the present moment. As I learn more about the Truth—about myself, about Spirit, about how my mind works—my knowledge becomes more adequate. When that happens, my thinking improves, my choices improve, and my life improves.

My work in transformation is to gain knowledge that reflects Truth, to become more aware of how my mind operates, and to use this awareness as the first step in healing. When my knowledge becomes more aligned with Truth, I naturally become different and better.

I Forgive and Let Go of the Past

Forgiveness is essential for my recovery and transformation. To move into the present and access my power, I must let go of the negative experiences of my past and forgive everyone—including myself.

If I refuse to forgive, I remain a slave to my past. I stay stuck in resentment, anger, and blame, and I continue to deny my responsibility. But my past exists now only as thought—memory, a pattern of ideas and beliefs in my mind. Thoughts can be changed.

What matters is not the events themselves, which are gone, but what I think and believe about them now. When I forgive, I release old interpretations and free myself to live fully in the present moment.

I also remember that everyone, including me, has always done the best they could with the knowledge and awareness they had. When I accept my responsibility for creating my experiences, there is ultimately no one to blame.

I Am Fully Committed to My Transformation

To truly change my life, I must be fully committed to transformation. Half-measures, picking and choosing which suggestions to follow, and stopping when resistance appears will not work.

Full commitment means dedicating myself to transforming my negative thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes—especially those related to my value and worth—into fully positive ones. This requires discipline, perseverance, and immersion in the conversation of transformation.

In practice, this means following the guidance of my therapist or trusted mentor completely, acting on suggestions even when I feel unsure or resistant, and treating this work as if my life depends on it—because it does. As I remain committed, I gain the strength not only to transform myself but also, eventually, to serve others on a similar path.

I Am Spirit, Source, Higher Power, God

I am not my thoughts or beliefs. I am not even my mind. My mind is simply a tool I use to create thoughts and beliefs. For much of my life, I believed my identity came from the external world—from what I did, what I had, and what others thought of me. This led me to build an identity that could never truly satisfy me.

When I look outside myself for worth and identity, I inevitably experience disappointment and pain. I reinforce my negative self-image and feel lost and disconnected.

Transformation invites me to look within. As I turn inward, I begin to discover who I truly am and where my real power comes from. The fuel for this inner journey is unconditional self-love—a love created by transforming my thoughts and beliefs from negative to positive.

As I learn to think thoughts of respect, acceptance, approval, and acknowledgment about myself, I begin to experience authentic self-love. In this self-love, I discover my true identity: I am one with Higher Power, Source, Spirit, or God.

Loving myself authentically, knowing who I am, and reconnecting with my Source are all the same process. God is love; when I love myself, I experience God—and I experience that I am of that same essence.

Emotional and Behavioral Problems the Principles of Transformation Help Resolve

The Principles of Transformation are not abstract ideas; they are practical tools that directly address the emotional and behavioral struggles that so many people live with every day. Below are key problem areas and how the Principles help to resolve them.

Feeling Like a Victim and Living in Blame

Related Principles: 1 – I am responsible for all my experiences; 2 – I choose everything that I experience.

Problem:
Feeling powerless, believing that life “just happens,” blaming others, circumstances, or the past, and seeing oneself as a victim.

How the Principles Help:
By learning that I am responsible for all my experiences and that I am always choosing my thoughts and responses, I step out of victimhood. I begin to see that I am the creator of my life, not the helpless recipient of it. This shift from blame to responsibility restores my personal power and opens the possibility of real change.

Believing “I Can’t Change” or “This Is Just Who I Am”

Related Principles: 2 – I choose everything that I experience; 3 – I have the power to transform my experiences.

Problem:
A deep conviction that no matter what I do, nothing will really change—that addiction, depression, or anxiety are permanent identities.

How the Principles Help:
The Principles remind me that I always have the power of choice and that I have always had the power to transform my experiences. When I embrace this truth, hopelessness begins to fade. I understand that I am not fixed; my life can change as I change my thinking and my beliefs about myself.

Negative Self-Image and “I’m Not Good Enough”

Related Principles: 1, 3, 4, 11, 12.

Problem:
Living from a core belief that I am not good enough, not enough, inadequate, or broken—which leads to shame, low self-esteem, and self-sabotage.

How the Principles Help:
The Principles show me that this belief is a learned thought, not the truth of who I am. As I accept full responsibility for my thoughts and see how they have created my experiences, I realize I can choose new thoughts. Through consistent practice, I build a positive self-image and come to know that I am perfect, whole, and complete. When my self-image changes, my choices and my life change.

Addictive Behaviors and Self-Destruction

Related Principles: 1, 4, 8, 11, 12.

Problem:
Using drugs, alcohol, or other compulsive behaviors (food, sex, gambling, pornography, etc.) to escape pain, numb feelings, or punish myself.

How the Principles Help:
The Principles identify the true cause of addiction as a negative belief about my value and worth. Drugs and alcohol are revealed as instruments of self-harm, not the root problem. As I transform my thinking and learn to love myself, the internal need to escape or destroy myself diminishes. I replace self-destructive behaviors with self-respecting choices.

Depression, Anxiety, and Low Self-Esteem

Related Principles: 1, 3, 4, 5, 12.

Problem:
Chronic sadness, fear, worry, and feelings of worthlessness generated by constant negative thinking about myself and my life.

How the Principles Help:
By understanding that my thoughts create my experiences, I learn to track the link between what I think and how I feel. I begin to replace self-attacking thoughts with compassionate, affirming ones. As I practice living in the present moment and develop a more loving relationship with myself, symptoms of depression and anxiety can soften and gradually lift.

Shame, Guilt, and Self-Condemnation About the Past

Related Principles: 1, 5, 7, 8.

Problem:
Relentless self-judgment about past behavior, believing that my history proves I am bad, unlovable, or beyond redemption.

How the Principles Help:
The Principles teach that the past exists now only as thought and that I am always doing the best I can with the knowledge and awareness I have. Through forgiveness—especially self-forgiveness—I release old stories of failure and punishment. I begin to see the past as something I can learn from rather than something I must eternally suffer for.

Resentment, Anger, and Old Hurts That Won’t Heal

Related Principles: 1, 5, 8.

Problem:
Holding on to anger and resentment toward others or myself, staying mentally stuck in old injuries and injustices.

How the Principles Help:
By accepting responsibility for my experiences and recognizing that my past now exists only as thought, I see that resentment keeps me chained to what I say I want to be free of. Forgiveness—letting go of the past—allows me to live in the present moment, where my real power is. As I forgive, anger and resentment begin to dissolve, and I experience emotional freedom.

Living in the Past or Future and Missing the Present Moment

Related Principles: 2, 5, 8.

Problem:
Constantly replaying the past or worrying about the future, rarely feeling grounded in the here and now.

How the Principles Help:
“My point of power is in the present moment” becomes a lived truth. I learn that neither the past nor the future can change my life—only my thoughts and actions now can. The more I practice being present, the more access I have to my inner power, my connection to Spirit, and my ability to create a different future.

Fear and Anxiety About Health and the Body

Related Principles: 4, 5, 6.

Problem:
Worrying about illness, feeling betrayed by my body, or believing that healing is impossible for me.

How the Principles Help:
The Principles teach that mind and body are one and that my thoughts influence my physiology. By shifting from fear-based to love-based thinking, I create a more supportive internal environment for healing. While this is not a substitute for medical care, it is a powerful complement that can reduce stress and support wellbeing.

Harsh Self-Judgment and Perfectionism

Related Principles: 1, 3, 7, 12.

Problem:
Relentlessly criticizing myself, demanding perfection, and using mistakes as proof that I am worthless.

How the Principles Help:
Recognizing that I have always done the best I could with the knowledge I had, I start to replace judgment with understanding. I use my mistakes as opportunities for learning rather than as ammunition for self-attack. As I grow in knowledge and truth, I naturally behave differently and better—without needing to hate myself into change.

Identity Confusion and Over-Identification with Roles

Related Principles: 3, 5, 10, 12.

Problem:
Defining myself by my addiction, my diagnosis, my job, my reputation, or what others think of me—and feeling empty or lost when those things change.

How the Principles Help:
The Principle “I am Spirit, Source, Higher Power, God” invites me to discover a deeper identity beyond roles and labels. As I love myself and experience my connection to Source, I realize that my true worth is intrinsic and unchanging. From this stable identity, I can participate in life’s roles without being defined or destroyed by them.

Inconsistency, Half-Measures, and Lack of Commitment

Related Principles: 3, 5, 7, 9.

Problem:
Starting and stopping, doing the work of change only when convenient, and abandoning the process when resistance or discomfort arises.

How the Principles Help:
The Principle “I am fully committed to my transformation” calls me to treat my healing as essential, not optional. I learn that true change requires daily practice, guidance, accountability, and perseverance. By honoring my commitment even when I don’t feel like it, I build integrity, inner strength, and long-term stability.

Inner Emptiness and Lack of Authentic Self-Love

Related Principles: 3, 4, 10, 11, 12.

Problem:
Feeling empty or unlovable, seeking validation from others or from substances and behaviors that ultimately harm me.

How the Principles Help:
The Principles reveal that the emptiness I feel is not a sign that something is wrong with me; it is a sign that I have been cut off from my true Self. By learning to think positively and truthfully about myself, by practicing self-approval and self-acceptance, I gradually experience authentic self-love. As self-love grows, the need to numb, escape, or destroy myself fades. I begin to create a life that reflects the truth of who I am.

The Cause of My Addictive Behavior and Mental Health Issues Is a Negative Thought or Belief About Myself

The true cause of my addictive behavior and many of my mental health problems is not in my body; it is in my mind. The root cause is a belief: “I am not good enough. I do not matter. I am less than.”

When I hold this belief, I will repeatedly engage in self-destructive behaviors that appear to confirm it. I will be drawn to experiences, including substances, that seem to validate my negative self-image and that may ultimately harm or even kill me.

Drugs and alcohol are not the real problem; they are instruments I use to act out my self-hatred. They are tools of self-harm and self-execution. The real problem is the negative belief I hold about myself. The same principle applies to other addictive behaviors—gambling, food, pornography, sex—and to many mental health conditions.

Loving Myself Is the Solution to My Addictive Behavior and Mental Health Problems

If a negative belief about myself is the cause of my suffering, then the solution is learning to love myself. Loving myself authentically is the only true solution to my addictive behavior and mental health problems.

To change the trajectory of my life, to end my addictive behavior and resolve my mental health challenges, I must learn how to respect, approve of, accept, acknowledge, and love myself just as I am in the present moment.

This is simple, but it is not easy. It requires commitment, guidance, and daily practice. I must be willing to accept and follow suggestions from those who understand and live these principles. I must learn the knowledge that leads to self-love and apply it consistently.

The key is to develop a positive self-image. As I think positively about myself, I begin to know that I am perfect, whole, and complete, that I matter, that I am enough. When I truly believe this, I no longer need to use drugs or alcohol or to live in depression, anxiety, and worthlessness.

Self-approval and self-acceptance open the door to genuine self-love and lasting transformation.

The Principles of Transformation are much more than ideas on a page. They are a practical blueprint for healing the deepest layers of my life—my self-image, my thoughts, and my relationship with myself and with Spirit.

In Part One, I discovered a new way of understanding myself and my experiences:

• I am responsible for my thoughts, feelings, actions, and experiences.
• I am always choosing, and therefore I always have the power to choose again.
• My thoughts are creative; they shape my emotions, my body, my relationships, and my future.
• My past exists now only as thought, and I can forgive, release, and return to the present moment.
• My true identity is not my addiction, my diagnosis, my history, or my role—it is Spirit, Source, Higher Power, God.
• The real solution to my addictive behavior and mental health problems is learning to genuinely love myself.

These Principles form a new internal framework—a matrix of Truth that replaces the old, negative belief system that once governed my life.

In Part Two, I saw how these same Principles apply directly to the real emotional and behavioral struggles I face:

• Feeling like a victim and living in blame
• Believing I can’t change and that this is “just who I am”
• Living from a negative self-image and the belief that I am not good enough
• Addictive behaviors and self-destruction
• Depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem
• Shame, guilt, and self-condemnation
• Resentment, anger, and old hurts that will not heal
• Living in the past or future and missing the present moment
• Fear about health and the body
• Harsh self-judgment and perfectionism
• Identity confusion and over-identification with roles
• Inconsistency, half-measures, and lack of commitment
• Inner emptiness and lack of authentic self-love

Each of these problem areas is not random or mysterious. Each one is the natural outcome of a particular way of thinking about myself and my life. When my thinking changes—when I begin to see myself as worthy, valuable, and spiritually whole—these problems can begin to dissolve at their root.

Transformation Counseling brings Parts One and Two together.

It takes the Principles of Transformation (Part One) and applies them consistently and compassionately to the emotional and behavioral problems described (Part Two). Through daily practice, guided reflection, and a willingness to tell the truth about my thinking, I learn how to:

• Take responsibility instead of remaining a victim.
• Choose new thoughts instead of repeating old ones.
• Forgive and release the past instead of reliving it.
• Live in the present moment instead of in fear or regret.
• Love myself instead of attacking or abandoning myself.
• Remember who I truly am instead of believing I am broken.

The result is not just symptom relief, but a fundamental shift in how I experience myself and my life. Addiction, depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem are no longer central to my identity. They become chapters in my story, not the definition of who I am.

Ultimately, the Principles of Transformation lead me back to the truth:

I am perfect, whole, and complete in this moment.
I am capable of change.
I am worthy of love—especially my own.

When I live from this truth, transformation is not an idea. It is my lived reality, one present moment at a time.

Dr. Harry Henshaw

Enhanced Healing Counseling

Port Charlotte, Florida

Enhanced Healing Counseling

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