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THE PSYCHSURVIVALIST

THE PSYCHSURVIVALIST

Written by: Julian Lev
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I received my doctorate in Counseling Psychology, have been licensed in New Mexico since 1991, with almost all of my practice in Clinical Psych. I worked inpatient in State Hospitals, in outpatient programs for the severely disabled mentally ill and at what was commonly known as the Albuquerque Jail, formally the Bernalillo County Detention Center, where I supervised counselors. I provided assessments for the State in criminal forensic cases, performed mental health Disability assessment interviews and wrote formal clinical reports, and later reviewed others' reports for Social Security assessing for accuracy and proper determination. Altogether, this amounted to thousands of cases.

My most important preparation for what became my unexpected career came from growing up in a dysfunctional family, where I decided at 17 years old that my best alternative was homelessness. That experience brought me into daily contact with drug addicts, alcoholics, the mentally impaired, criminals, and others who, like me, couldn't see how they could make it in life. Many of these people were my friends. I still think about them, often fondly. Those relationships proved to be important in my training and subsequent practice.

I accept people for who they are. I do not presume them to be either good or bad; I take them as they present themselves. I NEVER assume that I know them better than they know themselves. In that regard, I have never changed. I have been known to say, "I don't like people." The typical response is, "So, why did you become a psychologist?" And I reply, "I think their problems are interesting." If my work opens the possibility of improving a person's functioning and adaptability I am all in-no matter the severity of the case-as long as they want to do the work of therapy.

Recognizing flaws and biases in people does not dehumanize them for me; it ennobles them. It reflects an understanding of what they have been through and what they may have endured, to reach the point where they commit themselves to enlarging their world. As a Psychsurvivalist, I expect people to be people, no more and no less. I hope that the people I have worked with put what they learned to good use. Any success is theirs not mine. I always appreciate and recognize their effort. I am just trying to help them along the way.

Julian Lev 2026 Hygiene & Healthy Living Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Science Social Sciences
Episodes
  • A Discussion Of The Reiner Case-Are People Good?

    A Discussion Of The Reiner Case-Are People Good?
    Jan 22 2026

    #Forensicpsychology #Criminalpsychology #Psychsurvival #Psychiatricdiagnosis If the case of #NickReiner were to come across my desk, whether for my assessment of mental health considerations of a criminal case or for Social Security Disability, these are the questions I might ask and what I would be looking for in my review of any available records in order to make a recommendation or determination. The questions I ask here are based entirely on information I have found in public reports in the news media, including statements from his father, Rob Reiner, and from Nick himself. As I say in this podcast, answers to some of my questions may be found in the clinical records from his years of treatment, still others may yet be answered by specific types of examination that he might have had or more likely might never have been subjected to. This is intended to be the beginning of a discussion, not the end of one.
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    33 mins
  • What Is Psychsurvivalism?

    What Is Psychsurvivalism?
    Jan 18 2026

    #psychology Here are some early essentials of #Psychsurvivalism, that is, separating truth from lies especially when dealing with #attorneys, #politicians, and among #uniformedofficials. I will also introduce the role of #morality in all our actions, what separates morality of the #helpingprofessions whose jobs are to assist from #Iceagents who are given a uniform, a gun, and a mask with nothing else to identify them and whose morality tells them to follow orders and to draw a paycheck.
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    33 mins
  • Introduction To Psychsurvivalism

    Introduction To Psychsurvivalism
    Jan 11 2026

    PsychSurvivalism: What you need to know about psychology to promote your and your family's survival and well-being.

    This podcast is about survival, specifically about psychological survival Most survival discussions are about weapons and methods for their use, They usually don't do as well in explaining the situations in which you might use those weapons and how to avoid getting into them. That is the main focus here.. It is about the psychology of the influences that result in misjudgment and poor outcomes, how to recognize and avoid them.

    This is about how to think or how to think about thinking, how to recognize and train yourself in how to respond mentally and emotionally when a response to threat is required, even in situations when threat is inobvious to all parties involved. Or as Leonard Cohen said in his song, Hallelujah, "...all I've ever learned from love Was how to shoot someone who outdrew you." It is about how to recognize and respond to mental and emotional uncertainty, even with intimates. This presentation discusses how to recognize environmental factors that could result in threat and the people who live and function in those environments that are exploitative or threatening even when there is no intention of causing harm. I might not tell you what to do in specific situations, but I hope to provide useful information on how to recognize them, interpret them, and how best to react to them.
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    13 mins
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