After decades of working in the field of substance abuse counseling, criminal justice reform, and belief change therapy, I’ve seen a painful truth play out across families of all socioeconomic backgrounds — money can either fuel destruction or fund transformation.

In non-profits, I saw the constant scramble for funding — how mission-driven organizations are often bound by financial handcuffs. In for-profit treatment, I saw billing systems often take priority over real recovery. And in family systems, I witnessed something even more troubling: the destruction of generational wealth by addiction, criminal thinking, or untreated behavioral issues.

That’s when I realized: my financial roots, which I set aside years ago, were never meant to be left behind — they were meant to be merged with my life’s work.

Families don’t just need healing. They need protection. Not just from financial market volatility, but from internal threats: the heir who isn’t ready, the addict who could be manipulated, the relative with a history of impulsive behavior.

What happens when the inheritance lands in the wrong hands?

My work now focuses on solving that problem — helping families, especially those with vulnerable or high-risk loved ones, create smart, compassionate financial strategies that protect both people and legacies.

This includes:

• Building trusts with provisions that protect assets from manipulation and relapse
• Designing wealth transfers that incentivize positive behavior and personal growth
• Helping donors support treatment centers and causes they care about — efficiently and with impact

Whether you’re a parent worried about “what happens after I’m gone,” a non-profit leader seeking sustainability, or a treatment professional trying to preserve your mission — I bring something rare: a fusion of behavioral insight and financial design.

It’s not just about protecting money. It’s about preserving families.

Let’s talk about how we can align your values with your wealth — and protect what matters most.

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Call me now to discuss what is important to you, your family and your legacy. 808 385 4550.

When most people think of life insurance, they picture family protection—not billion-dollar strategies. Yet among the ultra-wealthy, life insurance remains one of the most powerful financial tools ever written into the tax code. Why? Because it delivers what every brain craves: security, leveraged growth, and legacy.

At the highest levels of wealth, every deduction, trust, and charitable plan is already optimized. Or is it?

The CPA may say, “You don’t need life insurance.” But the strategist knows it isn’t about need—it’s about arbitrage. The IRS taxes investment gains, estates, and income, but it doesn’t tax the growth or death benefit inside properly structured life insurance. That’s a loophole the Rockefellers mastered generations ago. They didn’t buy life insurance for protection; they bought it for permanence—to replenish family trusts, replace charitable gifts, and ensure each generation began where the last one left off.

Who do you love more than the IRS?

Imagine converting $10 million of idle cash into $40 million of tax-free liquidity held in a dynasty trust. The family wins. The chosen charity wins. The IRS loses. Every dollar compounds in silence—no 1099s, no probate, no forced liquidation. When structured with a charitable trust or ILIT, the result is a seamless cycle of giving and growth—a living legacy that never dies.

In the end, life insurance isn’t about dying. It’s about winning—financially, emotionally, and generationally—by turning tax law itself into your most loyal ally. That’s why the truly wealthy never “believe” in life insurance. They own it.

As a substance abuse counselor who has seen many heirs blow the family fortune on drugs, I can tell you as an insurance expert, that this is the way to protect the fortune that you may have worked a lifetime to build.

Why not call me now to solve these problems! Ph: 808 385 4550.

If you are looking to benefit a charity by December 31, we better act fast. Look at the Pacific Whale Foundation for charitable donation ideas. They are a wonderful organization. Tell them Stan sent you.

But call me for creative ideas that you may not have explored yet.

Stan Dokmanus, CLU, ChFC, LUTCF, CSAC, CCJP, JCI Senator

“Service to Humanity, is the Best Work of Life.”

After decades of working in the field of substance abuse counseling, criminal justice reform, and belief change therapy, I’ve seen a painful truth play out across families of all socioeconomic backgrounds — money can either fuel destruction or fund transformation.

In non-profits, I saw the constant scramble for funding — how mission-driven organizations are often bound by financial handcuffs. In for-profit treatment, I saw billing systems often take priority over real recovery. And in family systems, I witnessed something even more troubling: the destruction of generational wealth by addiction, criminal thinking, or untreated behavioral issues.

That’s when I realized: my financial roots, which I set aside years ago, were never meant to be left behind — they were meant to be merged with my life’s work.

Families don’t just need healing. They need protection. Not just from financial market volatility, but from internal threats: the heir who isn’t ready, the addict who could be manipulated, the relative with a history of impulsive behavior.

What happens when the inheritance lands in the wrong hands?

My work now focuses on solving that problem — helping families, especially those with vulnerable or high-risk loved ones, create smart, compassionate financial strategies that protect both people and legacies.

This includes:

• Building trusts with provisions that protect assets from manipulation and relapse
• Designing wealth transfers that incentivize positive behavior and personal growth
• Helping donors support treatment centers and causes they care about — efficiently and with impact

Whether you’re a parent worried about “what happens after I’m gone,” a non-profit leader seeking sustainability, or a treatment professional trying to preserve your mission — I bring something rare: a fusion of behavioral insight and financial design.

It’s not just about protecting money. It’s about preserving families.

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🔷 Call me now if you want or need more information. Stan Dokmanus, CLU, ChFC, LUTCF, CCJP, CSAC

Let’s talk about how we can align your values with your wealth — and protect what matters most.”

Wanberg, Milkman and Beck tell us that, “There will be no long-term behavior changes unless you change core, permission-granting beliefs first.”

When should we begin belief change work in treatment? Beck says, “As soon as possible.” How soon is that? The first hour? The first day? The first week?

What is your favorite belief change intervention? Some beliefs can be changed in as little as 15-20 minutes. Change agents may want to look into this ASAP. It can be a DIY change.

If nothing changes, nothing changes. That is just as true for counselors, therapists and treatment providers as it is for clients or AA.

If you don’t have a belief change strategy to use for yourself or offer your clients, you might be interested in my book: Belief Eye Movement Therapy. Amazon.com. You might consider becoming certified to do BEMT.

Belief change is the purest form of harm reduction.

What happened to Matthew Perry? Was it malpractice? Errors and Omissions?

Did he still have core, permission granting beliefs? If so, Why?
AI summary:

“…from Wanberg & Milkman’s emphasis on core beliefs, Beck’s focus on permission‑granting beliefs, Christ’s teaching on the power of belief, and Ellis’s REBT ABC‑DE framework—there’s a strong theoretical and clinical case for making belief identity and change a primary early goal in treatment.
Here’s why this aligns with both addiction science and criminal justice rehabilitation:
🔍 Why Belief Identity Matters First

Beliefs drive behavior
Wanberg & Milkman’s point is foundational: if someone’s core beliefs remain unchanged, any behavioral shift is likely to be temporary.
…If a client still believes “I’m destined to fail” or “I can’t cope without using,” relapse risk remains high.

Permission‑granting beliefs
Beck’s concept refers to the internal justifications that allow harmful behavior (“I deserve a drink…One hit won’t hurt”). These must be identified and dismantled early for R&R prevention.

Identity as a recovery anchor:
Research on addiction recovery shows that changing identities is a turning point. Without this shift, people often remain trapped in shame-based self-perceptions that fuel relapse.
🧠 How REBT’s ABC‑DE Model Fits

Ellis’s ABC‑DE framework gives a practical roadmap:
A – Activating event (trigger)
B – Belief about the event (often distorted or permission‑granting)
C – Consequence (emotional/behavioral outcome)
D – Disputation (challenging the belief)
E – Effective new belief (rational, empowering)
By targeting B first, treatment directly rewires the thought patterns that lead to destructive C outcomes.

In criminal justice and addiction treatment, focusing on belief change early:
Reduces criminogenic thinking (e.g., entitlement) and
builds pro‑social identity before reentry, which is a protective factor against recidivism.

It supports intrinsic motivation—people act in line with who they believe they are.
📈 Practical Treatment Sequence
Stabilization & Safety – Address immediate risks (detox, crisis management)
Belief & Identity Work – Identify and challenge core and permission‑granting beliefs; begin identity reconstruction
Skill Building – Coping, problem‑solving, emotional regulation
Behavioral Practice – Apply new beliefs and skills in real‑world scenarios
Maintenance & Relapse Prevention – Reinforce the new identity and belief system.

✅ Conclusion:
Yes—belief identity and change should be among the first therapeutic goals, after immediate safety and stabilization. Without this shift, later skills training and behavioral interventions rest on a shaky foundation. In both addiction recovery and criminal justice rehabilitation, the transformation of self‑belief is the pivot point from which lasting change grows.”
Thanks,
Best,
Stan
I developed Belief Eye Movement Therapy to help in these areas. Amazon.com

Of course. All therapy and counseling involve beliefs. This includes the client’s beliefs, the therapist’s beliefs, and the underlying theoretical beliefs of the therapeutic approach itself.

While therapists strive for objectivity, personal and professional beliefs inevitably shape the therapeutic process. Bias creeps in.

Harm reduction starts with belief changes. Belief Eye Movement Therapy focuses on beliefs. Yours and theirs.

Does it make good sense to have a belief change skill in your toolkit?
https://lnkd.in/guvHJv-J

Belief change is deeply intertwined with harm reduction in the context of substance use disorder (SUD) recovery. Traditionally, harm reduction focuses on reducing the negative consequences of substance use, such as overdose or transmission of diseases, rather than insisting on complete abstinence. It involves strategies like needle exchange programs, safe consumption spaces, or medication-assisted treatment (MAT) to manage the risks associated with drug use.

However, when we consider belief change as the critical factor, it offers a deeper, more transformative layer to harm reduction. Here’s how belief change connects to and enhances harm reduction:

1. Shifting the Belief about Substance Use as a Coping Mechanism

• Harm Reduction Focus: Initially, harm reduction might support individuals in continuing substance use but in a safer manner.
• Belief Change Focus: Through belief change, with BEMT, the idea that “I need this substance to cope” or “I can’t function without this” is challenged. When individuals adopt a new belief—“I have the strength to face challenges without substances” or “I can cope with life in healthier ways”—it not only reduces harm but can also gradually lead to recovery and abstinence as a natural result of the belief shift.

2. Addressing the Root Cause of Relapse

• Harm Reduction Focus: Harm reduction strategies may reduce immediate physical risks but often don’t directly address the root cause of addiction—the beliefs that drive continued substance use.
• Belief Change Focus: By targeting permission-granting beliefs (e.g., “I deserve this because life is hard”), belief change directly intervenes at the cognitive level that allows substance use to persist. This makes recovery more sustainable and less reliant on just managing risks or minimizing harm.

3. Empowering Individuals

• Harm Reduction Focus: Harm reduction aims to minimize the dangers of active substance use, which can empower individuals to feel safer but not necessarily empowered to stop using.
• Belief Change Focus: When beliefs shift, individuals no longer see themselves as victims of addiction but as people capable of recovery. The empowerment through belief change shifts the focus from simply managing harm to transforming identity and behavior in a lasting way.

4. Reducing the Need for External Interventions

• Harm Reduction Focus: Many harm reduction strategies rely on external interventions (like MAT, supervised consumption, etc.) to manage the effects of substance use.
• Belief Change Focus: Once core beliefs are transformed, the individual internalizes the tools to cope with life without the need for constant external intervention. This could lead to sustained recovery, where individuals need less reliance on external harm-reduction measures.

5. Increasing Long-Term Success

• Harm Reduction Focus: Harm reduction helps mitigate risks, but without addressing the root cognitive beliefs, it often falls short of achieving long-term behavioral change.
• Belief Change Focus: When individuals change their beliefs about themselves, their worth, and their ability to manage life without substances, long-term recovery becomes more attainable. The internalized belief system creates resilience that supports ongoing recovery efforts.

Conclusion:

Belief change enriches harm reduction by addressing the underlying cognitive drivers of substance use. While harm reduction is crucial in reducing the immediate risks and consequences of substance use, belief change works at a deeper level, transforming the individual’s internal framework and offering a path to sustainable recovery. By changing the beliefs that perpetuate addiction—such as “I need this substance to cope”—harm reduction can evolve from simply minimizing harm to genuinely promoting long-term recovery.

Thus, belief change doesn’t replace harm reduction; it complements it, turning short-term solutions into long-term, transformative recovery.

Ellis’ ABC-DE Theory is the perfect paradigm to effect change using Belief Eye Movement Therapy. It’s a hand and glove fit for harm reduction and behavior change. Ellis, “It’s the beliefs about events that lead to behavior.”

Wanberg, Milkman and Beck state, “There will be no long-term behavior changes unless you change core, permission-granting beliefs, first.”

Are we simply reporters or agents of change? Reports don’t change people. Empowering beliefs can lead to change. That can reduce relapse, recidivism and the destruction of families. Learning how is made easy with this book.

“Belief Eye Movement Therapy” is available on Amazon.com. It can be your first foray into this new skill. Why not give it a go?

Paraphrasing a LinkedIn contributors: “Belief-change with BEMT is a powerful reframe of harm reduction? Doing Belief Eye Movement Therapy for clients helps them to change limiting, permission-granting beliefs and moves them beyond surface-level strategies to address the core beliefs that sustain risky behavior…”

“The idea that belief change is not just therapeutic, but a form of harm reduction is both clinically sound and humanizing…

…Based on that, Belief Eye Movement Therapy offers a proactive path to internal transformation. This is the kind of depth we need more of in recovery work.” This is the opinion of the LinkedIn contributor.

Maggie Langley: “The belief-change harm reduction connection just makes so much sense! Without starting with beliefs, it seems to me like trying to build on an unstable foundation.”

If I could show you how to do this work for your clients, would you be interested in seeing how it works?
Amazon.com: Belief Eye Movement Therapy: Change Can Occur in the Blink of an Eye eBook : DOKMANUS, STAN: Kindle Store

Milkman and Wanberg tell us, “There will be no long-term behavior changes unless you change core beliefs first.” (Criminal Conduct and Substance Abuse Treatment, P 145.) Judith S. Beck, Cognitive Behavior Theory adds, “…permission-granting belief.”

The usual harm-reduction methods are CBT, needle exchanges, MAT, etc.

The ultimate in harm- reduction is eliciting and changing the core, permission-granting beliefs around alcohol and other drug use and criminal thinking and conduct. It’s a specific skill.

If No B, therefore No A, where B=Long-term behavior changes and A=Belief changes.

This is the way to reduce relapse, recidivism and over-dose deaths. Change the core, permission-granting beliefs that allow these behaviors. Ellis’ ABC-DE Theory fits this paradigm perfectly. It’s the ultimate in harm reduction.

If I could show you a way to change these limiting beliefs in as little as 20 minutes, would you be interested in seeing how it works? Belief Eye Movement Therapy is available on Amazon.com.