About Working with Me
Feeling heard is essential to YOU.
Have you ever had someone who listens to you intimately, someone who can empathize with your pain and stress? Do you want someone who can read into what you say and ask the right questions to clarify your issues?
These are some of the experiences my clients report back when they meet with me. Getting to a comfortable place quickly and helping you look inward for answers takes active listening, empathy, and meeting clients where they are.
Are God and his word important in your life?
Scriptures can guide us well if we dive into God’s word. Your relationship with Jesus Christ is one of the most critical relationships in your life. He will always love you, care about your well-being, and be there for you. If God’s word is essential, let’s use it to see if there are people, stories, or words in the Scriptures that can help solve your issues.
A session with me may feel intense initially, with a slow easing of tension as the conversations flow better. I hope you feel comfortable with the sessions and will discuss the issues you face in your marriage or other relationships, even if the subject is not easy to share.
Surprise!! You may feel better after the first session, but it’s not guaranteed. In the subsequent few sessions, things will become much easier as we get to know each other better and understand our expectations.
Breakthroughs and needed change often occur as we work through some of our perceptions and beliefs about ourselves and others. Looking at some what-if scenarios is often helpful to see different reactions and outcomes.
Relationship counseling is my calling.
After years of working various jobs, I finally found my true calling as a relationship counselor. I often talk with others about spiritual gifts. Mine is discernment. I can notice things not at the surface level and help clients see how they affect their lives.
I have learned not to say much and let clients talk about the issues that bother them, only speaking when something they have said is contradictory or unclear.
After 15-plus years of counseling, I have learned much from studying and from my experiences with clients. I learn from clients and note what tools work for them, including spiritual, conversational, behavioral, and whatever it takes to help clients see where their communication goes wrong.
About Me
Here’s what it is like working with me.
When I first meet clients, I know immediately if we are a good match and if I can help them. Clients who have served in the military seem to work well with me. Order and discipline are admirable traits to me.
I also work with clients who have trouble with self-esteem or believe they are not good enough.
Here’s an example.
A few years ago, I helped one client paralyzed by fear. Her upbringing tore her self-esteem to shreds. She was so scared she would not learn to drive or get her license. She worked at a fast-food restaurant after finishing some college work, where she was a great student. She wanted to be a nurse, a physician’s assistant, or something medical.
After several frustrating sessions encouraging her and giving her ways to move forward with her schooling or helping her find a job that fit her career plans, it seems her fears always won. No progress was happening. I had to think of something to get her moving.
I encouraged her to talk to a friend of mine who was a nurse and worked at the college here. That friend got the client a job at a doctor’s office, where her fear kicked in big time. The doctor and his wife encouraged her and told her it was okay to make a mistake. After only a few weeks, the client became comfortable and became the assistant that all of the doctor’s patients wanted to see.
After a year or two, the doctor and his wife encouraged her to return to school and follow her dream. Because of her work and excellent academic history, she received a college scholarship to Yale University and is there now. From Wendy’s to Yale, what a success story.
Life Coaching is something else I enjoy doing.
I would also mention that I am a 48 Days Life Coach, helping people find the work they love and the right job.
Life Coaching blends easily with counseling. Many of the relationship problems I deal with as a counselor are the same problems many clients have in the workplace – making a nice pairing of services, I think.
I am also a licensed professional counselor or LPC, working on an EMDR certification during this calendar year.
Family keeps me busy.
My wife and I have two daughters and eight grandchildren, aged nine to two. We decided we didn’t need any pets, as these grandchildren provided us with enough fun.