LCMHC, 26 years of experience
New to Grow
I was raised in the Memphis, TN area. I then attended college in Nashville TN where I received a BS degree. I got married while in college. We moved to Raleigh, NC once we both graduated to care for my wife's parents. We've been married over 40 years. Once we moved to NC we began providing foster care for older children and teenagers. After several years we decided to move to long-term foster care for young children and adopted six children over the next 8 years. My wife joined our oldest daughter on a mission trip to Guatemala where they met our next son, who we adopted over the next two years. He was able to join us just before his 12th birthday. I began working for the USPS once we moved to NC. After working there for 10 years, I realized that I wanted to change careers and fulfill the dream of helping others in a more practical way. I took a break from work and obtained a MA in Counseling. After receiving my LPC license, I worked in various settings within the counseling field. I have worked in Child Protective Services, worked for a couple of mental health clinics, held a private practice, worked in crisis intervention for 10 years in a hospital setting, returned to the clinic setting, and have once again opened a private practice. I am now licensed as a LCMHC and LCAS in NC.
I will introduce myself and will enjoy learning some details from your life and the details of where you are now. I will gather information by asking about your personal history, symptoms, and goals for therapy. I will explain my approach and we will cover confidentiality guidelines. Please ask questions and discuss what you hope to gain from our time spent together. We will immediately begin building a therapeutic rapport.
I strive to build an excellent rapport with each client and empower them to be able to reach the therapeutic goals. I want to provide the skills required to meet their personal self expectations during and after therapy. I work towards building a relationship where the client feels comfortable sharing and addressing the issues of their life as well as feeling comfortable enough to ask questions. I aim for the client to feel no judgement.
I have provided compassionate care and support to a diverse caseload of adult clients, navigating a wide range of mental health disorders and co-occurring issues. In doing this I have facilitated individuals/couples in managing complex mental health challenges, with a focus on empowering clients to develop effective coping strategies for sustained recovery. My ideal client would be engaged in the sessions, follow through with directives given, and be motivated to change.
This is one of the primary treatment methods I have used throughout my career. I have it very successful in helping individuals change negative thought patterns that impact their lives with healthier thought patterns.
Christian counseling is important because it offers holistic healing by integrating faith-based principles with professional therapeutic practices, addressing both spiritual and psychological concerns.
This directly targets high levels of self-criticism and shame, which are central to many mental health issues like depression and trauma, by teaching clients to develop self-compassion.
This is important because it improves communication, helps partners resolve conflict, rebuild trust, and deepens intimacy by providing a neutral and supportive environment to understand relationship dynamics and develop healthier coping skills.
This facilitates change and development in the family system. This involves improving the interactions between family members and addressing issues that disrupt the family.