I am a caring person — and I am blessed to do that professionally and personally.
As a counselor, I have been focused as a personal and corporate counselor since 1974. I work with individuals, couples, families, and groups in various configurations. My job is to enable my clients to be their best selves by their own evaluation. I work as a collaborator — my client(s) and I focus on their wholeness together. When there is trauma and hurt, we work for healing. When there is desire and need for growth and change, we work to enable that and fulfill the desire.
I am also an ordained minister. When first ordained in 1965, I became a fifth generation Methodist minister. While still officially operating under that umbrella, I see myself as ecumenical, in that I am easy working in the context of faith, whether Christian or not. From Bahai to Southern Baptist to Atheist, I view my job as a minister not to convert but to encourage wholeness, faith, and joy.
As a coach, it is my job to work with each client to maximize their strengths, to identify their assets and their difficulties, and to develop healthy ways to move themselves into positive and productive feelings as well as behaviors.
I believe that growth and healing takes place best in relationships. As social creatures, the more we isolate, the more we are likely to hurt. Finding ways to relate to ourselves, our histories, and others is crucial in terms of growth and wholeness. As a healer, I work to enable the restoration of wholeness and balance,
whether the difficulties come from trauma, abuse, foolishness, or miscalculation
.
I am a lover (in process). I make every effort to love every client with whom I work. A major part of that work is to help them love and appreciate themselves, and to celebrate the privilege of giving that to others. Learning to love ourselves is often our most important task when we want to enable healing, wholeness, and change.
I have training, education, and experience in a variety of disciplines. I am
a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, a
Certified Transactional Analyst, and have been a National Certified Counselor. I have certifications and recognition as a group therapist, family therapist, management consultant, racial sensitivity trainer, LGBTQIA+ ally, and storyteller. I have a
BA in English Literature and an MTh in Theology and Pastoral Care.
My principal heroes and mentors include.. Madeleine L’Engle; Dr. Tommy Tyson; Abbot David Geraets; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; Katherine Buckner, MSW; Dr. Josephine Lewis; Dr. Morton Kelsey; Dr. H. Grady Hardin; Uncle Remus; my father; my two grandfathers; and far too many others to attempt to name.