I got into counseling by accident. After living overseas for many years, the Lord called me and my family to move back to the USA in 2018, and I went into my own season of mental struggle. I was blessed to go to, and then work, at my church, where I was surrounded by sound theological teaching, and solid, accepting love from my church family. God used Psalm 96 to bring me out of that dark season, and showed me that his Word and his people are gifts that he uses every day to bless us. At my job at the church, I got to spend time with amazing women who were (and are) still living overseas, working out their own faith, and loving God and people as they do it. Walking with them through the ups and downs helped me process my own struggles and led me to a certification in Biblical Counseling, and eventually to my Master’s in Education, focused on Clinical Mental Health.
My counseling approach is grounded in person-centered and strengths-based theories, and is centered around Jesus Christ. I seek to create a safe space for my clients to express themselves without fear of judgement. I recognize that a strong therapeutic relationship is the most powerful tool I have, and seek to emulate Jesus Christ in how he met people where they were, offering love and compassion, while holding the truth of Scripture as the basis for all he did. I use DBT methods to help my clients identify destructive thought patterns that are negatively influencing them, and seek to help them replace those thoughts with beneficial, positive thoughts that will empower them to take the next steps in their lives, leaning heavily on a verse from the Bible, found in 2 Corinthians 10:5 that says, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ.”
I have been influenced by the works of the Christian Counseling and Education Foundation (CCEF), and specifically by two of their faculty, Dr. Mike Emlet and Todd Stryd. Both of these men encouraged me personally to pursue my degree in Clinical Mental Health, while keeping my faith as the cornerstone of of all I do. My favorite books to use with those with whom I walk are Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy by Mark Vroegop, and Who Am I? Identity in Christ by Jerry Bridges.
My favorite thing is to be with my family at the beach – to relax, to play games together, and to be in God’s beautiful creation! I grew up in Birmingham and have lived here most of my life. I have been married to my college sweetheart for 22 years, and have 3 amazing children! We lived overseas for over 11 years, in East Africa and in the Middle East, and learned so much about how to trust God more, to love people more, and to appreciate the Church more.
