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First and foremost, I am a Christian counselor. As a Christian counselor I believe that hiding our beliefs and trying to do value-free counseling is both unwise and impossible to do.  I want you to know what my important values and beliefs are. 

Like most counselors, I recognize that personal problems can come about because of physiology, social-environmental influences, and psychological pressures. 

I also believe that many problems can be spiritual in nature, resulting from either not understanding biblical truth or from sinful behavior. I also believe that individuals are created in God’s image and can only feel complete and fulfilled through relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ. Thus, Christian counseling, as opposed to other kinds of counseling, is very concerned with the spiritual as well as the emotional and physical needs of clients. The main goal of Christian counseling, like the goal of Christian living, is to enable clients to move toward greater emotional and spiritual health by becoming more like Jesus Christ.

 As a Christian counselor, I am not limited to psychological techniques or to my own human effort and wisdom. I believe that God is the real authority in counseling and He gives us the resources to change. I believe that counseling without the JESUS FACTOR is about as effective as applying a band-aid over a bacteria-infested wound. I believe counseling should involve praying about the client’s difficulties and looking to the authority of the Bible for guidance. In this way, I seek to encourage clients to build a dependency on God. The client can find forgiveness for the past, strength and comfort for the present, and hope for the future by trusting the Lord to daily meet needs and heal emotional wounds. I try to reflect the character of Jesus Christ and to love my clients as He does. While I do not try to force religion on my clients, I do urge them to develop a RELATIONSHIP with the only true Healer of body, soul and spirit, JESUS CHRIST.

This has been a God given dream to begin a counseling and coaching ministry for teens, women, and married couples.  In January 2020, I began courses to receive my certification and licensure. I finished the process in January 2022.  I know this was all God’s handiwork, and He will watch over this ministry as I do His work for His kingdom.  

 If you feel led to do so, I covet your prayers over this ministry and appreciate the referrals. 

My Story: In 2017, I left my full time high school teaching position to teach online part time and spend more time with my children while also helping with our businesses. When the part-time job offer fell through, I questioned if I had made a mistake - although I knew God had given me complete peace about the situation. My biggest fear was how to pay for my daughter's UGA education as she had just graduated high school and did not have a full scholarship (but that's another testimony because God provided for that and the other two siblings' tuition who have since graduated high school).

By June of 2018, I truly missed my students and the impact that I had on their lives and they had on mine. As I was working in one of our businesses on a project that was less than ideal, I prayed to God and asked if I had heard him wrong and if I was supposed to go back to teaching full time. I cried out and asked God to give me an answer, show me the way, and  to use me because I felt like I wasn't doing His work any more. Well before I could walk out of that business, a former coworker sent me a text that the school wanted me to come back and teach. 

There it was - the answer to my prayers. I called my husband and told him I thought it was time to go back into the classroom. The next day I went for the interview. I began talking with the principal and vice-principal. We talked about the duties I would have, we toured my new classroom, and they asked why I enjoyed teaching. I began giving examples of students that I (really God through me) had reached. I began crying and could not control the tears. I realized I had so much passion and love for the teens that I had prayed over for so many years. Why wouldn’t I be jumping at the chance to go back into the classroom?  

But  the whole time I just did not have a peace about committing to a teaching position again. I left that school knowing that I did not need to be back in the classroom.  I then questioned and longed in my heart to know what God had in store for me. From June 2018 to January 2020, things were unraveling behind the scenes. God was working on me -  and my husband. God was getting me ready for a new beginning. I met some of the most beautiful, amazing ladies that came along beside me and supported and encouraged me. I had to go through some deep valleys and do some deep soul searching. I had to learn forgiveness and how to set boundaries. As well, my husband had to really dig deep and look at his childhood and his loss of his earthly father at an early age. We had to learn to heal from wounds we had covered for so many years. 

I must say it was some of the hardest times in my life because working on your inner self is not easy. 

Fast forward to 2022 -  there are still and will always be things to learn and ways to grow. I know that God has blessed me abundantly to be where I am today!  I am officially up and going with my counseling. God is sending people to me that I can minister to. He knows everything and will provide through it all! 

Client fees are to be determined at the first session. Full payment shall be made at the end of each session by the client. Clients understand that a Pastoral Counselor will not be able to receive insurance reimbursement under most policies—clients are responsible to bill their own insurance if they believe a Pastoral Counselor is covered. We will not extend credit or schedule appointments beyond one unpaid sessions until payment is made. Clients are fully responsible for the payment of all fees.

 We agree to and ask that clients maintain responsible relations regarding appointment times. Any appointment cancelled after 6 PM the day before the appointment or if the client does not show will be charged to the client at (1) half the fee rate for the first incident and (2) the full fee rate for any incidents thereafter. 

 All therapeutic communications, records, and contacts with professional and support staff will be held in strict confidence. Information may be released, in accordance with state law, only when (1) the client signs a written release of information indicating informed consent to such release; (2) the client expresses serious intent to harm himself/herseff or someone else; (3) there is evidence or reasonable suspicion of abuse against a minor child, elderly person (sixty-five years or older), or dependent adult; or (4) a subpoena or other court order is received directing the disclosure of information. It is our policy to assert either (a) privileged communication in the FM#7a event of #4 or (b) the right to consult with clients, if at all possible barring an emergency, before mandated disclosure in the event of #2 or #3. Although we cannot guarantee it, we will endeavor to apprise clients of all mandated disclosures. Clients with any concerns or questions about this policy agree to raise them with their counselor at the earliest possible time to resolve them in the client’s best interest.

It is agreed that the client shall make a good-faith effort at personal growth and engage in the counseling process as an important priority at this time in his or her life. Client gain is most important in pastoral counseling. Suspension, termination, or referral shall be discussed between counselor and client for a pattern of behavior that reveals disinterest or lack of commitment to counseling or for any unresolved conflict or impasse between counselor and client.