About Me and My Approach to Psychotherapy
I am a native Tennessee resident and have lived in Tennessee most of my life. My wife and I live in rural West Tennessee in Selmer, a small town close to the Tennessee River. I have one adult daughter who is also a psychotherapist and lives in Texas with her husband. I was initially trained in family systems therapy but eventually shifted my focus to Clinical Mental Health Counseling. This diverse background led me into trauma counseling and therapy as I came to realize that many behavioral difficulties, relational and family issues, anxiety, and even addictions and Chronic Pain have their origins in traumatic life circumstances. I am a Certified EMDR Therapist and EMDRIA Approved Consultant and work most often within the EMDR framework.
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When I was very young I always knew I wanted to have a career that afforded me the opportunity to help others . This passion led me to study Psychology and Counseling. I am a licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor with a Mental Health Service Provider designation in Tennessee and a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor in Minnesota and am certified in several effective methods of healing traumatic stress, PTSD, and severe anxiety and depression. I see my work as a healing ministry and a calling of God. As such, I have applied myself to be as effective as my abilities and gifting allow. My therapy uses the best and latest peer reviewed research as seen through the truth of God's Word. I believe that secular psychotherapy apart from the pure grace of our creator can never bring complete healing. If we only treat the physical and cognitive parts of us, while ignoring the most important and eternal part of our existence, that being our spiritual lives, we cannot truly and completely heal from life's blows and traumas.
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We live in a fallen world with other fallen beings. We are all broken in one way or another. We all need healing at some point in our lives. True healing takes place at the intersection of truth, grace, and God's love. My goal is to integrate all of these things with scientific research and non-judgmental compassion. As one of my seminary professors said "We are damaged in relationships and we are healed in relationships". Whether you are struggling with traumatic stress, anxiety, depression, or chronic pain, true healing takes place at the foot of the Cross - that is in a relationship with Jesus.
My Professional Background
My Philosophy and Approach
If you're suffering with a mild case of daily stress or need some direction in your career, I may not be the therapist for you. On the other hand, if you've been hurt and badly damaged by relationships or just by harmful and damaging life events I can help. If you've experienced life events in the past that are causing you problems living in the present I may be able to help. My training and experience has centered entirely around trauma, anxiety, grief, and depression - the things that most often result in major life disturbances. I am trained and certified in EMDR (Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing), DBT (dialectical behavior therapy), and Clinical Hypnotherapy. My training and experience as a licensed and certified psychotherapist allows me to quickly and effectively facilitate healing from the damaging effects of major life issues.
I have years of experience working with troubled adolescents, victims of sexual, emotional, and physical abuse, abandonment, and neglect. Many of my clients have fallen into drug and alcohol abuse, sexual promiscuity, self-harm, and suicidality in a desperate attempt to cope with the blows life had dealt them. There are many ways of working with complex trauma and dissociation. Some of them are highly effective and others may cause more harm. If you or your loved one is suffering with the results of childhood trauma or maltreatment, please seek the help of a competent and caring professional, trained in gentle and effective methods of healing the wounds, stigma, and shame of trauma. Traumatic stress and PTSD normally don't just go away on their own, but remain stuck in the "fear center" of the brain until they are processed into long-term memory centers. Trauma is not a life sentence and there is hope and healing available.
A Word About Adolescent Trauma
When young people experience traumatic experiences, it creates things can get out of control fast. Our brains do not completely develop and "wire" until we are in our mid to late 20s, leaving traumatized children afraid and confused. This fear and confusion most often presents itself as ANGER AND RAGE. This is not a conscious decision on the part of the child or teen, but a result of incomplete development of the neural structures in the brain and activation in the amygdala, or "smoke alarm" of the brain. Left untreated, this trauma results in a "mis-wiring" of the brain. The child "learns" that the world is a dangerous place. The challenge for the child or teen is how to respond to what seems like a dangerous and potentially harmful life. As parents it's easy to see the anger. We live with it daily. What's harder to see is the fear, frustration, and confusion the child feels, but does not know how to deal with it. The child often dissociates many of these traumatic memories, and may even deny childhood abuse, neglect, or abandonment. It's not uncommon for children who have been abused to claim that their parents were good people and it was they that caused the abuse. Abandoned children often swear that their parents love them and want to be with them, blaming their parents' abandonment on others - family, courts, law enforcement, anyone but the parents who abandoned them.
All of these things can result in severe dissociation (blocking out). This dissociation complicates therapy and can slow progress or even cause harm to the child if not properly treated. This is why EMDR or any single therapy is often unable to heal "complex trauma". The traumatized child or teen must have all "parts" feel safe to allow healing to take place. Other models of therapy most often need to be incorporated into other trauma models to facilitate healing of complex trauma.
I am currently trained and certified in EMDR therapy. I am also an EMRDRIA approved Consultant and able to provide EMDR consultation services for those in the process of being EMDR trained or for those who are already trained in EMDR and pursuing Certification. Please feel free to contact me for more information.
Crisis Counselor / First Responder
As a crisis counselor and volunteer firefighter, I routinely see clients and families on the worst day of their lives. This role has allowed me to work with families in crisis, and often in shock and disbelief as many have lost material possessions and some have just lost family members to accidents, injuries, or suicide. Helping these clients and families find strength and resources to heal and rebuild their lives has made me a more compassionate and effective therapist.