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Specializations

These are two areas in which I specialize.

Please be aware that the majority of my work is as a "generalist" - individuals, couples and families dealing with the stresses and strains of everyday life.

Christian Counseling

In addition to being trained in Marriage and Family Therapy, I also an ordained minister with the C&MA denomination. I have served in full-time vocational ministry for over 16 years. During that time, I developed and implemented a detailed discipleship-based approach to ministry. I have actively engaged in pastoral counseling, leadership mentoring, ministry development, and discipleship training.

So what, you ask? Well, in my experience, I've found that there is a lot of confusion about what it means to be a "Christian Counselor." Sometimes these are pastors, without any training in therapy. Others are therapists who are professing Christians, but who are not trained in the use of Scripture, theology or discipleship. I don't want to be dismissive of all Christian Counselors; many are very effective at what they do, and their clients are positively impacted. I know both non-therapist pastors and non-theologian therapists who are effective at helping people grow personally, relationally and spiritually.

I mention this because I am trained on both sides, and I am able to integrate solid biblical principles and disciple-making processes into therapeutic treatment.

I also want to be very clear that I offer this service by request only. While I am a Christian and a pastor, I do not provide Christian Counseling to anyone who does not specifically desire to apply biblical principles to their life in an intentional manner.

Families, Couples and Individuals who have a Child with Special Needs

A vast body of research indicates that families with a child who has a disability are deeply affected in multiple areas of functioning. I have conducted a thorough review of this research from over the past 15 years, summarized the findings, and applied this information toward the development of a cutting-edge, ground-breaking model of relationally-based therapy for families, couples and individuals whose lives have been impacted by the wonder and challenges of a special needs child.

Approximately 4% of children under the age of 18 are diagnosed with some form of disability (US Department of Education, 2010). According to the US Bureau of Health and Human Services (2006), as many as 1 in 5 families have a child with special health care needs. Families with a child who has a disability experience a higher than normal degree of daily stress and are deeply affected in multiple areas of functioning. These families face an increased burden for care of the child which, depending upon the severity of the child’s disability, can be increasingly intense and involved. Parents have a greater need for effective communication skills, and they must learn to be more flexible in their daily routines and personal schedules. Often, these families face significant financial hardships. This is due on the one hand to the expenses incurred by increased and chronic healthcare service and equipment needs and, on the other hand, by the reality that the parent who becomes the primary caregiver (usually the mother) must quit her job or significantly reduce hours of employment. Parents who have a child with a disability also report having less time for leisure activities and fewer opportunities for.
There are many psychologists, behaviorists, doctors, sociologists, social workers, etc… who specialize in working with children / individuals who have special needs, and most therapists are trained to help people cope with grieving processes and loss in general. Very few therapists, though, are trained on the specific ways in which disability affects marital, sibling and parental relationships, and fewer still have a working model that targets the issues and challenges facing this population. Furthermore, there is a stunning absence of materials on how to provide therapy that addresses these families’ / couples’ / individuals’ needs.

When I work with a family, couple or individual with a special needs child, I can tell you exactly what I am looking for, and I know what my clients will need to thrive at home. I am uniquely qualified:

To assess the nature and effect of a disability on the family dynamic;
To identify the factors – both internal and external – that enable families to adapt most effectively
To strengthen and enhance specific coping mechanisms that “mediate” functionality and life-satisfaction;
To help couples “negotiate” roles and rules that work for everyone without burning out the relationship;
To cultivate patterns of communication and connection that allow couples under pressure to go from surviving to thriving;
To enable couples to leverage their painful experiences and loss, building intimacy rather than losing it;
To help parents be effective with other non-disabled children

There are many other things that I might say about this topic, but what I want to leave folks with is the assurance that this is not just a professional area of specialization for me: It is my life. I am the father of a severely disabled child. My wife and I have had to learn to work together, finding intimacy in the face of loss, pain, fear and exhaustion. We struggle every day to balance special needs with the “normal” needs of our other 2 children. I still process grief, with every new facet of life transition. One of the main reasons I chose to become a Marriage and Family Therapist is so that I can help others find the amazing good and deep joy hidden within the challenges of life with a disability.