[image by D’Arcy Norman]
I don’t know if I have shared much of my journey over the last year or so with many of you, so I thought I would take just a couple of minutes to do so. Most of you know me from either this blog, or from the ministry world where I was a college pastor at Bel Air Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles from 2001-2008. And of course, we have probably connected at Twitter, Facebook, or some other social networking site or conference. If I don’t know you in person yet, I hope to meet you sometime.
Last year, my wife, daughter and decided to move from Los Angeles to Dallas for several reasons. One, to be closer to family. Two, cost of living. Three, new opportunities, especially vocationally. For me that meant a big career change from college pastor to marriage and family therapist. You see, four years into my role as college pastor I began to realize that my seminary training (M.Div) didn’t quite equip me for the huge number of issues my students would face, and how I might walk alongside of them. So I decided to go back to seminary and do a graduate degree in marriage and family therapy. That was one of the best decisions I have ever made.
So for the last three years I have been working a combination of ministry jobs, therapy/counseling jobs (primarily in community mental health clinics) and some social media stuff. I am very passionate about therapy, ministry and social media, and enjoy trying out how to bring them all together.
Therapy/Counseling
Well, most recently I left the community mental health clinic here in Dallas that I was on staff at, and decided to venture out on my own. The timing seemed right, and I felt like God was asking me to step out in faith. Life is too short not to take risks. So you can now find me at my own therapy private practice which is currently located north of Uptown Dallas in the Turtle Creek area. Things have been going well, and I hope to soon branch out a little farther north as well. I have been working with all ages, and with all types of issues in my practice, but I especially enjoy working with couples (premarital/marital), families, and adolescents, colleges students and young adults.
But since I’m fairly new to the Dallas area, this is where I ask for your help. If you are looking to help someone find therapy/counseling, I would love your referral. I’m working really hard to get my name out there in the community and establish myself as a therapist, so feel free to call or email me anytime.
Ministry
I’ve also been speaking a little more frequently around Dallas in regards to marriage and family, as well as some social media stuff. I’m currently speaking at Highland Park Presbyterian Church (June-August), where I am on staff part-time (ministry to families of youth). I’m teaching a parenting class, as well as preparing for some marriage classes and a social media for parents of youth workshop. And last Saturday I had a great time teaching a Cultivating Communication class at Binnerri in Richardson.
So if you are needing/wanting a speaker in any of these areas, I would love to have the opportunity to speak to your group.
I appreciate it.
