My Approach to Helping
I seek to be nonjudgmental and unshockable as a counselor. I am comfortable discussing difficult topics and have a passion to help others through the angst, struggle, and confusion that comes with life. I have a desire to help others after going through my own spiritual journey of healing and transformation.
Though my background and approach is centered on integrating spirituality with overall wellbeing, I welcome people of all faiths or non-faith. I want you to feel comfortable opening up about anything you are going through. I plan on sharing some insight and wisdom so you can find strength for today and hope for tomorrow. I'm excited to be on this journey and am passionate about helping you weave a transformative story of your own.
More Info About My Practice
I received my Master of Divinity (MDiv) from Wesley Biblical Seminary, and Bachelor of Arts from Asbury University. I am a member of the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE), the Christian Association for Psychological Studies (CAPS), and the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC). I am a Board Certified Pastoral Counselor (BCPC #0791), certified by the AACC International Board of Christian Care (IBCC) and the Board of Christian Professional and Pastoral Counselors.
How My Own Struggles Made Me a Better Therapist
Personally, I have had good and bad experiences in counseling. I grew up in an environment that was not affirming of who I really was. It was a struggle to accept myself when I didn't even feel accepted by those around me. This intensified when I had a spiritual experience and felt called to the ministry. In order to feel accepted by the church, I believed that I had to change who I really was. I went through ten years of conversion therapy from pastors, church programs, and even state-licensed therapists.
After these experiences, and a long bout of depression, I realized that hating myself was no longer working. I went through a few more years of legitimate, affirming therapy and found the help I needed all along. I ended up not becoming a traditional pastor in a brick-and-mortar church, but became a pastoral counselor instead. Pastoral counselors are clergy who are trained in counseling and provide clinically-informed spiritual care and support.
I worked as a pastoral counselor for a couple non-profit organizations for several years in the Phoenix area. I was fired for being gay in 2019 after the director of one of the non-profits interrogated me about my sexual orientation. This experience solidified the desire and conviction I have for the responsible and ethical integration of spirituality and mental health.
I am the owner of a thriving pastoral counseling group practice called Arizona Christian Counseling. As a result of all these experiences, I realized the greater need for LGBTQ-focused faith-based counseling and founded Prism Counseling in 2020. Prism Counseling is a division of Arizona Christian Counseling and not only provides services in the Phoenix area, but online through our secure telehealth platform.
