After earning a B.A. in Music from Lawrence University and spending eight years teaching music, my career shifted toward formal ministry. I served as a worship pastor for 13 years and was ordained in 2001. As I spent time in a church setting, the effects of trauma in people’s stories kept rising to the surface as I worked with people in music and drama.

Driven by a desire to support people through their emotional and psychological challenges, I pursued formal training in pastoral counseling. I completed coursework, observation hours, and practicum for Lay Counseling in the church setting. I participated in the Men’s Recovery Week led by Dr. Dan Allender at The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology. For the past 12 years, I have been dedicated to offering individual counseling and premarital, marriage, and group counseling within the church community.

My professional passions include trauma-informed narrative work and group dynamics. I firmly believe in the transformative power of sharing stories in safe, supportive environments. The healing that occurs when individuals confront and address past harms within their relationships is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Witnessing the courage and vulnerability of individuals as they explore their histories and seek personal growth is profoundly inspiring and powerfully demonstrates the strength and resilience of the human spirit.

I contributed to developing a marriage curriculum titled Marriage Development that is used widely in our church. I am a leader of Journey Groups, a trauma-informed narrative therapy-focused small group with men in a local church setting, and an occasional leader of similar groups at Open Hearts Ministry, an organization focused on abuse recovery. Additionally, I lead a group called Freedom Fighters, dedicated to supporting men in recovery from sexual addiction, and I also train leaders in this specialized work.

Specialties: Individual pastoral counseling, abuse recovery, sexual addiction recovery, and marriage counseling.