Deb is a Licensed Professional Counselor with a special focus in Pastoral Therapy and Spiritual Direction. Her calling into pastoral therapy was birthed out of her experience as a volunteer with the American Red Cross on military installations where her husband Scott was assigned where she assisted soldiers and their families in times of crisis and grief. Through this work, she discovered her calling and passion. She completed her Masters in Counseling in 2007, where she interned for two years at the Family Life Chaplain Training program. Following graduation, Deb worked for a year with the University of Denver and the Chief of Chaplains Office managing the Army Marriage Project on Fort Benning.
In 2009 she was accepted into The Pastoral Institutes’ Pastoral Counselor Residency Program, where upon graduation she became a Licensed Professional Counselor. Deb continued her work at the Pastoral Institute sitting with clients and working with local clergy and congregations managing the Covenant Congregation Program. In 2014 Deb became certified as a Pastoral Therapist through the American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC) and currently is a member of Association of Clinical Pastoral Educators (ACPE).
She has been married to Scott for 40 years and accompanied him throughout his 26 years in US Army. Being a military spouse allows her unique perspective and depth to counseling. She has Grandchildren aged 9 & 7. Deb is a companion with her clients, assisting them in untangling the relational and attachment discord and trauma that so often result in psychological & spiritual wounds. These often show up when life becomes overwhelming and unmanageable. Deb’s approach is one of interpersonal dialogue and mindfulness, where processing the emotional distress and reactivity can be met with a healthy awareness and positive coping skills.
Areas of focus for Deb include trauma, sexual abuse, depression, grief and anxiety. She is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing better known as EMDR. She spent two years being guided in The Art of Holy Listening to become a Spiritual Director, through the Alabama West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church (AWFUMC). As a Spiritual Director she attends to God’s presence and calling in the lives of those she sits with through prayer, deep reflection and listening.