welcome!

Thanks for locating my page. Keep reading and you will find helpful information about how to get started with me.  I've also included some of the situations in which I work with clients.  If you are experiencing something different than what you see listed below, it's likely that I can help you too.

scheduling

I do all of my own scheduling & currently offer times on M, Tu, W & Th. The quickest and easiest way get an appointment with me is to schedule online. You'll see my available slots and can grab one for yourself to get us started. If more than one individual will be attending the first session with you, please use the notes section of your Appointment Request to make me aware of that. Thanks! As a policy, all of my first appointments (Initial Intake Sessions) will be in-office visits. If the online scheduler is giving you trouble, or if you think there is something we need to discuss before you schedule, feel free text or email me.

payment

  • The fee for a 50-minute session is $135.00 (effective July 1st 2023).
  • I accept cash, personal checks, credit and debit cards and HSA cards. All card transactions will include a $5.00 convenience fee.
  • It is Elbow Tree's policy that we are "Out-of-Network" with all insurance companies. You simply pay the full session fee when you come. If you wish, as a licensed therapist, I can provide you with an itemized receipt for services you can use in filing for a possible reimbursement of a portion of your paid fee for services.

education

  • ​M.A., Marriage & Family Therapy, Reformed Theological Seminary 
  • B.S., Business Admin. / Marketing , University of South Carolina​ ​​

credentials

  • ​Licensed Marital & Family Therapist TN #129
  • Licensed Professional Counselor, TN #560
  • Mental Health Service Provider (MHSP), TN
  • Approved Supervisor (TN)​
  • Licensed Professional Counselor, GA #8720

counseling opportunites

  • Couples Work (pre-engagement, engagement, pre-marital, marriage enrichment, marriage crisis, infidelity, empty nest, etc)
  • ​Depression & Anxiety
  • Stress
  • Trauma & Recovery
  • Grief and Loss
  • Men’s issues
  • Major decisions and life transitions
  • ​Making decisions & caring for aging parents
  • Recovery from broken relationships
  • Forgiveness and Reconciliation
  • Making sense of anger and reactivity
  • Spiritual formation
  • Restarting emotional growth
  • Shame and unresolved guilt
  • Blending families
  • Parenting strategies
  • Navigating life's developmental stages
  • Learning the art of communication
  • Supporting a loved one recovering from abuse
  • Resolving conflict
  • Empty Nest Syndrome​
  • PREPARE / ENRICH Inventory

supervision and consultation

  • ​As an Approved Supervisor in Tennessee, I offer supervision for post-graduate candidates seeking Tennessee licensure as a LPC or LPC-MHSP
  • I also offer consultation for licensed mental health professionals, pastors and community leaders​

crisis counseling, education and disaster response

I serve with a team of medical professionals, crisis counselors and engineers who respond to natural disasters around the world.  Between disasters, the team also does community and mental health education in the developing world and provides training to the next generation of disaster responders.
  • Restoration Now - Critical Incident Counselor & Training Faculty - Global Disaster Response​
  • International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF) - Approved Instructor

intake documents

Thank you for taking a look at the six (6) documents below.
*  Print & Fill Out #1 - the Intake Questionnaire (both pages). A copy is needed for everyone attending the 1st appointment. Bring the completed form (s) with you. (Please only use black ink when filing these out. Thanks!). *** Documents #2, #3, #4 and #5 need your attention too. Just read over #2 through #7 carefully. You don't need to print them. You will be given an opportunity to ask questions before signing these documents electronically in my office at your 1st appointment. * Document #6 is an overview of everything you will need to do before your first appointment. It also contains directions to our offices. Start with #6 !

a little more about me...

For the past 37 years, I have had the privilege of joining the journeys of countless people and their stories in a partnership for growth, healing, and hope. My clients have been my best teachers. With their help and working from a Gospel-Centered worldview, I have learned how to support my clients in successfully navigating their own life challenges and relationships in the pursuit of real meaning and true joy. I am energized by seeing marriages rebuilt, parents learning how to lead, and people finding their way through the maze of a crisis and landing at the doorstep of a new opportunity.

Also, I work from a systems perspective. I begin by looking at the whole and then the individual parts. I identify how a relationship system communicates, both verbally and non-verbally. I help people understand how to start where they are and successfully get to where they want to be.

I look forward to serving you, your marriage, and your family.  * Steve