2013 has been a year full of transition, as you all already know. From graduate student to Family Life Pastor to an attempt to start a counseling ministry at Bluewater. I feel that all areas have been blessed. I successfully graduated and began seeing clients outside of the academic umbrella. The Family Life ministry position was passed off to Sauni Wickstrom who has already expanded it far beyond my borders. And I just recently found out that Bluewater Mission is going to keep me on as the Counseling Ministries Pastor. I will continue to see individual clients and we will jumpstart seven different groups under the umbrella of Deepwater Counseling in early 2014.
I was blessed (through frequent flyer miles and some hotel help from my niece Meg) to attend the 2013 ISSTD Conference (http://www.isst-d.org/). It was an intense 6 day adventure. The first 3 days I received training from ASCH (American Society of Clinical Hypnosis,http://www.asch.net/). I have already contacted certain members of my small group from that training for consultation purposes. The entire conference was rich and I will listen again to the trainings online. Probably the largest benefit, though, was the personal resources. Other than a doctoral student, the individuals in my small group carried years of trauma experience. Such a treasure to have them to call on!
A quick note on the hypnosis training. It was in clinical hypnosis, not stage hypnosis. There are many differences. I help people dial down pain and anxiety. I do not make them cluck like a chicken!
I hope all is well with you and yours. I love it when your updates come in! Please continue to pray for me and Deepwater Counseling in 2014.
In fact, prayers for Bluewater Mission, in general are much appreciated. In addition to officially kicking off Deepwater Counseling (where I see clients on a donation basis), Bluewater is set to open our justice restaurant, Seed, in late January or early February. There are still many details to come together, but we excited to launch this venture. For those of you who do not know. Seed will be a "farm to table" restaurant and will serve as a venue to develop job skills (and start a resume) for some of our trafficked survivors, people recovering from addictions, and others who may need a similar jump start into the work force. There are so many exciting things happening!!
If, by chance, you would like to make a lovely, tax deductible, year end donation to help support these ministries, please feel free to stop by www.bluewatermission.org and go to the "Contact" page. There is a link there to donate. You can specify your donation toward a particular ministry or just keep it simple and make a general donation.
Merry Christmas and may your New Year be full of blessing!
