Get the care you deserve.
Who is Joshua?
My life was turned upside down in a moment. I pulled into my driveway one spring day and found my wife of fourteen years on the verge of death. Two days later I became a widower and a single father. All the ways I had been trained to deal with grief as a pastor and counselor suddenly became real to me. And I didn’t know if I would make it.
The deaths we face—whether literal or figurative, recent or in the past—force us to confront the reality of pain in our lives and the ways we’ve learned to deal with it. We can’t go around it or run away from it. We have to go through it, but we don’t have to do it alone.
I help people move forward.
I work with men and women who have realized that the strategies they developed in the past are not working in the present and need help imagining a better future. My individual coaching is focused on personal and professional development so that you can be who you were meant to be in all areas of your life.
I integrate a variety of tools including attachment theory, emotional intelligence, relational soft skills, interpersonal neurobiology, and personality diagnostics. My training combines the pastoral instincts of an M.Div from Covenant Theological Seminary with the narrative-focused trauma care certificates from the Allender Center at the Seattle School of Theology and Psychology. I believe that my primary task is to offer attunement as I bear witness to your deepest wounds and desires. Nothing can replace the healing that comes from being seen by another with kindness and curiosity.
As an ordained pastor with over a decade of experience in ministry, I love to work with leaders, pastors, parents, or anyone who carries the burdens of others. I have special experience in the areas of spiritual abuse, family of origin issues, grief, and bereavement.
FAQs
Who should get individual coaching?
Do you feel burned out and wonder how you can keep going?
Do you want to know yourself better in order to live with confidence in your calling?
Do you have trouble expressing your emotions?
Do you have wounds from your past that have never been addressed?
Do you have obstacles in your relationships that stem from your story?
Are you in a major life transition and need help navigating a new normal?
Are you in crisis and need someone to tend to your pain?
Do you spend your days caring for others while wondering who is going to care for you?
Many needs and circumstances compel us to seek help, but they all stem from the way we are created as human beings. We are not made to handle the difficulties of a fallen world alone but in the care and attunement of a trusted listener. Some people have great parents or friends or pastors who can fill that role, but no one can care for themselves in the ways we all need. Our work begins with the underlying conviction that counsel and care are not indicators of pathology, but health—healthy people seek help from others.
What is story coaching and story work?
Each person has a story. We were all born into a context and culture which shapes our deepest identity and our style of relating to ourselves and our world. Our stories hold both tremendous beauty and tremendous pain. Most of us bandage the wound and keep going. But in order to heal and grow, we must process our stories with a trusted guide. When we do this, we not only find healing for our own stories, but we are able to break the cycles of harm so that we don’t pass on our harm to others. Perhaps most importantly, facing on our own stories helps us to understand who God made us to be. As a trauma—informed coach, I help you look back in order to move forward.
How do I begin?
The first step is to book a free 30-minute Discovery Meeting which gives us a chance to get to know each other and determine if we would be a good fit to work together. From the information you give me, I will develop a customized care and coaching plan to help you get to where you want to go.
We will work together to determine the best frequency and timing of our meetings. You will join a client portal to complete all forms and handle payments. Payment is automatically charged after appointments.
How do you integrate faith and spirituality into your practice?
As an ordained minister, I bring extensive theological training to my practice. The dignity of humanity, God’s gracious acts in creation, redemption, and restoration, our adoption in Christ by faith alone, and the authority of scripture are key components of my theological framework that shape how I view everything in life. While my theological framework is always informing me, my work is heavily client-focused and integrates scripture, prayer, or theology to the degree the client desires it. Clients are not required to share my Christian faith or specific theological interpretations, but should be aware of the worldview from which I operate. The majority of my clients appreciate this distinctive and have sought care that integrates emotionally healthy spirituality.
How long will we meet?
For individual coaching, I suggest a minimum of six months in order to give us enough time to establish a relationship of trust. Some clients will need seasonal and circumstantial care, while others have the means and needs to engage in long term care. If at any point in our practice I feel that I am unable to provide the help that you need I will work with you to find someone who can. You are free to discontinue services in writing at any time.
Are you a licensed counselor?
I am not a Licensed Professional Counselor in any state. I have theological and pastoral training from Covenant Theological Seminary and training in narrative-focused trauma care from The Allender Center at the Seattle School for Theology and Psychology. I value the work of LPCs but appreciate the freedom to integrate therapeutic modalities with spiritual formation and work across state lines to bring care to my clients where they reside. I believe that mental fitness should be a priority for all of us, not just in moments of acute illness.
While LPCs work to diagnose and treat pathological problems, my work is often more solution-focused. I help clients look back in order to move forward with health and integrity.
"We can grow up in homes in which the food finds the table, the money finds the college funds and the family even finds the church each Sunday, but somehow our hearts remain undiscovered by the two people we most need to know us: Our parents."
— Dr. Curt Thompson, The Soul of Shame
