Education, Formation, and Professional Background

I hold a Bachelor of Science with studies in Psychology and Religion from Liberty University, with focused academic work at the intersection of human behavior, faith formation, and biblical theology. This education provided a strong foundation in understanding how belief, meaning, stress, and trauma shape the inner life and influence the way individuals engage with God, Scripture, and daily living.

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Alongside my academic education, I hold a Biblical Counseling Credential through the International Board of Christian Care (IBCC) and am a Professional Member of the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC). I have been an Ordained Minister (Non-Denominational) since 2008 and am a member of the American Herbalist Guild and in process of becoming a Registered Herbalist.

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My spiritual formation is deeply shaped by my vocation as a Benedictine Oblate of St. Benedict’s Monastery of the Sacred Heart in Yankton, South Dakota. While remaining non-denominational in ministry affiliation, my formation under the Rule of St. Benedict informs my approach through attentiveness, prayer, discernment, hospitality, and a gentle, faithful pace that resists pressure and performance.

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I am currently working toward my Masters in Counseling through John Brown University and will be seeking state licensure as an LPC when completed.

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Clinical Neurobiological Herbal Education

In addition to my pastoral and theological formation, I have completed extensive education in clinical herbalism over the past 30 years, with a particular emphasis on neurobiological nervous system support, stress physiology, and trauma-informed care.

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My formal herbal education includes comprehensive coursework through The Herbal Academy, including:

• Introductory Herbal Course, covering foundations of herbal medicine, materia medica, herbal actions, preparation methods, dosage, safety considerations, and body systems.

• Herbal Materia Medica Course, providing in-depth study of medicinal plants including botany, energetics, traditional uses, modern research, and clinical application.

• Herbs for ADHD, Cognition, and Focus Intensive, with focused study on neurobiology, safety considerations, and formulation strategies for attention, cognition, and nervous system balance.

• Mastering Herbal Formulation Course, advanced training in formulation design, synergy, dosage, and delivery methods with case-based application.

• Herbal Business Course, addressing ethical practice, record-keeping, labeling, client communication, and sustainable clinical operations.

• Botanical Drawing for Herbalists, strengthening observational skills, plant identification, and understanding of medicinal plant morphology.

• Tea Blending 101 Workshop and Flower Pressing for Herbalists Workshop, supporting practical formulation skills, plant identification, and documentation.

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In addition, I have studied informally for two decades and I served as an EMT, which provided foundational education in anatomy, physiology, assessment, vital signs, emergency recognition, and safety-based decision making. This training strengthened my clinical observation skills and reinforced appropriate referral and scope awareness.

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Specialized Training and Continuing Formation

My clinical and pastoral work has been further informed by ongoing training through Light University, including Caring for People God’s Way, Caring for Women God’s Way, Stress and Trauma Care, Extraordinary Women, Life Coaching, and Caring for Kids God’s Way.

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Additional formation includes coursework through the James C. Dobson School of Marriage and Family, addressing healthy sexuality from a biblical and developmental framework, as well as marriage dynamics.

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Through Holy Yoga International, I completed training in Trauma-Sensitive Yoga and Disordered Eating, which deepened my understanding of how trauma, chronic stress, and dysregulation affect the nervous system, body awareness, and capacity for regulation. This education informs my trauma-aware, pacing-centered approach to both spiritual and herbal care.

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Areas of Focus and Specialization

My work centers on care for women, with particular focus on:

• Trauma-informed pastoral and spiritual care

• Chronic stress and nervous system overwhelm

• Faith and the nervous system

• Neurodivergent-aware spiritual direction and care

• Shame, spiritual disconnection, and identity formation

• Gentle Scripture engagement after trauma

• Neurobiological herbal support for regulation, resilience, sleep, digestion, and emotional steadiness

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Formation Through Lived Experience

My approach has been shaped not only by formal education, but also by lived formation across a range of Christian traditions. Raised within the Baptist tradition and now serving as a non-denominational minister, I have also worshiped and learned within Methodist, Catholic, Lutheran, and non-denominational church contexts.

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This breadth of experience has deepened my respect for the diverse ways faithful Christians engage Scripture, prayer, and worship. It has cultivated a posture of humility, discernment, and attentiveness in my care for others, allowing me to meet women where they are while remaining grounded in biblical theology and sensitive to the work of the Holy Spirit in each individual story.

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Approach to Care and Scope

My approach is behavior-focused, steady, and attentive, grounded in Scripture and informed by an understanding of how the nervous system shapes daily patterns, emotional regulation, and spiritual engagement. Care is paced intentionally, recognizing that trauma, chronic stress, and neurodivergent wiring affect capacity, consistency, and the ability to remain present. The goal is to support sustainable change through listening, observation, and practical structure rather than pressure or performance.

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Scripture, prayer, and spiritual reflection may be integrated as supportive practices within this work, offering space for discernment, meaning-making, and formation. These elements are held gently and never used to bypass physiological or behavioral realities. The focus remains on how individuals engage daily life, build rhythms, and respond to internal and external demands as the nervous system becomes more regulated.

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Spiritual direction and pastoral support offered here are formational and educational in nature, not psychotherapy or licensed mental health treatment. I do not diagnose or treat mental health conditions. Care emphasizes clarity around scope, ethical boundaries, and collaboration with licensed providers when appropriate.

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Neurobiological herbalism is offered as supportive, non-diagnostic care aimed at nervous system regulation and physiological resilience. Herbal support is not a replacement for medical or mental health care. When needs fall outside the scope of this work, referrals to licensed medical or mental health professionals are encouraged.

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Statement of Belief

I believe the Bible is the inspired and authoritative Word of God, given for our formation, correction, and hope. I believe God is triune: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and that Jesus Christ is fully divine and fully human, whose life, death, and resurrection reconcile us to God by grace through faith.

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I believe the Holy Spirit is actively at work in the lives of believers, guiding, comforting, convicting, and forming us into the likeness of Christ. I believe human beings are created in the image of God and bear inherent dignity and worth, and that in a fallen world marked by suffering and trauma, God meets us with mercy, truth, and restoration.

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I believe healing and formation are often slow and sacred. God works patiently, attending to both the soul and the lived realities of the human body. Scripture, prayer, wise counsel, and supportive care are means through which God brings light, stability, and renewal.

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I am non-denominational in ministry affiliation and hold to Biblical Christian faith rooted in Scripture, seeking to honor the breadth of the Christian tradition while remaining grounded in reverent trust in the work of the Holy Spirit.