I was fortunate enough to be raised by two loving parents that put Jesus Christ first in their lives, and spent a lifetime serving Him. I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior at an early age and followed Christ well into my teenage years. As with many adolescences do, I myself began to drift away from my relationship with Jesus and follow worldly passions which led me down a path of destruction. I soon found myself addicted to chemicals.  At the age of twenty-three I knew my life was going nowhere and decided to join the U.S. Navy. My intention was that the military would provide enough discipline that I would clean my act up; however, during this time, a sailor’s thought process was if you work hard, you need to play hard and alcohol became my favorite extracurricular activity. At the age of twenty-eight I began hearing God speaking to me, and I soon entered into recovery from alcohol. While at meetings I would hear people speak about a higher power and how this higher power provided strength and a path to recovery. The only higher power that I ever knew was God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit, and I soon began praying again for the first time in many years. I wish I could say that I quickly turned my life around and began a close walk with God; however, it was a few years later that this happened. It wasn’t until I endured a divorce that I found myself in a church fully reaching out to the Father. After about a year in recovery I had volunteered to serve as a Command Drug and Alcohol Advisor and served in this capacity for over fourteen years while in the military. During that time, I often wondered if this was a path that God had chosen for me, but it was not until after I retired from the military and was working as a substance abuse counselor that God’s calling became clear. I hesitated for a few years before deciding to complete a Bachelor of Science in psychology through the University of Phoenix, and immediately entering the graduate program for clinical mental health counseling. I have been in school now for the last 6 years, and currently in the final year which is the process of completing an internship with Grace and Peace Christian Counseling (GPCC). I am humbled to be serving with Robert Reed at GPCC, since this is exactly the vision that God had laid upon my heart many years ago.  I have 19 years’ experience working with people that suffer from a variety of addictions, and while working with this population I have encountered numerous people that were dually diagnosed; however, I have never until now been able to provide services for both diagnoses. While providing counseling I encourage the use of prayer, biblical scriptures, and inviting Christ into the process. In doing this I believe that true healing can happen.   I am open to working with all patients that have the desire overcome mental health, behavior health, and spiritual health problems. I enjoy working with adolescents, adults, and couples. I believe that therapy is a learning process for both the client and the counselor and will dedicate myself to each and every person that I work with. I am blessed to have a wonderful wife that dedicates her life to her first love, and that is Jesus Christ. I have 4 wonderful adult children and 3 grandchildren. I enjoy many outdoor activities, such as cycling, hiking, kayaking, fishing, and surfing when a trip to the beach is convenient. I am originally from Tennessee but spent most of my childhood and adult life in San Diego California. I really believe that God has called me to Utah to serve Him in what He has been calling me to do for so long.