Most companies or businesses have core values and/or a mission statement. Even though Scout is quite small, I thought it worthwhile to come up with values that guide me as a professional. The name Scout came from a marriage of the meaning of the word scout and my personal life experience. A scout, by definition, is a person sent out ahead of a main force so as to gather information about the enemy's position, strength, or movements as well as the act of gathering such information. A lesser known meaning of the word stems from the Old French meaning “escouter”, or “to listen”. Furthermore, the word encompasses a very important part of my personal past, being an accomplished Eagle Scout.
As a therapist, my job is multifaceted. My primary goal is to “escouter”, or to listen to you in order to understand your life, your challenges, your enemies (be they personal, marital, or familial) and use my knowledge, training, and skills to assist you in understanding and dealing effectively with those enemies. My hope is through my scouting efforts, I can help you see how you might respond differently and get direction, hence the compass, to the enemies in your life. In a phrase, Scout Counseling exists to listen to your heart, provide you with information about the challenges in your life, and teach you to use the compass of your soul to navigate your path.
When working with me as your scout, or your counselor, you can expect our time together to be guided by these values, representing the four points of a compass (NSEW), representing the three core conditions of counseling with a personal twist. Those values are a Non-judgmental Attitude, Sincerity, Empathy, and Wisdom.
Non-judgmental Attitude
When I work with clients, I seek to listen, understand, and provide information. My intent and desire is not to judge your past actions as “right” or “wrong”. As a Christian, I leave that primarily up to God and his Holy Spirit. I do seek to assist you in seeing how your actions may be helping you get the life you want or not, but to do so in a manner free from condemnation and shaming. As a scout, I can use my knowledge and skill to help you see what is working and what is not working, as well as what has been known to work, but not to judge you for your choices.
Sincerity
Knowing that someone truly cares and wants the best for us is often a key to achieving personal change. As a counselor, I desire to be completely sincere in my care for you. I want my clients to know that I am as invested as they are in achieving the change they desire and intend to be fully engaged in our work together, giving my honest perspective and feedback when necessary to help you find your way.
Empathy
I have not had every human experience known to exist, but I do know what it is like to sad, angry, hurt, glad, and a number of other feelings. As a counselor I do strive to be empathetic, understanding your unique experience, then meet and share with you in those feelings. I know that in order to be truly helpful to you, I must first understand your feelings and your experience, or be empathetic. And while I cannot live your life to fully share your feelings, I do seek to meet you on the common ground we have as human image bearers.
Wisdom
I do not claim to be personally wise, but I do hold wisdom. Wisdom comes from a life lived and while I have not lived a complete lifespan, I have sat under the schooling of many wise men and women who have guided me personally and professionally while sharing the human experience with me, both academically and anecdotally. Part of my mission at Scout is to bring this wisdom to you about the enemies you are facing so we can, together, navigate a path forward.
So if you are looking for a counselor, particularly a Christian counselor in the Memphis area, and my mission and values resonate with you or possibly with someone you may know in need of direction, contact me today and let’s find your way.