Hi, I’m Wendy. I’m a southern girl at heart and if you’ve ever heard me speak, you know I’m from the deep south–where the moss hangs from the oak trees and the summer breezes are warm. I grew up in a dysfunctional home as an only child raised by a single mother until I was 13 when my mother remarried. I was very close with my grandparents, who were more like parents to me, and sadly both of them passed away within a year of each other by the time I was only 16. I grew up looking to others for the approval I so desperately sought at home, but did not receive. I was always striving to succeed and earn my worth. I reasoned if I wasn’t going to get it at home, then I would get it from others.

I became a believer in Christ at the age of 10, but it wasn’t until I was 12 that I began to be discipled and develop my own relationship with God. After my relationship with God began, I was determined to earn God’s approval by keeping the rules and “being good.”

Even though I was constantly questioning whether or not I was really loved by others, I always had a love for people! As a teenager, I asked God to make me an encourager, and one of the ways He has done that is through using my skills as a biblical counselor specializing in grief and loss. Many times, we think of grief only being experienced because of death, but we all have many losses we experience in our lifetimes—lost hopes, dreams, relationships, and physical health are some of those losses.

As I’ve come to experience my own healing from different losses, I am passionate about helping others find freedom in Christ through their own personal healing. I encourage others to develop their relationship with God, themselves, and others. When we dive deep into relationship with our Heavenly Father and look to Him to define us, then we can go out into the world with a healthy sense of who we really are. That identity never changes; we enter the world and our relationships with confidence and more intentionality knowing that no human can meet all of our needs. I remind us all that we must be filled before we can pour out– it’s not selfish to practice self-care. It is necessary.

So, join me in this place as we make space for our grief and learn how to move forward with it.

Wendy is a licensed clinical mental health counselor associate (LCMHCA) in private practice and holds a Masters Degree in counseling from the Townsend Institute under the leadership and direction of Dr. John Townsend. As a biblical support person, Wendy holds a Master’s Diploma from Light University in Biblical Counseling with an emphasis in grief and loss. She is also a Certified Grief Educator through David Kessler for whom she moderates grief groups.  She has also completed an additional grief certification with Dr. H. Norman Wright in grief, crisis, and trauma response. Previously, Wendy worked in marketing for Chick-fil-A at multiple locations in the South where she enjoyed serving the individual and promoting the corporate philosophy of having a positive impact while understanding that each person has a story. Today, Wendy continues to serve and embrace that same philosophy through grief and loss support from a biblical perspective.

Wendy is a licensed counselor associate (LCMHCA), biblical support person, grief educator, active writer, speaker, and fellow journeyer.

Wendy has appeared as a guest blogger on LeslieVernick.com and TheOaksCommunity.org. She has also been a featured guest on The Hidden Jewels podcast, where she shares her own journey through grief and depression.

She has been married to her best friend from high school for 30 years and has three adult children.

Wendy is a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) and Equip Coaching Group for Counselors. She has also completed Level 1 of counselor training through the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC) and is Level 1 certified in Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy.

What is a Certified Grief Educator?

A Certified Grief Educator is committed to providing the highest level of grief support through education, experience, and insights into the often unacknowledged rocky terrain of grief.

Certified Grief Educators completed a certificate program designed by world-renowned grief expert, David Kessler. They bring his unique methodology, tools, and decades of experience to help people navigate the challenges of grief.