HOPE for tomorrow, next week, next year. . . HOPE is not an acronym, it is an important focus of much of what I do. Whether you come in here to grow your HOPE or come in here and borrow some HOPE from me – it is, for many, a key part of change. HOPE for what “could be” has motivated me to continue to search for what it is that increases my contentment. After I graduated from Northwest High School in Wichita I worked as a part time Bank Teller and Full Time Student at Wichita State University. Soon I transitioned into a job in Information Technology for a Non-Profit Hospital in Wichita and married my wife. A house, two kids, two career shifts, and 15 years later I finally received my Bachelor of General Studies (with an emphasis in Psychology – among other things) from Wichita State University. Each step, whether unexpected or planned, easy or difficult, found a way to reveal HOPE for what might be next – and a better understanding of how I find contentment.
Since receiving my bachelor’s degree, I spent the next 13 years working towards a new HOPE. I completed my Master of Science in Family Therapy in 2012 from Friends University (Wichita Campus). I soon started working as a Marriage and Family Therapist and working as a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the program from which I graduated. As I reach the end of this 13-year season, I also obtained Approved Supervisor status from both the State of Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board and The American Associate for Marriage and Family Therapy. I have had the opportunity to teach at Friends University (Wichita and Kansas City Campuses) and Benedictine College. One of the most interesting opportunities I have had is founding HOPE Family Therapy, Inc. with the help of individuals, families, and organizations (most of them from right here in Atchison, KS).
As I am writing this bio, I can hear contractors working on the other side of my office wall. They are completing our first physical expansion since we opened. This expansion includes two additional therapy rooms, one of which is dedicated to play therapy. It also includes observation rooms to improve our ability to help train and educate student interns from local universities and colleges. This remodel also repurposes a room to allow student interns and part time clinicians to have a place to complete documentation, study, and even just take a break. It is my HOPE that with this expansion, we will increase the number of people we can reach and improve the services that we provide by bringing a higher level of training opportunities to Atchison.
