I Am
Not long ago, my family and I visited Jamaica. Located in the Caribbean, this country is still in my heart. Recently, I watched the I Am Bolt documentary. I Am Bolt is a 2016 biographical sports documentary that follows the life and career of Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt. No athlete in modern […]
49, Flip Phones, and Framing History: A Birthday at Old Stone Steakhouse
There’s something about birthdays that makes you stop and appreciate the people, places, and stories that make up your life. My 49th birthday turned out to be a wonderful combination of all three, complete with a family dinner, a legendary proposal story, a little history, and some unexpected moments of reflection. My daughter is already […]
The 70-Year Echo: A Legacy of Victory Over Death
Sometimes we go looking for one memory and end up finding something we never expected. In November 2021, I was searching for our wedding video. I wanted to relive the joy of a beginning—to remember a day filled with hope, promises, and celebration. Instead, I found a message about something far […]
Dolly, I am Still Learning
Ancora Imparo: What Dolly Parton, Family Memories, and an Irish Blessing Taught Me About Growth Seeing a flurry of social media posts about Dolly Parton recently sent me down a rabbit hole of reflection. Thankfully, Dolly is still very much alive and shining her light on the world! But the outpouring […]
The Temperature of the Wounded Healer: When the Tree Self-Regulates (And We Don’t)
Heat refuses to stay outside. It seeps into our moods, our meals, our patience, and our plans. It perfectly mimics the internal climate of our nervous systems, specifically, how we navigate our emotions when our environments, our clients, and our communities are collectively burning up. It has been exceptionally […]
The View from the Dental Chair: Tornadoes, Tradition, and the “Garys” of the World
There is something inherently vulnerable about sitting in a dental chair. You’re reclined, mouth open, staring at a television mounted on the wall—hoping for a good report and, in my case yesterday, keeping a close eye on the weather. I was at South Point Family Dentistry for my routine six-month cleaning. […]
Legacy, Love, and the Birth of Moses
In the therapy room, we often speak about holding space. Typically, it describes the sacred act of a clinician supporting a client through grief, trauma, or transition. But this February, as we awaited the birth of my grandson, Moses, I witnessed something far larger. I watched the universe—and our ancestors—hold […]
It’s a Beautiful Day for Kindness: What We Can Learn from Mr. Rogers
You may have noticed a recurring theme on the Shepherd Way Counseling blog lately-Kindness. Because, frankly, the world needs more of that ASAP. And I am sure I am not the only one who thinks of Mr. Rogers and his iconic red cardigan when it comes to loving our […]
Lines of Communication: Finding My Father’s Legacy in a Hollywood Story
On February 2, 2026, Belmont, North Carolina, slowed to a near standstill. Snow covered the roads, appointments were rescheduled for the safety of my clients, and suddenly I found myself with something I don’t often get—an unexpected day of rest at home with my daughter. The timing felt meaningful for another reason, […]
“I Want Nothing From You.” What a Colleague Taught Me About True Support
As a Licensed Professional Counselor, I spend a lot of time living in the how-to of mental health. Assessments. Interventions. Evidence-based models. All of it matters. But today, while attending a Safer Society webinar on improving solution-focused techniques in suicide prevention, I was reminded of something both simpler and far more powerful: […]
