Pastors, Therapists & Helpers

Dr. Wesley grew up in a very conservative religious home. His father was a pastor. He saw the love of a religious community but also witnessed their flaws. Throughout his life, he has known some very genuine authentic loving Christian people, but he has also seen the dark side of many who espouse religious dogma but do not show the love of their alleged savior. Dr. Wesley witnessed the struggles that many well-meaning Christian leaders and their family experience. Being a PK or Preacher\’s Kid, he saw his father and mother struggle to always display Christian Joy, while often feeling depression or despair and wondering if God even cares. Christian leaders, their spouses, and their children often have the same struggles as any human being, including sexual problems, addictions or marriage difficulties.

Dr. Wesley has worked with countless religious leaders without judgment. He understands and accepts each client just the way they are.

Therapists need therapists too. Why? Because we are human and struggle as humans do. One reason why we often seek out our profession as helpers is that we recognize our limitations, our humanity, and feel, often more intensely than others.

The best therapists are wounded healers themselves and use therapy to continue to grow and thrive as humans. Therapists all come to the helping profession through their own powerful journeys and strong desires to help others. Dr. Wesley became a therapist because of his own experiences and as a human observer of family members and others. Therapists all come to the profession from different roads but in many ways, it is our own struggles and healing that have led us here.

Dr. Wesley has been a therapist to therapists for decades. As a counseling leader, he is well-known by therapists around the country and is sought for his understanding and wisdom. He is seen as a sage by his fellow therapists.

If you are a therapist or other helper and want someone who understands, seek out Dr. Wesley for help and support.

We are familiar with many of the unique needs of military personnel and their families. Our eldest daughter married a young man enlisted in the U.S. Army. They have now been married for about 11 years and have three children, our grandchildren. While all families have very similar stressors, those serving in the military are especially vulnerable to issues such as loneliness, depression, suicide, a sense of self and individualism, in addition to relationship issues (between partners as well as between parent and child), post traumatic stress syndrome, substance use issues, and more.

One of the most well-known issues is that of stability. Families in the military are often moving from state to state or other countries every couple of years. This puts a strain on all relationships. When you have children, they are in and out of several different schools throughout their educational years. This can affect them in terms of developing friendships and social skills, and often affects their academic success. Although our own nuclear family was not in the military, we moved around quite often while our children were growing up. This was due to trying to find better and better jobs to help support the family properly. We understand how this affected family dynamics and especially our children. They had to leave their friends and favorite teachers behind every couple of years. We understand how this kind of life can affect your family relationships and we are ready to help guide you through these difficult transitions.

If you are a veteran, there are often additional factors that contribute to your decline of mental health. Things such as unemployment and financial difficulties can exacerbate your physical and mental health. As veterans age, there are medical issues, often related to your service, that worsen and become more difficult to manage. We are ready and willing to help you navigate this period of your life.

Through talk therapy and the use of evidence-based treatment modalities, Dr. Wesley will work with you personally to support you, help stabilize your thoughts and feelings, and guide you through your individual and/or family struggles. He will help to instill hope when you feel that all is lost, instilling the idea that there is a path that will give you a sense of possibility.