David Flowers

I entered the ministry in 1994 and served as a youth pastor for eight years. At that time (2002) I was commissioned to plant Wildwind Community Church, which I still lead today. I also teach part-time in Spring Arbor University's Master of Arts program in Counseling and run a small private counseling practice. Most of my experience in counseling, and the thing I usually enjoy most, is couples counseling. I do a lot of intense (and proven effective) premarital counseling work both for couples in my church and couples from the broader community. I also have a great deal of experience working with anxiety and depression issues, problems of purpose/meaning in life, bereavement, and many other difficult yet normal problems people deal with.

Multiple Sclerosis

I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis on December 5, 1990. Until February, 2013, MS was a fairly minor part of my life. At that time I experienced a major flareup of the disease that (so far) has left me substantially disabled. I blog on MS-related issues, and keep friends, family, and all other interested parties updated on the status of my own struggle with MS on my personal blog.

Education & Training

I have a B.S. in Clinical/Community Psychology from the University of Michigan-Flint, and an MA in Counseling from Oakland University. I am an ordained minister in the Free Methodist Church of North America and a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Michigan. I am certified to use the Prepare/Enrich premarital and couple counseling programs and have nearly fifteen years of experience using them successfully. I have done workshops on the effects of video game violence on children, and on bereavement issues.

Teaching

I have been an adjunct instructor with Spring Arbor University on and off for over ten years, teaching in SAU's B.A. in Family Life Education program and M.A. in Family Studies program. I now teach exclusively in the M.A. in Counseling program, preparing aspiring counselors for careers in the field. Classes I teach in this program include:

• Theories of Counseling
• Techniques of Counseling
• Human Development
• Psychopathology
• Aspects of Grief and Loss

Blog and Book

I blog at http://DavidKFlowers.com, out of my passions for 1) helping people, 2) fresh ideas, and 3) writing. I focus on mental health/counseling, and church, spirituality, leadership topics. My work tends to be unique, and even provocative at times, sometimes intentionally but often not. I just happen to believe that a lot of our best thinking is done when we get out of those spaces that feel familiar to us. A special focus in much of my work is on the integration of spiritual and psychological topics, which comes naturally for me.

To that end I am working on my first book, which details a simple system I have created that effectively accomplishes this integration and helps individuals understand their problems more holistically.

Speaking & Workshops

I am available on a limited basis to speak and/or conduct workshops on mental health related topics (especially martial/premarital issues, anxiety, suicide, and bereavement) and spiritual formation issues. I am not a physician, but am also happy to discuss my experience with MS and do what I can to encourage and educate people.

Getting Therapy

I do not offer therapy online or through email, and my posts and communications via all media should not be construed as therapy. My posts in all media are intended to give general direction (and sometimes raise questions) about how to live a healthy and meaningful life but cannot replace personal counseling from a qualified therapist.