We are both born and raised Floridians. We met 30 years ago in the UCF marching band and have been happily married for more than 25 years. We have three children, all now in their late teens to early 20s.
This business was birthed out of a family tragedy we faced more than 15 years ago. One day our lives were “normal,” and the next it was forever changed when we were informed of a horrific crime committed against one of our children. Although we longed to go back to our previous lives, it was not going to happen; our lives would forever be different and our path forward seemed like a tunnel with no light at the end to give us hope.
It was a long and difficult road. We found ourselves adrift in confusion, struck with uncertainty, desperate for hope, and longing for someone to guide us through circumstances not of our making, but ones we would have to forge through nonetheless. Thankfully, we were able to find people who were gifted in the areas we most needed; people who were able to assist us and bring a new normal to our lives as we worked to rebuild and heal our family.
From this personal tragedy, we prayed that God would turn our situation around for good. We went to graduate school and then founded The Center for Family & Crisis Counseling whose purpose was to aid individuals and families working through their own crises. With additional trainings we became highly specialized in the areas of trauma, anxiety, phobias, educational challenges, and helping others facing legal issues. However, over the years, we realized that although we have become highly specialized in what we do, we help far more than families in crisis and decided to rename our practice to better reflect what we have become through this process: Counseling Specialists.
Our goal, our focus, our desire is to assist individuals, couples, and families work through the circumstances of their lives as they journey to find normalcy and peace. We continuously strive to be the best at what we do and only hire the best because that is what we desperately needed in our time of need. So, if you find yourself in uncertain times and in need of help forging the best path forward, call us, we have been there and we are here to help!