Individual and Marital Counseling
(253) 752-1860 Ext 322
Bachelor of Science in Mathematics – United States Air Force Academy 1977
Master of Arts in Counseling - Grace Theological Seminary 1987
Licensed Mental Health Counselor – WA State
Clinical Internship – Dallas Theological Seminary
Member of American Association of Christian Counselors
Extensive course work in Marriage and Family Therapy – Texas Woman’s University
Areas of Clinical Experience and Interest:
• Martial Therapy
• Sexual Abuse Recovery
• Spiritual Issues
• Individual Therapy
• Depression/Anxiety
• Infidelity Recovery
• Military Families
• Clergy Families
• Men’s Issues
• Pre-Marital Counseling
• Counselor Supervision
Biographical Information:
Tom is married and has four grown children. He has lived in the Puget Sound region since 1990, moving from Dallas, Texas. After graduating from the Air Force Academy, he spent 7 years as an instructor pilot in the Air Force. One of his responsibilities in the Air Force was to counsel student pilots experiencing personal problems while in training. After leaving the Air Force, Tom led discipleship ministries for a non-denominational Christian organization called The Navigators. He has been in private practice since 1988 as well as serving as a staff counselor for the Navigators in the Northwest region. He started Pearl Counseling Associates in 1994. He enjoys teaching workshops and seminars on various relational topics.
Therapeutic Style:
“I view the counseling process as forming an alliance with you to explore the nature of your problem. Although we will spend a lot of time exploring the specific problem that brought you into counseling, we will also explore in depth the nature of your relationships with other significant people in your life. In my theoretical orientation, many of the forces and dynamics that have influenced the complexity and intensity of your problem are rooted in relational issues in your life. In using a Biblical foundation in my counseling, I believe you are made to deeply relate…this is the source of your greatest joy but also of your deepest pain. This is not to simplify your problem, but rather to highlight the complexity of the problem and how it interferes with the enjoyment for which you are most deeply made. This is also meant to give you hope, that by not only dealing with the problem itself we will aim at the core source of the problem. I believe that the most significant growth and healing happen at the level of the heart. It is from that growth and healing, that new ways of thinking and new and healthier choices of relating emerge. I believe that certain problems can have (or develop into) a physical component also. In such cases, medical consultation will be sought.”
