About Eddie

My Story

My Promise

My Core

My Credentials
The kid that

Broke me…

I was a broken parent.
I was there. I was the parent that did everything he could and still hit a wall. Sadly, my wall resulted in a  young man that would later attempt to take his own life. 12 years ago, I was the house parent for young men that aged out of the foster care system. Granted, I was also pretty young. I barely completed my bachelor’s degree and was excited at the opportunity to lead these young men into their adulthood. Read on below…
Clayton was a mess.
He was an energetic 18-year-old kid that recently exited the foster care system. Within 2 weeks in my home, he skillfully sabotaged every potential friendship with the other guys in my home. He did all of this to prove to himself and us that he didn’t need any of us. As a result, everyone stopped making an effort of having a relationship with him. Read on below…
The darkest night of my life.
I came home late one night and found him in a dark family room alone. I quickly learned that he was in a desperately sad and lonely place.  Over the next several hours, I gave him all I had. I threw out scriptures, sermons, and I tried reasoning with him. All this effort was to try to pull him out of his space of hopelessness. I didn’t realize it at the time, but Clayton’s mental space was an accumulation of his recent decisions, internal shame, and a history of trauma. I hit a wall and it broke me. I was broken because I didn’t have enough. I was not enough. I felt defeated. Because of my lack of awareness, I was unable to truly see Clayton. Because of my lack of skill, I was unable to reach him. Hours later, Clay swallowed every pill he could get his hands on. His roommate discovered him in time to call the police and get him help. Luckily, he did not die that night. Read on below…
Where do we go from here?
Clay returned home a week later.  We immediately began a  journey towards healing. He was surrounded by people that supported him. We gave him professionals that helped him heal. Clayton is doing well today. Today he is married with two little beautiful girls. He is working every day to be a man for himself and for his family. Because of Clayton, I promised myself that:

  • I will learn how to be aware of children from hard places.
  • I will gain the skill to help them journey towards healing.
  • I will pass on my knowledge and experience to parents, the true healers.
My promise to you…

Teaching You

The purpose the last 12 years of my experience is to give you hope.

_________

You will find videos, articles, checklists to help you parent your children more effectively.

Encouraging You

No parent is hopeless. No child is unreachable.

_________

It is my hope that you feel both encouraged and empowered to the parent you were made to be.

Getting You on Track

There is no need to stay stuck.  You and your family deserve peace.

________

Regardless of the level of intervention your family needs, it is always my goal to get you to stability and peace as soon as possible.

So, who is Eddie, really?

If you were to peel back all the layers, you will find that at my core exists an active adoption story of my own. It is a story about how God adopted me as his own and made me a son with Him. For me, this goes beyond just a relationship with God. God is my father. He defines who I am.

My World

The next layer is my beautiful family. My wife and I have been married for 7 years. The relationship I share with my wife is the next important. Our marriage allows me to be who I am, and to do the work that I do. She is my partner. She makes me whole. I have two sons. My boys are meant to get the best of my life’s offerings, not the leftovers. I am committed to them. The pace and definition of my life’s efforts are set by my context. Elijah Centre is my church community and is very important to the boundaries and definition of my life. Elijah Centre is part of Congress World Breakthrough Network (C-WBN), a unique, faith-based organization affecting human, social and national transformation and operates in over 120 nations throughout the earth.

My Approach & Values

The Good. You will never have to prove anything to me. I have a skill in understanding your individual experiences. This creates an opportunity for you to feel heard, feel understood and most importantly, to feel safe. The Bad. I cannot fix people that are not in the room. True healing requires systemic change. I will ask to work with your family as well as the individuals involved. The Ugly. Each session will leave you feeling empowered, encouraged and refreshed. In addition, it is my goal to move you towards change and healing. This requires genuine and authentic work. This requires honesty. I promise that you will get nothing but honesty from me even if it is ugly.

My Credentials

Education
  • Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy
  • Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
  • Approved Supervisor for Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Clinical Interns
  • Rutgers University Adoption Competency Clinical Trainer
  • Trust-Based Relational Intervention Clinical Practitioner
  • EMDR Certified Therapist
  • Circle of Security Parent Educator
  • Child and Parent Psychotherapy Reflective Practioner
Experience

700 Individuals served through counseling

900 Individuals trained in trauma-informed care

12 years of working with families and children from hard places

Creator of the 4KIDS of South Florida EPIC Approach 

5 years as a Childnet Approved Provider

4 years as Director of Clinical Services at 4KIDS of South Florida

Achievements

Director of 4KIDS Summer camp- a specialized summer camp for children that have come from hard places.

Contributor to the Broward Family Resource Guide.

Broward 211- 2015 Non-Profit of the Year Award for Collaboration in Safe Families For Children.

Your Turn.

What is your biggest struggle right now?

Contact me

(954) 716-9138

Eddie@apfamilycounseling.com

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