Counseling

Sometimes in life we find that our lives are not going well, relationships are not what they should be, or our lives are spinning out of control. At those times, it is good to have someone who can take a fresh look at the situation, show us our options, and coach us how to get back on track. God intended for us to live life to the fullest. Southside provides counseling for members that have needs. All the ministers are available for scheduled times of spiritual insight, prayer, and counseling. For those who have a need in a specialized area, Dan Leaf is available through appointment. His specialties include: Marital counseling, crisis, abuse, and addictions.

Meet the Counselor
Dan Leaf graduated from the Sunset School of Preaching and has been in ministry for over 30 years. He earned his Masters of Ministry from Bethany Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. from Cornerstone University in Christian Psychology. He is a Licensed Clinical Pastoral Counselor with Advanced Certification and a Clinical Supervisor with the National Christian Counselors Association.

Note from the Counselor
At the foundation of my counseling is a temperament-based method with the biblical view that each of us was uniquely created by God, in His image, and for a purpose. The Arno Profile System provides a comprehensive depiction of an individual's strengths, weaknesses, and needs, of how we were created to be. Most of us learn to mask who we really are and hide what we feel, only showing to others what we want them to see. In life, we experience conflict and crisis, which bring us feelings of hurt, betrayal, fear, anger, loss, resentments, guilt, loneliness, or pain. My goal is to help an individual discover false beliefs and how certain feelings and actions are counter productive. Many times we learn to use emotions as a tool of self-protection. After a while, these tools no longer work. Coming to this discovery and understanding this principle will allow us to look at God's path to peace and serenity and gain God's tools to help restore our lives. Conflict and crisis may not ever be completely removed from our lives, but we now have the tools in Christ to enjoy life to its fullest.