Frequently Asked Questions

A chaplain is someone who is there for you on the front lines or in dark and helpless times, to support you to find light, courage, and faith in a power beyond yourself, whatever your personal spiritual or religious beliefs.

As a chaplain, I provide a space where people who are facing the unimaginable or stuck in a place they don’t want to be can find light and refuge from the storm — a place to pause and figure out where you are, what is happening now, and how to move through what you are facing with faith (however fragile that faith might be).

When I worked as a professional chaplain, I was paid by a healthcare system, and money was never even a thought between me and the people I served. Today, I offer chaplain services at no charge for people in crisis or suffering from a recent disaster — physical, emotional, or spiritual — as if they were patients and families in a hospital or hospice setting.

I continue to do this as a truly free gift of God with no expectation of payment. This might last through several visits or sessions. Donations are happily received to help cover expenses, but they are not expected or necessary.

A coach is someone who helps you explore your own thinking and emotions so you can focus your efforts and energies in intentional ways to achieve your goals, or to overcome things weighing you down.

As a coach, I help people use their strengths and gifts to move toward post-traumatic growth, and invite their spiritual energy and bedrock beliefs to fuel them, regardless of their religiosity. This type of coaching goes beyond initial trauma or medical diagnosis to understanding where you are now that the dust has settled and moving toward your vision of what could be.

In coaching sessions, I listen deeply and generously to help you discover your strengths and values as well as address your spiritual and emotional pain, beliefs and misbeliefs, assumptions and expectations. Together, we explore options of where you want to go, how to get there, and what hidden obstacles could sabotage your hopes — building accountability, commitment and excitement for the vision you have created.

Faith-centered coaching brings your faith to the head of the table — or wherever you would like it to sit. It brings an entire new dimension of insight and spiritual fuel to truly work miracles in your life.

A chaplain meets you where you are and stays there with you. A coach is more action-oriented, helping you to literally move from where you are to where you want to be.

Chaplaincy and coaching are not therapy, counseling, mental healthcare, or treatment for substance abuse or any addictive behavior. There is no licensing for chaplains or coaches, but many seek out advanced certifications. Spiritual care or coaching is not intended as a replacement for psychiatric interventions, treatment for mental illness, recovery from past abuse, professional medical advice, financial assistance, or legal counsel.

A Fresh View is a unique blend of chaplaincy and faith-centered coaching that offers:

• No-charge (pro bono) chaplaincy conversations

• Low-cost coaching sessions

• “Loaves and fishes” options (pay what you can)

No-charge (pro bono) chaplaincy conversations

I deeply cherish the tradition of chaplaincy in which there is no talk of compensation or money. I feel that this role is a sacred trust, and I offer all chaplain services at no charge.

Low-cost coaching sessions

Coaching sessions are set at about half of what coaching generally costs, knowing how financial stress impacts spiritual and emotional pain.

“Loaves and fishes” options (pay what you can)

On top of these low prices, I also offer what I call “loaves and fishes'' or “affordable pricing.” If the only reason you would not consider coaching is financial, we can talk about what would be affordable for YOU. It could involve giving up a pricey indulgence for a few weeks, or making a co-pay similar to what you might pay with insurance, or any other arrangement we decide on together.

“Loaves and fishes” means pay what you can, pay it forward, or contribute in your own way. I love creativity, and I am quite sure we can come up with something that would work for both of us.

Donations

Donations are also gratefully accepted so that I can continue the pro bono work of chaplaincy. I am not an official non-profit at this point, but I am happy to acknowledge your gift with a letter of appreciation. To make a donation, please reach out through the Contact page.