Hello! I’m Leah
(The Honea is pronounced “Honey”)
Since childhood, I have had the formidable desire to step into the emotions of others. I run toward those who are hurting when some would run away. My husband and I were in full-time ministry for fifteen years and I served on a church staff for two years. More recently, three years working at Covenant College was a turning point where part of my job involved serving as a mentor to students. Those conversations inspired me to pursue a graduate degree in counseling. Now, I’m looking for opportunities that enable me to use my past experience and professional education to serve others.
Layers of Counseling
Biblical Truth
A Bachelor’s Degree in Biblical Counseling ingrained in me the necessity of applying Biblical truth to the difficulties in life. We are broken sinful people and sin is inevitable and ever present in all of our hearts. God is faithful to preserve His people and provide comfort in the midst of devastating brokenness.
Scientific Fact
Just as God created stars and human form that gave astronomers the calendar and physicians’ understanding of anatomy, so did he allow facts around our mind and behavior to have consistencies that provide sustainable patterns. The brain holds our memories even if our mind forgets or ignores them. It is essential to understand our emotional and mental responses so that we can properly regulate and react to them.
Life Experience
Events in life can stick with us and adjust our perspective on all other aspects of life. Some events are tragic and cause suffering that must be revisited. Often times, for true healing to take place, we need a third party to step into our suffering with us and provide a different perspective.
Thoughts
Strength In Numbers
I sat in a nondescript conference room looking at eight individuals I had not previously met. I was simultaneously filled with anticipation and regret, excited over what will come and fear of what it may feel like. This moment of conflicted emotion was the beginning...
If I Only Had the Nerve
God’s sanctifying work often happens through suffering and does not always feel loving. As mentioned in the previous posts about the heart and the brain, seeking a true reality of self is instrumental in our ability to adjust our perspective. This adjustment allows...
If I Only Had a Brain
In Anatomy of the Soul, Dr. Thompson says, “our experiences are inextricably woven together with our neural firing patterns, and therefore, we cannot separate the two” (pg. 31). Pain from our past and anxieties about our future are constantly weaving this tapestry of...
If I Only Had a Heart
An important first step is in healing is to differentiate what emotion is in the present and what emotion is from your past. This demands intentional time to sit with our pain.
Elodia’s Life Lessons
My sweet 84-year-old friend Elodia recently told me she has learned a great deal in the last five years. While I rejoice in her spiritual growth, it's a bit overwhelming for years 79 through 84 to bring newfound wisdom. I do not wish to simply maintain who I am today...
True Beauty
Every Tuesday I spend the afternoon at Choices, a pregnancy care center in Chattanooga. As a patient advocate, I enter a room with a woman I have never met, during some of the most taxing moments of her life. The premise of my job is to assess how we can walk with her...
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