Lonnie is starting his second career after retiring from the U.S. Army where he served over three years as an enlisted soldier and seventeen years as an Army chaplain. Lonnie graduated from Belhaven University, Jackson, Mississippi in 1983 with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Psychology. In 1995, he received his Masters of Divinity from Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando, Florida. Lonnie was ordained in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).
Prior to his seminary education Lonnie served three and one half years in the Army as an enlisted Fire Control Repairer on the AH-64- A (APACHE) helicopter, serving in Germany and deployed to Israel. He attained the rank of Sergeant (E-5) before getting out of the Army for seminary.
As a Chaplain, Lonnie served over seventeen years in various assignments that included three combat tours in Bosnia, Kuwait, and Iraq. He also spent one year as a Chaplain Resident in the Clinical Pastoral Education program at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
During his graduate studies at Richmont Graduate University in Chattanooga, TN, Lonnie also obtained a certificate in Trauma Counseling. Lonnie has developed a heart to serve those who are suffering, but with a special place for those with past trauma history. His prior military service has directed his interest in working with the mental health issues of military veterans and their families. He has also developed an interest in men's issues such as: sexual addictions, need for intimacy, and anger/aggression issues. Other areas of interest include: anxiety, depression, couple’s communication, and veteran’s issues (anger, adjustment disorder, PTSD).
Lonnie defines himself as a Christian counselor that believes in one Triune God; however, as an Army chaplain, he has learned the importance of respecting and meeting a person where they are spiritually. He believes the best way to integrate his faith is to live it out in front of his clients through meeting them with grace and love.
Throughout his internship Lonnie has been developing his model of counseling, but feels very comfortable with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as his foundational model. He is very interested in learning more trauma-related approaches since this is an area he would like to develop in his practice.
