Contributed photo
EMPOWERING LIFE — Members of the Empowering Life staff include, from left, Linda McCord, Tiffany Hartin and Lois Flewelling.
HOULTON — The Christmas season should be a time of peace, love, joy and good will toward men.
But for many, it becomes a time of stress, worry and anxiety. So, how do we get through the Christmas season and the New Year holiday and still maintain our sanity?
Well, it begins with finding inner peace and strength. That is where Empowering Life on Military Street can help.
Opened in January of 2008, Lois Flewelling was the sole clinician at the center, but, today, Empowering Life has expanded its staff and services to the community. In September, the center held its grand reopening to provide information to the public about all of their services.
“The clinicians at Empowering Life Center offer a variety of counseling services including help with depression, anxiety, adjustment disorders, relational conflict, trauma, parenting difficulties and coping with major life changes such as divorce, death and job loss,” said Flewelling, owner/clinician. “Clients also have the option to participate in biblical-based counseling services, upon their request.”
Flewelling, licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC), is the founder of Empowering Life. She has 14 years’ experience in private practice and specializes in biblical-based therapy; inner healing tools, as well as working with individuals, couples and families.
“In addition to my counseling, I provide training to equip others to use spiritual intervention tools in their spheres of influence,” she explained. “I host conferences for anointed speakers, but I am also an anointed presenter and speaker.”
Also on board is Linda McCord, a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) who has been in private practice for more than 15 years.
“Linda works with individuals, couples, and families and especially enjoys working with children,” said Flewelling. “Linda specializes in trauma, co-occurring disorders, grief and loss along with most mental health problems. She also provides the option for biblical-based counseling.”
Tiffany Hartin is a conditionally licensed clinical professional counselor.
“While completing her counseling training, she worked as a counselor in adult acute psychiatry and also has experience working with the elderly population,” noted Flewelling.
Hartin is trained to work with adolescents, adults and couples. She also is an adjunct professor with Liberty University in Virginia.
Adding a new dimension to Empowering Life is Terry Kinney, a licensed social worker who serves as a life and wellness coach.
“Life coaching focuses on the present and future not the past,” she said. “It is a partnership focused on your interests and aspirations. It addresses areas such as life changes, relationships, work life and wellness by examining your current circumstances, working through obstacles and challenges and choosing a course of action to bring about change.”
Flewelling added, “As your coach, Terry will help you set goals and action steps that move you closer to your dreams, hold you accountable through encouragement, respect and sensitivity, assist you with identifying your gifts, strengths, and what works best for your personality type. “
Kinney also offers biblical-based coaching as an option.
Working as a certified medical and behavioral health specialist in procedural coding and billing is Flewelling’s sister-in-law Mary-Ann Holmes.
Holmes has the capabilities to work with all major insurances. She has 25 years of experience working with doctors and now mental health clinicians. Holmes’ organizational skills and efficiency adds to her expertise, Flewelling said.
“She owns her own business for medical billing contracted services and is open for referrals,” added Flewelling
For more information on Holmes’ specialty, call 521-4654.
For those willing to discover the Bible and its teachings, Empowering Life has an active prayer ministry and offers a spiritual fulfillment in its therapies, as well as a Bible study and a church ministry.
A Tuesday night Bible study is held upstairs from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Empowering Life.
“We focus on various biblical topics,” said Flewelling, who leads the study along with other facilitators. “Discussion is encouraged, as our goal is making disciples as Christ commissioned us to. We also spend time in prayer for personal, regional, national and world concerns. This group is open to all.”
The church ministry called “The Gathering” is held each Saturday evening at 6 p.m. at Empowering Life, with pastors Mark and Claudete Babin.
The Babins have been ministering for more than 30 years and have been fulltime senior and association pastors since 1985.
“In April 1986, we became pastors of Celebration Center, in Fort Fairfield. We are affiliated with and ordained through Kingdom Global Ministries and Pastor Larry Titus. As pastors, we have a deep desire to see the people of God fully walking out their own God-given destiny. Because of that, and the strong belief that the Word of God should have pre-eminence in Christians’ lives, we founded Apostolic Training Ministries in 2006. The intention of this ministry is to share the Word of God in a precise and relevant way.”
“The Gathering” is an extension of that ministry.
“We gather to praise and worship the Lord and preach and teach from the Word of God messages that will inspire people to live with hope, faith, encouragement and a biblical understanding of the hope and purposes of God for their lives,” said Mark Babin.
Claudete Babin added, “To prepare God’s people for works of service is our purpose for this ministry in Aroostook County. We are following the leading of the Lord in establishing this ministry. This will allow us to reach into the Houlton area with the Word of God and the Anointing of the Holy Spirit. Our desire with this ministry is to be a part of what the Lord is doing in this region and to continue to put tools into the hands of men and women so they may effective and relevant in our ever-changing world.”
A final pathway at Empowering Life is the Illuminate Freedom prayer ministry.
“This ministry is about helping you come out of the darkness of despair, the current dilemma you are facing or the struggle you cannot overcome,” Flewelling explained. “It implements inner healing tools that help remove the core beliefs that hinder your relationship with the Lord that keeps you in bondage. With the help of the Holy Spirit, team members will guide you toward freedom and wholeness.
“This is not a counseling session, but rather a time of prayer under the direction of the Holy Spirit to reveal root sources of bondages,” she added. “Truth is then confirmed so that healing occurs. Many have already experienced freedom through this ministry.”
Appointments are made for personal ministry by calling Sharon Broad, a Canadian representative at 506-392-6545 or Cindy Mellia at 532-9906. Anyone interested in this ministry may also email them at Sharon_rose_7@yahoo.ca or info@empoweringlife.org.
An extension of Empowering Life is Friends of Aroostook, a nonprofit farm cooperative that provides fresh produce for seniors and food pantries throughout the state. Their mission is to feed the hungry by planting, harvesting and donating fresh fruits and vegetables. Executive Director Dale Flewelling leads this organization.
No matter the need, Empowering Life has the tools and staff to help. For more information, call Empowering Life at 532-9906 or email www.empoweringlife.org.
