Lindsay Heier has returned to Estevan to start Upfront Counseling Services, but the journey that brought him back to Estevan is a unique one.
Heier was born and raised in Estevan, but for the past 20 years, he and his wife have been living in Nicaragua. They have also lived elsewhere in North and Central America.
鈥淚 always missed my family,鈥� said Heier. So we were definitely thinking about coming back to Canada and living in Estevan and 小蓝视频 closer to family.鈥�
Earlier this year, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega began cracking down on protestors and others in the country, so Heier felt it was no longer safe to be in the country.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot of political upheaval,鈥� said Heier. 鈥淎 lot of people have been imprisoned, shot and killed. Even to have a peaceful protest, you are a criminal.鈥�
They left the country on June 13 and returned to Canada.
鈥淭here is a lot of sadness in Nicaragua. Where it was becoming very much a tourist destination, an up and coming country, and a booming economy, all of that came to a screeching halt,鈥� said Heier.
They also came back so that he could begin his private counseling service, something he has always wanted to do.
Heier holds a bachelor's degree in theology and a master鈥檚 degree in clinical counseling from Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio.
He became dean of student life at the University of Ave Maria in Nicaragua for seven years and had the opportunity to manage campus counseling while teaching various classes.
He also served as the pastoral associate in a parish of about 10,000 members in Nicaragua, where he developed numerous programs promoting family discipleship and personal growth.
And he has been through a chaplain training program in 2013 in 小蓝视频 Carolina.
Upfront Counseling Services has been open for about three weeks. Heier and his wife have been busy organizing the business, and getting their website and Facebook pages up and running. They have had a few clients already.
Marriage, crisis, therapeutic, bereavement and young adult counseling are available. Heier also has about 800 hours of training for addictions counseling.
While it is a business, Upfront Counseling does accept donation to help clients who cannot afford counseling, and just need help.
鈥淚 know Estevan is very generous in helping people and meeting the needs of the community, and that would be a fantastic way for anyone to say 鈥榃ell, how can I really help in the community?鈥欌��
He hopes to expand the services and add staff members, with a very strong focus on marriage counseling. Seminars are scheduled for every three weeks that would last three hours on a weekday evening.
鈥淭hey would be called marriage encounters,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hy wait for difficulties and problems in marriage. It鈥檚 better to do maintenance.鈥�
The faith component is central to their services, but if someone comes in and doesn鈥檛 want a Christian approach to counseling, he still tries to demonstrate his beliefs.
鈥淐hrist is the great healer. Ultimately with Jesus all things are truly possible, and there is always hope and redemption, no matter difficulty or trial someone is going through.鈥�
Upfront Counseling Services is located inside the St. Joseph鈥檚 Prayer Centre and Book Store on Fourth Street.听
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