Allen Shive
PLPC (MS# P-0833 )
Allen’s road to professional counseling has taken him on an amazing journey. His work serving others for 13 years in the airline industry and for 17 years in healthcare marketing has uniquely prepared him to work with all types of people in various seasons of life. He believes that God had his mid-life career shift planned all along, and his choosing to become a counselor is a step of obedience to the Lord’s will for his life. His positive experience receiving counseling also influenced him to pursue this path to help others benefit from a counseling relationship.
Allen is a Provisional Licensed Professional Counselor who received his undergraduate degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, his MBA from Millsaps Else School of Management in Jackson, Mississippi, and his Master of Arts in Counseling from Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi. His approach to counseling is informed by a Biblical worldview, varied life experiences, and rigorous training that have each taught him to value each person as an individual first.
He has a unique ability to listen and really hear what a client is saying in a caring and kind way. He knows that he cannot “fix” a client’s issues. Instead, he chooses to walk with them through their challenges to help encourage hope and healing. Allen’s desire is not to tell a client what to do but instead to work collaboratively with them to help them achieve their goals.
Allen has a heart to see marriages not only survive but thrive. He loves helping adolescents and young adults find their way in a challenging world. He is willing and able to sit with people experiencing the chaos of relationship conflict and provide them a safe space to feel heard and valued. Allen believes strongly in helping people learn to give themselves grace and forgiveness in a world that expects perfection.
- Individual and Relationship Counseling
- Infidelity and Affair Recovery
- Anxiety and Depression
- Emotional Regulation
- Mid-Life Career Changes
- Procrastination and Perfectionism
- Adolescents and Young Adults
- Pre-Marital Counseling
Individual Counseling
Allen believes that often the main thing a person needs to address the challenges of this life is a kind and compassionate ear. No matter what a person is facing, what they have to say matters and there is help and healing in sharing their thoughts and feelings. Allen combines the gift of listening with evidenced based approaches to help a person find hope with their struggles.
Couples’ Counseling
Allen and his wife have been married for over 25 years, and this gives him a lot of practical experience in what works and what does not in couples’ relationships. He believes that the first step to helping a couple in their relationship is for each person to learn to listen to their partner and reflect that they have accurately heard what was said. Whether a couple is trying to keep their relationship healthy or has drifted way apart, Allen enjoys walking with a couple as they learn to hear and value their partner.
Pre-Marital Counseling
Allen is trained in Prepare/Enrich Premarital counseling and in Gottman Level 1. All couples naturally align in some areas and butt heads in others based on how they grew up and other factors. Allen believes that a couple benefits tremendously in the first few years of marriage by having a better understanding of which areas are which before they marry. Healthy communication can increase and working through disagreements can improve. Allen has a heart for walking with a couple who is engaged or is considering engagement.
Mid-life Career Change
Allen made a mid-life career change to become a counselor, so he has a unique perspective for those considering such a move. Allen will help a person explore the upside and downside in a way that recognizes the complexities of choosing to change careers in mid-life.
- Prepare/Enrich Premarital Certification
- Gottman Level 1
- Individual and Relationship Counseling
- Infidelity and Affair Recovery
- Anxiety and Depression
- Emotional Regulation
- Mid-Life Career Changes
- Procrastination and Perfectionism
- Adolescents and Young Adults
- Pre-Marital Counseling
Individual Counseling
Allen believes that often the main thing a person needs to address the challenges of this life is a kind and compassionate ear. No matter what a person is facing, what they have to say matters and there is help and healing in sharing their thoughts and feelings. Allen combines the gift of listening with evidenced based approaches to help a person find hope with their struggles.
Couples’ Counseling
Allen and his wife have been married for over 25 years, and this gives him a lot of practical experience in what works and what does not in couples’ relationships. He believes that the first step to helping a couple in their relationship is for each person to learn to listen to their partner and reflect that they have accurately heard what was said. Whether a couple is trying to keep their relationship healthy or has drifted way apart, Allen enjoys walking with a couple as they learn to hear and value their partner.
Pre-Marital Counseling
Allen is trained in Prepare/Enrich Premarital counseling and in Gottman Level 1. All couples naturally align in some areas and butt heads in others based on how they grew up and other factors. Allen believes that a couple benefits tremendously in the first few years of marriage by having a better understanding of which areas are which before they marry. Healthy communication can increase and working through disagreements can improve. Allen has a heart for walking with a couple who is engaged or is considering engagement.
Mid-life Career Change
Allen made a mid-life career change to become a counselor, so he has a unique perspective for those considering such a move. Allen will help a person explore the upside and downside in a way that recognizes the complexities of choosing to change careers in mid-life.
- Prepare/Enrich Premarital Certification
- Gottman Level 1
Allen grew up in Jackson and lives there with his wife Lisa and their son. He and Lisa have a daughter who is a commercial interior designer, and their son will be a sophomore at Mississippi State University in the fall. Allen is a private pilot and loves weather, photography, walking, cooking, and going to the beach.
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