We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Hazel Owens a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hazel, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

The biggest risk I have ever taken was taking a leap of faith to pursue ministry full time. What I discerned as full time ministry (at the time) was counseling as a marriage and family therapist and Bible teaching. I had a deep desire and passion to not only empower women but to help in restoring relationships. I wanted to be able to journey alongside people in becoming the best versions of themselves, for themselves first then for their families and communities.

After a year of wrestling and discerning, I finally felt the push to apply to seminary. My intention was to enter seminary January of 2017. I wanted to make sure that I was fully eligible for scholarships as this would be my second time going to graduate school. I said a prayer to God that if God showed me the school, the program, and paid for it, then I would do my part to follow through even if that meant quitting my job. That prayer terrified me just as much as it gave me peace.

So, in May 2016 I applied to seminary with a spring semester intent to enroll. I was then asked to meet with the Admissions Counselor. When I arrived to that meeting, I was greeted with huge excitement. This woman goes on to say that she had been following my blog (I was blogging for a couple years prior to this). She began to name other ways she has noticed me from afar from interviews on the radio about my journey to events in ministry. She said that she personally knew all of my references. This is the part that got me . . . she said “I was excited to see your application on my desk and thought ‘yes, it’s about time'”.

Now, I don’t know her AT ALL! This was so wild to me! She then asked, “why am I waiting for spring to enroll?” I told her, “I already have a Master’s degree. If I’m going to do this I need all the scholarship money I can get. I would need this to be paid for or close to being paid for in full”

Her response, “You let me worry about the scholarship. If I can get you money, would you enroll this fall?” I quickly said, “Yes”. I didn’t fully think she could get me scholarship money because I was passed the deadline for fall scholarships.

I felt called to choose a dual program: Masters of Divinity and Masters of Marriage & Family Therapy.

The next step was to meet with the program director for the Marriage & Family Therapy program. The next week, I meet with that program director. She too mentioned that she knew one of my references personally (who happened to be my confidant and an alumna of the program). After about a 15 minute discussion, the program director stated, “I think you will be great for this program and the program could use a student like you. I am going to expedite my recommendation for admittance for this fall semester”.

Again. . .mind blown!

About a month later, I am leaving work and received an email from a professor. The email had a syllabus for a week long intensive class that was starting early July. There was pre-work and reading that needed to be done prior to the start of class. This class was for the upcoming fall semester. The professor stated in the email that he didn’t want me to be behind.

Now, I did not have a letter of acceptance nor a scholarship package. So I called the professor at the number in his email, explaining what I don’t have and my uncomfortableness of being enrolled in a class that I am not sure I can pay for. To his reply, “Yes, I sit on the scholarship committee. You will be receiving an award letter via email later today and a copy by postal mail. You will also receive your acceptance letter too. In the meantime, you can borrow my books until everything is set up where you can get a book voucher for the semester. I think you will be happy with the scholarship award”.

Mind Blown!

Just like he said, I received a letter of acceptance and a scholarship award that covered 80% of the tuition for the dual program!!

I had enough eligibility of student loan money to cover the remaining 20%.

So fall 2016 I enrolled in seminary. At the time, things on my job was getting quite contentious and my father’s health was getting worse. One Friday, early August 2016, I found myself writing a letter of resignation to the job that I loved. In my spirit, I felt God was telling me to make my final day on the job October 7, 2016. I was terrified typing this letter and knew I needed to turn it in that following Monday to my boss.

I get to work that Monday, I turned the letter in, and my boss mentioned that she sensed this was coming. She was fully supportive and encouraging. I felt a great deal of peace, although I feared how I was going to make money.

So, I reassessed my personal overhead costs and began to immediately cut things back to live very minimally. I saved up to cover my rent and necessary expenses through the end of the year. I began to sell jewelry to generate a little income and promoted that with what I was feeling called towards with ministry.

I bought a plane ticket to be with family in Colorado for Thanksgiving so I could at least have one of the holidays with them especially since my dad’s health was getting worse.

I’m in another week long intensive class right after my last day on the job. I was told I needed to get to Colorado asap because my dad was not doing good at all. So, I had some money saved up and some jewelry parties already on the books and decided I could risk an extra flight to help out.

So after the class was over, I flew out to Colorado. I stayed for a couple weeks to find out there wasn’t much else they could do for my dad. If things didn’t turn around, we were facing the decision for hospice care.

I come back home for another 2 weeks or so, and now it’s time to fly back out for the Thanksgiving break. Dad is much worse. I knew then that would be my last holiday with him. I fly back home and a week later on December 6th, my brother and I made the decision for hospice care. I took the last money I had to get another flight in hopes that I could see him alive one more time before he passed. I booked the flight for Dec. 17th. I sent money to help with medical needs and things to support his care at home.

At this point, I have depleted everything! Then my parties for December all cancelled. I had no money coming in at all. That meant no means to pay rent or anything else for January.

I complete my final class for my first semester of seminary and my dad passed on Dec. 15, 2016 just a couple days later after I finished my classes. I didn’t get to see him.

Now, I am thinking I heard God wrong in quitting my job. I was thinking how do I ask for my job back. I’m grieving and worried about how to make due financially. I spent about 2 weeks in Colorado helping my mom get everything arranged rather quickly due to holiday closures.

I finally come come on December 3oth. The next day, I pulled up some strength to go to church for our New Year’s Eve service. I’m weighed with grief and this risk that I took in quitting my job to pursue ministry full time.

Next to me at church, is my friend’s dad (who treats me like a daughter). He says to me, “I don’t know what’s going on, but the Lord told me to give this to you. Do not open it in here and don’t leave it in your car”. He hands me a white envelope. I put it in my purse. He told me he heard about my father’s passing but sensed something else was going on with me. He also told me he didn’t need to know but demanded I keep the envelope because he was being obedient to the Lord.

I get home from church and finally checked my mail. No one knew about my financial situation. In the mail are Christmas card and cards of condolences. I began to open them. In every card was a check or cash. A few with $100, $250, $50, $25. I opened up a gift from a friend that was given to me prior to my father’s passing. In the card was $50. My very close friend and neighbor came over with $100 from her dad. My aunt sent me $600. I had unchecked PayPal notifications with money transactions from people. The envelope from church . . . $400. When it was all said and done, I was able to pay rent, all my utilities, get brakes repaired on my car, buy groceries and toiletries, and get a head start on February. NO ONE knew my financial situation! But God did!!

It was then that I sensed God to be a provider and will give me all that I need for this calling and purpose to come to fruition. I completed a 6 year program in 4 years with no full-time employment nor consistent income. Yet those 4 years of seminary was full of stories of God providing not only my needs but also many of my wants. In seminary, I was able to travel abroad and the trip was fully funded. Rent was never late, nothing was ever disconnected . . . there was time I would pray for tissue because I was down to my last roll with less than $2 in my account and somehow I would be given all sorts of household supplies.

From the age of 13 to 33 when I quit my job, I have maintained employment. So to quit my job by faith was a huge risk. But that’s was faith is . . . .it’s risky! Through every moment of fear, I was filled with peace that didn’t make logical sense.

Now, I have obtained my associate’s license through the state of Indiana as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate (LMFTA), I have become a licensed and ordained minister of the Gospel upon prior to graduating in May 2020. I have been consistently booked up with clients in my private practice since May 2020 as a resident therapist, and even now as I continue to pursue full licensure.

My work has as evolved as an integration of Faith, Culture, and Therapy. I also serve part-time as an Associate Pastor. This leap of faith has led me to do what I am called, graced, and purposed to do on this earth. God gets all the glory! I have learned that sometimes we have to do things scared. Do things with courage. Courage is not absent of fear but it’s activated by faith to put fear into submission. When we take the risk to leap by faith, God will either give us wings to fly or a soft place to land . . . either way, we are covered!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist Associate (LMFTA) in the state of Indiana. I am also a part-time Associate Pastor. I own a developing counseling and consulting practice called Owens Counseling & Consulting where I currently serve clients full time as a LMFTA. I see individuals, couples, and families all across the state of Indiana. My work is an integration of Faith, Culture, and Therapy.

I am a public speaker, preacher, and Bible teacher. I have consulted with a variety organizations on faith and mental health concerns/topics.

I want to see people WIN in life and their relationships. I get to journey with the most courageous people everyday in the pursuit of living more authentically into the best versions of themselves, for themselves first, then for their families and communities.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

So, when I graduated from my program we were in the height of the global pandemic and horrific racial unrest. At this point, I had two months in of doing therapy virtually and also ministering/preaching virtually. I was working four days out of the week from 8:30am -9pm and did this for the first two years post grad. I knew about 1 1/2 years in that this was not sustainable for my own health. I have not caught my breath from an intense 4 year program and having to finish/launch a counseling business/do ministry in a global pandemic. It was so much learning as I went.

So, I made the decision to change my hours for counseling and be even more intentional than I was before about my own self care. 2021/2022 I focused on my physical health with exercising and engaged more intentionally with weekly sabbath.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

When I was interning as a therapist intern during my time in practicum, I would market myself on social media and network. I spent years taking on free speaking engagements around faith, teaching bible, mental health, self care, relationships and more that related to my field of study. Once I graduated, I reached out to a handful of folks with a digital flyer promoting my openings for clients as pre-licensed therapist that included “areas of interest”. Within a month after graduating, I was completely booked with clients. Word of mouth is now my #1 referral method with Psychology Today and social media as my second.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @_hazelowens
• Other: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/hazel-owens-indianapolis-in/762967