We were lucky to catch up with Becca Gunyon recently and have shared our conversation below.
Becca, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
For the last 21 years, I have been mentoring and counseling adolescents. Listening to these teens taught me so much about parenting and what kids and teens desire in relationship with each parent. As a parent of five of my own kids (ages 10-19), my time counseling shaped so much of my own parenting style. I learned so very much from these teens. As a writer, I compiled the top six themes teens taught me about parenting and came up with a parenting workshop to present to parents like me, who want to raise thriving kids who will become adults that give to the world around them- Parenting Moment by Moment- Making ordinary moments EXTRAordinary
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
As a teen, I had an eating disorder and went to a Christian counselor who was donation based/sliding- scale. As a seventeen year old in my own brokenness, I wondered if one day, I could counsel/mentor struggling young ladies like myself. After completing my degree in Christian Psychology I became a Pastoral Counselor. My dad, Jim Owings, made my dream come true and founded Lord’s Way Ministries as a 501c3 and The Way Counseling in 2000. For the last 21 years, I have been given the honor of walking beside teenage ladies on their journey to healing. In 2013, we expanded to add The Way Home as one of our branches. This ministry provides Christmas and year round giving to the needs of foster families in the 13 North Georgia Counties/Region 2. We have other branches of ministry- all focused on helping families heal and grow in their faith. In 2018, I decided the teens I was counseling needed daily curriculum to help their journey to thinking and living great, so I started writing Choose Life to the Fullest (4 books) All of the books are about learning to think great and invite Jesus in. The last book is coauthored with my brother, Micah Owings, who played professional baseball.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
People long for realness. Most backstories have a story of pain or brokeness. Embracing pain, growing in faith through this, and sharing with others creates a story that can help others. My eating disorder birthed a desire in my to help others heal. As a counselor, I always share my story with my new clients, not only to give them hope, but to help them understand facing truth is courageous. The backstory of my books is actually from one of my own teens, he was spiraling mentally. I realized he needed short, simple, daily deposits to change his thoughts which would change his life. I paid him to edit instagram posts, I never dreamed this would become a 4 book series, until one of his friends, who was reading asked me to publish. Each book, I give away reminds me of my son’s shift in thinking and how this changed his life, his self-esteem, his faith journey, and his ability to choose healthy life-giving thoughts.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
LIfe is about relationships. Our ministry has grown and is thriving from the relationships of those who believe in what we do, Sharing the story and heart of our ministry is a joy!
Contact Info:
- Website: beccagunyon.com
- Instagram: @parentingmomentbymoment @beccagunyon @thewayhome.us
- Facebook: Becca Gunyon
- Linkedin: Becca Gunyon
- Youtube: Becca Gunyon
Image Credits
last 2 pics Mandy Khoo