We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Champ Moultrie a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Champ, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?
Something my parents did right was at a very young age help me establish a relationship with God and seek him for purpose and direction. My father particularly when I had done something not so great, or gotten in trouble, would without judgement say to me: “Champ, live up to your name.” It was a subtle and easy way to remind me that what I had done was not in line with who I was called to be. Fast forward it has been a guiding principle that reminds me that I was made for a purpose on purpose, and to not take that lightly. I still hear those words when I’m tempted to go outside of myself or do something that does not align with my greater self.
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 got into the industry of mental health primarily because I felt led to help so many marriages that appeared to need assistance in getting on the same page. With my faith being a major part of my life, coupled with believing that marriage is the backbone of any great society, I began to pursue this calling of mental health via assisting couples in the area of relationships and intimacy. My task is simple, help couples achieve 3 things: safety, connection, and full aliveness. By full aliveness I mean the joy of marriage and commitment, and the willingness in helping each other become the best versions of themselves. What sets me apart is my ability to help transform a couples image of what they believe marriage and intimacy is, and with practical steps help them navigate the tumultuous road of relationship woes. I am most proud of my gifting to help couples through the most difficult transitions in life and help them navigate falling in and out of love with each other and recreating a new relationship vision after the first, second, or third versions no longer are sustainable. Champ’s Therapeutic Counseling is committed to relational oneness that makes couples and the world a better place.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
When I first graduated from my counseling program in 2018 I worked for an agency where I provided counseling to individuals but the main work was group facilitation from intimate partner violence. At the behest of my wife I took this position to launch into my own private practice. This decision did not have the supports that it promised and I ended up in a bad financial standing that set me back 2 years from being fully licensed and questioning whether I was supposed to be doing this work. After some soul searching and much prayer, I realized that I allowed the setback to hinder my forward movement and belief in myself as a mental health practitioner. After finding peace that I was in fact doing what I was called to I began to refocus my energy towards therapy helping those I was assigned too. After finally getting licensed in 2020, becoming a lead therapist in an organization where I got an uncommon salary for a young practitioner, to leaving this comfortable position in 2021 to pursue working working with couples and eventually sex therapy in 2022, to starting Champ’s Therapeutic Counseling in Spring 2023. All this taught me that setbacks are a setup for a comeback if we stay true to the calling of hearts even in times of trouble.
Have you ever had to pivot?
Life is full of ups and downs. Therapy is in fact my third career. I learned early on that embracing who you are and your gifts while not being married to their image is a major key for any successful person. Going from working at an Outpatient Mental Health Clinic where I helped clients work through the difficulties of life and past trauma was good work, it did not align with my purpose in calling to help couples. I left a really good salary to bet on myself and start over to begin working with couples and then pivoted to assisting in sex and in therapy. All of these were scary and came at a price of money, time, safety and security, but walking in my uniqueness and helping others walk in theirs gave me the courage to bet on myself and the life I needed and desired.
