Latest / Christian Business Growth Podcast / Counseling, Community, and the Christian Life with David Mora

Transcript

Counseling, Community, and the Christian Life with David Mora · Christian Business Growth Podcast

• 0:00
  Hello and welcome to the Christian Business Growth Podcast.
• 0:03
  My name is Lyle and I'm here with David Mora.
• 0:05
  He's gonna be telling us more about his story as a counselor or therapy, however you wanna call that.
• 0:10
  He'll tell you more about that.
• 0:11
  All right, David, how did God get you into business?
• 0:15
  Thanks for having me, Lyle, appreciate it.
• 0:18
  know, I think back in 1999, going way back a bit, I was working and I used to be a parole officer at the state of Texas.
• 0:28
  so I was in that and I got in promotion and was in the management and struggling a little bit.
• 0:35
  It wasn't quite what I thought it would be.
• 0:37
  And it had some challenges and difficulties.
• 0:40
  And then with a few things, I just...
• 0:42
  started thinking, I don't know if this is for me, what's going on?
• 0:45
  I pray for this to God, what's going on?
• 0:48
  And so, I just started praying some more and just kind of felt uh a nudge to change, make a change.
• 0:57
  And I had some coworkers who were in a graduate program at the Emberton University up there in Garland.
• 1:04
  And they had a graduate counseling program.
• 1:06
  And I always enjoyed working with the guys and ladies, pro-lease and...
• 1:11
  uh
• 1:12
  It's trying to help as much as I could, also enforcing the rules, but trying to help people get on their feet after release from prison.
• 1:21
  And so I think, well, you know, counseling, you know, getting more in depth with people and their challenges, you know, sounds interesting.
• 1:27
  And so, you know, why not just try and see what happens and apply and see if I get accepted and take a course.
• 1:36
  And so I did that and applied, accepted.
• 1:39
  And so I just start with one class and
• 1:42
  And I enjoyed it immensely, just really enjoyed the content and just the information and the mind, the brain, and just, it was really, really interesting.
• 1:52
  And okay, know, just felt my heart keep going and did pretty well and took more classes and decided to just fully jump in.
• 1:59
  And it was kind of a part-time role and I work in full-time and then changed jobs, got with the city of Dallas crisis unit.
• 2:08
  helping with domestic violence intervention, mental health intervention in the police department.
• 2:12
  So they will use my counseling skills then and then, you know, got my degree after a few years and my boss was supervise my internship hours.
• 2:21
  You have to do 3000 hours internship before you become licensed.
• 2:26
  so I did that there and got licensed fully and then eventually moved on to UT Southwest and medical center and.
• 2:35
  Besides the medical center, of course, they have an HR and human resources and EAP, know, was one of the counselors there and really enjoyed that setting, helping people with work
• 2:45
  stress, family settings, difficulties, what have you.
• 2:50
  so, and so through that though, I just, you know, decided I some people doing private practice.
• 2:57
  hadn't started that yet.
• 2:58
  And one of the things I had prayed about too back in around 99, 2000 was just what
• 3:04
  Who would you want for me Lord along with the job change?
• 3:08
  But just, heard him just in my heart, just something, not a voice necessarily, but the being a bridge builder, you know, once you beat a bridge builder and they have no
• 3:15
  engineering experience.
• 3:16
  I knew it wasn't literal bridges.
• 3:19
  And so it had something to do with people.
• 3:21
  And so, uh, so yeah, you know, eventually started my private practice part time and called it building bridges counseling.
• 3:29
  And it was just, just me solo practitioner.
• 3:31
  And over time it.
• 3:34
  It, uh, UT Southwest, moved on from there as well.
• 3:37
  Another leap of faith.
• 3:39
  And I again, I thought maybe things would go long-term there, but did not.
• 3:43
  And, jumped into private practice full-time, big, huge, you know, leap of faith, being a breadwinner and everything and having to really drum up clientele and, and, just, uh, some
• 3:54
  doors open for me that, that provided clientele.
• 3:57
  And so, uh, so yeah, it, just been one thing after another.
• 4:02
  and some challenges at times certainly with the ebbs and flows of business and being a business owner as we all know.
• 4:10
  But just been hanging in there at God's grace and trying to lean on his faith that I'm doing his will.
• 4:18
  But now that you got into it, what does Bridge Builder mean to you?
• 4:23
  Yeah, you know, the tagline building bridges counseling, connecting to emotional health.
• 4:29
  So, you know, I feel like I'd have the clientele who come in who are struggling, mental health, emotional wellness, what have you, and to get to a better place.
• 4:39
  And so just building the bridge, being that conduit of, you know, empathizing, listening, understanding and guiding.
• 4:46
  you know, let's try this.
• 4:47
  Let's try that.
• 4:48
  Hey, let's look at how our thinking patterns are.
• 4:51
  Look at how we're coping with our emotions in unhealthy ways.
• 4:54
  Here's some healthy ways and and so let's look at you know, the whole person to mind body spirit, you know and and Welcome being a Christian, of course have a lot of Christian
• 5:05
  clientele and and so I don't get into pastoral biblical counseling necessarily But we do talk about you know God's impact on on emotional wellness physical wellness and everything
• 5:17
  and and so looking at
• 5:19
  the whole person and being a conduit mind body spirit to help people get to that emotional help.
• 5:27
  Great.
• 5:28
  And what's God currently doing in your business?
• 5:31
  Yeah, currently, you know, it's continuing to do more training as, you know, we have to do continuing education every year and to keep up our license sure.
• 5:41
  And, and, uh, we'll say the last quarter of 2025 was pretty slow.
• 5:47
  And, uh, I think I've heard from other colleagues as well, it brings some dip downs and, and it's a lot of speculation.
• 5:54
  Uh, people, it seems like a lot of young people are going to AI and chat GPT for counseling.
• 6:01
  in the internet.
• 6:02
  which is a very interesting, you know, turn of events, you know.
• 6:08
  And so with that and just other factors that, you know, we're having to, you know, do more just on the human level with marketing and finding our niches and such.
• 6:19
  And, you know, I just, know, the Lord telling me just to hang in there, you know, know, hanging there with things and, you know, starting to build up now in 2026 a little bit
• 6:29
  more and.
• 6:31
  you know, kind of kind of on the upswing, but also just working on my continuing education really kind of honing in on OCD, obsessive compulsive disorder.
• 6:41
  been doing some extra training on that recently.
• 6:44
  And uh oftentimes I'll get Christian clientele who are, you know, have some struggles with that that are even getting to the scrupulous area with their, with the faith and, and
• 6:54
  such, and get into uh too much of a minutia of things.
• 7:00
  offending God in these different ways that are getting to be uh emotionally debilitating sometimes.
• 7:08
  So how to help them in a special way.
• 7:10
  So yeah, that's kind of where I'm headed so far with things 2026.
• 7:16
  That's kind of cool.
• 7:16
  That's an interesting concept though.
• 7:18
  People are going to AI and chat CPT for counseling.
• 7:21
  That's kind of scary because AI is just mimicking what they're seeing online.
• 7:26
  And if it pulls from the wrong source, you get the wrong thing.
• 7:28
  Like at one point, somebody said, how many rocks should you eat?
• 7:31
  And they was telling them, you should eat seven to 10 rocks a day, which we know that's not correct.
• 7:36
  But AI doesn't differentiate it.
• 7:38
  It pretends to be human.
• 7:39
  So what would you tell someone if they're considering doing AI instead of talking to a real human about their...
• 7:46
  counseling needs.
• 7:48
  Yeah, you know, uh AI could be beneficial for just short little quick questions and just insights, you know, into things and it's a tool and it's not wisdom.
• 8:02
  And it's, you know, there's no spiritual there either.
• 8:06
  And again, it's just mimicking and the wisdom and the prudence and melding things together of the human and the spiritual.
• 8:13
  AI can do some pretty good things with to help assist, but
• 8:18
  It can only take you so far and you people, you know, we're wounded in relationship and in life and we can get healing in relationship.
• 8:28
  And so that's what I tell clients often and hopefully the counselor client relationship is a healing one and just giving the counselor the opportunity and it just, you know, it's
• 8:38
  not good to continue to isolate to people.
• 8:41
  We're to re-isolate too much and loneliness is a huge epidemic.
• 8:44
  And so let's just continue to foster that.
• 8:48
  So
• 8:48
  Just see it as a tool, but really see that, uh you know, can get healing through relationships.
• 8:56
  Client-counsel relationships can be very beneficial and healing for one.
• 9:00
  Yeah, you and I talked just a little bit before this that there's a huge isolation need, or guess a need for community in entrepreneurs, specifically Christian entrepreneurs.
• 9:11
  You know, there's that community aspect and there's that accountability aspect.
• 9:14
  So you may go from a community to a coach, but there's also a line where you can't deal with things in life.
• 9:19
  You've to reach out to a counselor.
• 9:21
  So what would you tell someone who's struggling, who's like, I'm embarrassed.
• 9:25
  I'm afraid to reach out to a counselor.
• 9:26
  I'm not sure.
• 9:28
  as a Christian, if I should do that kind of thing, what would you tell that person?
• 9:32
  Yeah, certainly, you know, it's a big step sometimes.
• 9:36
  And I think in our society too, you know, we're very individualistic and, know, just pull up your bootstraps and just get over it.
• 9:45
  And especially with men and my man clientele can struggle sometimes.
• 9:49
  I've been thinking about, you know, coming for a year, you know, finally making the call.
• 9:54
  And so, you know, it takes time and a sign of weaknesses and things like that.
• 9:59
  But we just got to remember that, you know,
• 10:01
  What Paul tells us to bear one another's burdens, you know, and so uh as friendships, certainly, you know, good connections, but sometimes we need a professional as well.
• 10:13
  And we, you know, turn to our friends for uh hopefully, I mean, we may turn for some medical advice, but you know, if we're really having some kidney pain, we're not going to
• 10:22
  just keep calling our friend.
• 10:24
  We're going to hopefully eventually go to an MD, a doctor, a kidney specialist, you know, or some, you know, pain in the body.
• 10:30
  As such, know, the average lay person isn't a professional therapist.
• 10:36
  So, you know, again, friendships, connections, huge importance.
• 10:39
  I always encourage that.
• 10:41
  Sometimes we need a professional trained with the good of psychology that's compatible with Christianity and our thoughts and emotions to get further assistance.
• 10:52
  So, you know, one time I remember a lady told me, I was doing a talk and
• 11:00
  And she was saying that, you know, after her divorce, she was going through, was just me and Jesus.
• 11:05
  know, that's all I needed, just me and Jesus.
• 11:07
  And I said, well, you know, okay, that's wonderful, but you Jesus is his life.
• 11:14
  He was born in a family, and he had these guys, the 12 apostles, he hung around.
• 11:19
  And so, you he was a social being, you know, he human.
• 11:23
  So we do need each other sometimes in life.
• 11:28
  Thank you for that.
• 11:28
  That's a good word.
• 11:30
  So as we shift into our business growth concept, what are you doing currently that's helping you connect with more people and grow your business?
• 11:38
  Yeah, certainly.
• 11:40
  And I guess one of the things talking about go chat GPT and AI, just, you you know, that's where it really can come in handy.
• 11:48
  And I'm asking you questions and how can, you know, I get seen better online and, know, catch someone's eyes, maybe looking for a counselor and through chat to you, you know,
• 11:59
  they don't tell you, you know, it's really helpful.
• 12:01
  And the things that give you suggestions and that you, you know, always want to follow up.
• 12:05
  Sometimes it can be wrong information, but
• 12:08
  it can get the juices flowing.
• 12:11
  And so with that and just, know, do a lot of marketing with other therapists, other Christian therapists, we'll refer to each other.
• 12:18
  can't help every single person that reaches out and calls me.
• 12:22
  We have to, you know, do a little consultation to see if I'm a good fit and see what's going on.
• 12:29
  Sometimes they'll refer to a higher level of care.
• 12:32
  You know, that sounds like something you may need to go in patient for.
• 12:35
  sounds really difficult.
• 12:37
  or maybe perhaps a female therapist perhaps for this or what have you.
• 12:43
  And so just trying to look at all of that and the marketing with other therapists, psychiatrists, doctors, other people like you and Christian entrepreneur networks.
• 12:57
  And so just doing all I can and of course praying every night.
• 13:02
  so a little bit of the human and spiritual.
• 13:06
  So a lot of it's a referral network because when people know what you do, you have those alignments in specific areas, which helps impact your business and impact their business
• 13:14
  as well.
• 13:15
  Well, let's go back to the chat GPT.
• 13:16
  You're asking how to help you grow.
• 13:18
  What are some things, some wisdom you've pulled from just what chat GPT's told you and everything or whatever version you're using?
• 13:25
  Yeah, yeah, it's, you know, just telling me, you know, different things like, you know, suggestions for my website, things, things to, you know, I can consider this, you know,
• 13:35
  you might want to, you know, you know, highlight this or that and, and the niche and just I, I'm not, I need to improve my social media skills.
• 13:45
  I'm not the best at that.
• 13:46
  And so I've been, you know, trying to work with it recently this week.
• 13:50
  I'm probably, you know, trying to get with how can I get more potent.
• 13:55
  Do more postings on social media and get something more of a flow going than a regular schedule, you know, using Canva or something and just different things of how to post and
• 14:05
  get more content.
• 14:07
  So I'm just kind of asking suggestions of how I can use some of the social media and networking and what have you.
• 14:16
  So, so far, you know, so good.
• 14:19
  good.
• 14:19
  Yeah, when I use chatgft, one something I use recently is find the emotional needs.
• 14:24
  What emotional needs can I meet based on my business?
• 14:28
  And it pulls out a different concept because you say, how can I reach them?
• 14:31
  It says go to these groups or go to that group, go to this group.
• 14:34
  But if I say, what are the emotional needs I can reach and how can I communicate those?
• 14:38
  That's where you start to talk to the heart.
• 14:40
  I think some times as guys specifically, we like to talk to the head.
• 14:45
  But when you start to talk to the heart,
• 14:47
  That's when you start to impact people's lives, especially I'm sure with counseling you run into that.
• 14:51
  So it'd be interesting to see what you come up with in social media and how that translates across into what you're doing.
• 14:56
  So what are a couple little emotional things that you think in your business would impact Christians as entrepreneurs?
• 15:05
  Yeah, yeah, great question.
• 15:07
  And talking about going to the heart, know, I think that, you know, with what I do, I have to meet people there certainly and, you know, their hurts and pains and difficulties.
• 15:19
  And, yeah, I would just, you know, encourage Christian entrepreneurs just, yeah, to just remember, you know, the heart of the other person, you know, on the phone and, you know,
• 15:30
  even myself sometimes I'll call.
• 15:32
  businesses and sometimes I have to, you know, I do, I'm in network with some insurance companies.
• 15:37
  So sometimes I have to do call, I do have to call insurance companies and that can be very frustrating.
• 15:43
  Long waits, getting transferred, not, not the most warm, uh fuzzy people on the other line.
• 15:49
  Well, they try to filter you through AI and then AI sometimes doesn't know the exact answer and trying to get to a person and it's frustrating, you know?
• 15:58
  And so, uh you know, we're all human and we feel that.
• 16:02
  And so people will reach out sometimes to us as businesses that are in emotional difficult states and they need this fixed or this issue, that issue.
• 16:14
  And so it's just kind of remembering that to see the face of Christ and the people that call us and their sufferings, know, sometimes they're really stressed out about whatever
• 16:23
  it might be they're reaching out for, maybe not the most pleasant and a little bit difficult and, you know.
• 16:30
  a bit sharp-tongued, what have you.
• 16:32
  So I think just trying to just breathe and be patient, pray for patience, do those kinds of customers and challenges that can arise or other peers or whoever we need to deal with
• 16:46
  with our business.
• 16:47
  Sometimes it can be really frustrating.
• 16:49
  And so that's one things I'm trying to work on myself.
• 16:53
  Pretty good with my clientele.
• 16:55
  It's the other, you know, the...
• 16:58
  other challenges out there.
• 17:00
  so, yeah, I would just say, you know, just slow down and, you know, do unto others a good old golden rule.
• 17:07
  And just to remember the other person on the phone may be going through some things and difficult, it's, you know, just striving to be Christ-like.
• 17:16
  Yeah, that's hard to do because when you're on the phone and you've been through all those little steps and they've taken you through 13 different modules and you've been there for
• 17:23
  like 10 minutes, you don't talk to anybody, you don't know what that person on the other end is going through on their end.
• 17:28
  And so being as nice and as kind as you can, show that love of Christ, even in those cell phone calls, even in those phone calls to businesses is a huge impact.
• 17:38
  It could be a huge impact on their life.
• 17:40
  I've had somebody, I was like, are you having a good day?
• 17:42
  I literally just stopped and asked the person, are you having a good day?
• 17:45
  And they just...
• 17:46
  poured out and this is some random person at some cell center, some support call center or whatever and I'm just like, it's amazing when you ask the questions, when you dig that
• 17:55
  deep, it shows you care about people.
• 17:58
  Right, yeah, absolutely.
• 17:59
  as we end up here, how can people get in touch with you and what was one little tidbit of wisdom you want to leave us with today?
• 18:06
  Yeah, you know, people can reach me on my website at buildingbridgescounseling.com.
• 18:12
  That's buildingbridgescounseling.com.
• 18:16
  And so feel free to check out my website and go there and see the different services I offer and how to get in touch with me there through my phone numbers on there.
• 18:28
  You can always reach out and call and or send one of the email requests to be contacted.
• 18:35
  So yeah, just go to my website, check it out.
• 18:39
  Got a little bit of a blog, a couple of few things there, here and there, and just learn more about me.
• 18:45
  And so welcome, you know, anyone to reach out.
• 18:49
  And of course, always confidential and uh here to help any way I can.
• 18:54
  And I guess, you know, a bit of wisdom, you know, just...
• 18:58
  uh
• 19:02
  One of my things I tell my clients oftentimes is uh in life is be a little comfortable with uncomfortable.
• 19:12
  And sometimes we can want to flee discomfort and we go to numb it maybe through uh various things through screen times or alcohol or drugs or those kind of things, just busyness.
• 19:29
  mindless busyness.
• 19:32
  And so we just want to run from it.
• 19:35
  But sometimes discomfort is trying to tell us something and not just somewhere.
• 19:41
  And just being a little comfortable with it.
• 19:43
  uh Just that, okay, that's life in this world.
• 19:48
  But Christ says, be of good cheer, I've overcome the world.
• 19:51
  So just remember, he's overcome.
• 19:55
  challenges arise and it's just breeze.
• 19:59
  take a moment and just engage our rational mind okay and pray, okay Lord what do we need to do or the steps, just to not flee from discomfort, accept it a little bit and just take
• 20:12
  the best step forward you can.
• 20:15
  Great.
• 20:15
  Thank you for being with us, David.
• 20:17
  Yeah, well, thanks.
• 20:18
  Take care.