Member Spotlight May/June

Dr. Keiah Ellis is a Certified Pastoral Member of the Sarasota Academy of Christian Counseling, and has been an International Representative since January 19, 1916. She is also an NCCA Licensed Pastoral Counselor.  Dr.  Ellis’ ministry is: T.E.A.C.H. Academy

What a time to be alive!

In what could feel like the worst of times, it takes a determined spirit to see the best of times. And that is what I aim to do, as the Lord reveals His purpose and plans for His creation. And what an honor it is to be a small part of what He is doing!

This year, I am thrilled to be speaking at the NCCA conference in Chattanooga, TN. I’ll be presenting two topics -- using resources in our counseling ministries and understanding the “business” aspects of ministry work. I pray that they will both be a blessing to all of my counseling colleagues. As I am sure you are all well aware, the world needs our Godly, biblical counsel now, maybe more than ever! Equipping fellow counselors and ministering Truth to the people who need it most are truly some of the greatest joys of my life. 

In 2016, I launched my Certified Academic Institution, called T.E.A.C.H. Academy. The “TEACH” portion is an acronym for Training, Equipping, and Aligning Counselors’ Hearts into a solid grasp of the Word of God and Temperament Theory, for use in a multitude of areas. When I launched my CAI, I knew that I didn’t want to only train counselors. I wanted to help people from all walks of life to be able to understand God’s design for what He created them to be, and I to spread the usage and understanding of the APS tool. In the past 8 years, I believe I have been modestly effective at reaching those goals. 

But this year, I’m working on brand new projects that I pray will bring the gift of temperament understanding to a wide array of people. For the duration of my CAI, I have presented Temperament Theory and Creation Therapy in a classroom setting to students who wanted to earn their counseling credentials. While I did that, I also held “Temperament Talks”, using the book Created In God’s Image as a jumping off point, for the general public at local libraries in my area. I invited anyone who was interested in learning more about who they are to join the talks. We had wonderful discussions about temperament and how it played out in practical ways in daily life, and often, people were so intrigued, they requested to complete the A.P.S. questionnaire to get their own temperament results. Many participants in these talks didn’t feel as though they needed counseling, but recognized that they could use some insight into navigating everyday life circumstances better. And the conversations were always a lot of fun too! For a Sanguine in Inclusion and Affection like me, I was definitely in my happy place. This year, and going forward, I will be reinstating the Temperament Talks and expanding them to include online access and video replays.

Another project I will be launching is called Teaching the Teachers. With so many parents making the decision to bring education and discipleship of their children back into the home through homeschooling, the current climate is ripe for temperament training for parents and teachers alike. This project has been in the works for several years, and includes workbooks to help parents and teachers establish classroom environments that allow each and every child to flourish and thrive as they learn! 

My background before teaching and counseling was in business management. It wasn’t a great fit for me long-term, but I learned so much in my time in the “corporate” world. The final project that I will be working on this year is corporate consulting work with businesses and ministries. “Hating our job” has become an expectation among working people, and that sentiment seems to be getting worse for younger generations. But what I’ve come to realize, through understanding the results of the APS reports, is that often employees and staff do not meet expectations of employers simply because they are not in the right position for their temperament. I found that to be the case personally, and once I got an understanding of how I am “built”, I found my place and have been very effective, and quite satisfied, in my role as teacher and counselor. I want to see that lightbulb moment for others, so I’ve created a program called Clean Sweep to help employers, business owners, and ministry leaders to build effective and content teams and staffs.

It is my goal to “occupy until” the Lord returns or calls me home, as the Word admonishes. What a privilege it is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the wisdom of the PS to people far and wide. May the Lord continue to bless our efforts and multiply His Kingdom, for His glory alone!