Who We Are
Dan Ellenberg, M.A., NCC, LPCC (KY)
Living Rivers was created to help people just like you. People who feel stuck in the grasp of addiction or trauma or other weights that life can place on us. My heart is to help men across the nation be set free from porn addiction and other forms of problematic sexual behaviors. I also love to help clients heal from trauma, especially extreme cases of abuse and PTSD. Some think that working with “extreme” or “intense” cases would be burdensome, but I get the most fulfillment from working with these cases.
For those seeking faith-based counseling, I incorporate Biblical principles in addition to clinical skills to help you achieve your mental health goals. When I was younger, I felt called to ministry. While I thought that meant being a pastor, God had different plans. Now I see my work as a ministry, helping people one-on-one to work through life’s challenges.
What’s the difference between coaching and counseling?
Coaching is a professional service designed to help you through a specific problem or help you reach a specific goal. Coaching can be specific to financial, professional, or relational goals. In this case, we specialize in coaching men to become free from problematic sexual behaviors including porn addiction, sexual addiction, chronic affairs, compulsive lying, and other issues associated with problematic sexual behaviors.
Counseling is more general but also requires more training. Counseling is done by someone who at least has a master’s degree and a significant amount of experiential training in a clinical setting. Counseling is intended for more intense mental health issues like depression, anxiety, OCD, Bipolar Disorder, eating disorders, etc.
Sexual addiction in any form is not yet recognized in the DSM (the American standard for diagnosing mental health disorders). Therefore, it is not yet recognized as a mental health disorder requiring a higher level of training and education to address. This allows coaching to be a useful avenue to help men get help with this issue.
For those struggling with co-occurring issues like depression or mood disorders, it is highly suggested that you seek professional counseling and possibly psychiatric care from someone in your area, in addition to coaching.