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Ginger
D. Graham-Murphy, M.A,. NCC
 According
to Society, Ginger has beaten the odds and statistics that were set against her.
She should have been on welfare with many fatherless children, incarcerated, or
a substance abuser but God chose to guide her another way and saved her from the
adversity that others thought she was destined to fulfill.
Ginger
believes that, through the Lord’s anointing, she has been called to fulfill the
words found in Isaiah 61:1-3: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the
Lord has anointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted; he has sent me to
bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening
of the prison to those who are bound, to comfort all who mourn, to give instead
of ashes, the oil of gladness, instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead
of a faint spirit” (RSV). Through the practice and ministry of counseling, Ginger
believes that she is destined to walk worthy of the vocation and purpose that
God has chosen for her life to encourage and comfort those who are wounded, and
in need of healing, which only the love and grace of God can provide. Ginger
has worked extensively with persons diagnosed as having HIV/AIDS, Substance Abuse,
Mental Retardation, Developmental Disabilities, and Mental Health Issues such
as depression, bi-polar disorder, schizophrenia, borderline personality, anti-social
personality disorder, and those with dual diagnoses. Her specialties include dealing
with issues pertaining to self-esteem, negative self-image, grief and loss, and
relational issues. She has facilitated groups dealing with addictions, self-esteem
and HIV/AIDS. She has facilitated eight-week courses HIV/AIDS education, and seminars
with teenage girls that focused on HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases
that are rising within the African American Community and among those seeking
substance abuse treatment. Ginger has received specialized training in diversity,
HIV/AIDS, Substance Abuse, and Crisis Intervention. Ginger
interned at Calvary’s Alternative to Alcohol and Drug Abuse (CATAADA) House and
The Gospel Rescue Mission’s Transforming Lives Ministry (TLM) and is presently
volunteering there weekly as a Therapist. She
enjoys empowering individuals to become aware of the role of their choices and
behavior in their lives and to make changes in their lives that will make them
more productive individuals. She also believes that it is important for people
to realize how God views them in order to help them become the person that God
intended them to be and conquer the negative images that they may. Ginger considers
her style of counseling eclectic, thus allowing the utilization of the best method
to address the needs of the client. She believes it is the integration of the
clinical with the spiritual along with the guidance of the Holy Spirit that effects
change in the client. Ginger
earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from Howard University in Liberal Arts in
1989, where she majored in Psychology and minored in Human Development. She also
earned a Master of Arts Degree in Community Counseling from Regent University
in 2005 and plans to enter a doctoral program in the future. Ginger is also eligible
to become a Certified Addictions Counselor and is certified as an HIV/AIDS Instructor.
She also worships at Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church where she is spiritually
nourished and has grown tremendously. Through this ministry, she received a Certificate
in Biblical Studies in 1996 and completed the Lay Counselor’s Training in 2002.
Ginger is a native Washingtonian and has worked in the human services field for
the past 15 years working with a various populations and issues primarily in case
management, counseling and training. |
