Joe Mabe

When I’m asked what I do for a living…

At Abba’s Heart Counseling, I handle many of the administrative tasks of the business, including accounting, scheduling, and first-contact phone calls. That’s right… when you call us for the first time, you get to speak to me!

During our first phone call, we will discuss the main reasons why you are seeking counseling. We have a team of counselors, each with a slightly different niche, so learning about your unique circumstances will help me place you with the counselor that may be best suited for you.

I believe in the power of counseling…

After 10+ years of marriage to the best counselor in the world (yes, I’m biased), I’ve learned first-hand what it means to live out the process of working toward more healthy relationships. When your first priority is “being right,” you miss the target of restoring relationships. So long as restoring my relationships remains my top priority, I can more easily work through feelings of hurt and guilt.

Swallowing pride also becomes easier and enables me to see the value of setting healthy boundaries in the future.

That kind of dedication is sometimes difficult, even painful, but always rewarding far beyond the costs.

What led me to serve in the mental health field…

I was a personal trainer for 12 years. Angie and I often joked that together we could treat the whole person: body, mind, and heart.

Most people don’t realize that personal training and counseling share some basic methods. As a personal trainer, I listened to what people’s goals were for their bodies and showed them the way to success. Many times, they realized that what they had been doing on their own was actually counterproductive, ineffective, or potentially damaging.

The same is often true in the mental health field. Just as I was responsible for teaching my clients new skills and techniques for engaging certain muscle groups, a mental health counselor will teach and guide you to engage those often-neglected areas of the mind and will.

Just like training the body, the road may be difficult, even painful at first, but the rewards are well worth the investment. Don’t forget: The more you work at it, the easier it gets.

When I’m not in the office…

I’m a stay-at-home father of three who homeschools two children while pursuing an online master’s degree in Christian apologetics. I’m using the knowledge gained from my education to teach people in my local church how to articulate and defend their faith in Christ. Perhaps one day I’ll serve on the actual church staff, but for now, I’m honored to volunteer my time.

Inertia is a powerful thing.

A weight is always heaviest when you’re trying to move it from a dead stop, or worse, change directions. But once you get that weight moving in the right direction, the movement becomes easier.

Let us help you overcome the inertia of depression, anger, fear, and bad relationship habits. Making this phone call is a great first step.