“Empower” to the rescue

While a good number of people cherish the holidays and look forward to time around the turkey, sharing old stories, or time around the tree, singing Christmas carols, others see celebrating the holidays as a stress-filled time.

During the holidays, more than any other time, people idealize family life and when their family life doesn’t measure up, the holidays can unravel.

Kitay trains counselors working with families as part of his job and ministry at Empower in Atascocita. He said fractured and blended families are drawn together during the holidays creating a formula for drama, which if not handled properly can become explosive. Added to the mix, he said holidays are a time when budgets are stretched and tempers flair.

At Empower, Kitay said the staff treats the whole person. His goal is to help people achieve balance, year round, between mind, body and spirit.

“A lot of people ask, ‘What is the difference between a counselor who is Christian and Christian counseling?” said Kitay.

Kitay said counselors who are Christian use secular wisdom and training, while Christian counseling relies on the Bible as its authority. He said the two trainings were opposites. Where Maslow’s hierarchy of needs says the most basic need is for food and the highest need was spirituality, Jesus taught his followers to be spiritual first and not be overly concerned how food would be provided.

“The Bible has some of the best psychology training around,” said Kitay, “I do an exercise where I ask clients to watch TV; I ask them to make a note of the problems and the drama. Then I ask them to identify which of God’s laws have broken. That’s always where the trouble starts.”

Empower, located at 18321 West Lake Houston Pkwy.; in the Orleans Square Shopping Center. It is a 5,500-square-foot counseling facility treating the whole person. Their staff is comprised of a personal trainer, a nutritional consultant and family counselors.

“The gym here is small, personal and very popular with our clients. They like the family atmosphere and Christian values, though we also serve those who are still searching for their faith,” said Kitay.

He said the Christian gym pays the rent and describes the business as safe, supportive and respectful. At the facility, Kitay lectures to groups, provides individual counseling and teaches classes. He said this job at Empower complements his work as a counselor in Aldine ISD.

“I can see about 16 clients a week, since my hours here are from 5-8 p.m.,” said Kitay. “I have a doctorate in psychology from International Christian University and I have a master’s degree in educational counseling from Texas A&M University.”

In 1984, Katay said he was called into the ministry and has served for 18 years. He has 25 years of experience as an educator. He began teaching in the public schools in 1988. In 1989, he was listed in Who’s Who in American Education. His teaching certification is in reading and sociology. After eleven years of teaching in the classroom, Kitay decided that he wanted to work more directly with the students, and now works as a middle school counselor and serves as director of Grace Christian Counseling Ministries.

“For the holidays, I recommend clients have a little patience with members of their family,” said Kitay.

“Too often we get self-centered and we complain instead of counting our blessings.”

After each encounter with another person, Kitay said he asks his clients if what they said or did allowed the other person to feel loved and valued.

If not, he advises them to rethink their actions in light of the purpose of holiday gatherings.

For more information, visit www.empowerbms.com and www.graceccm.com.

Photo: Dr. Alan Kitay spotlights Empower in Atascocita. Empower serves adults, teens and children with Christian counseling, workshops, self-defense, nutrition and fitness, all in a safe and respectful environment. Photo by Kathy Parks