Kwabena Terrence Shelton is an Advance Grief Recovery Method Specialist who holds a MSEd in Community Counseling from the University of Akron with a specialization in working with men in general, African American men in particular, adolescents and people of color. MSEd, Adv. GRM Spec., retired from the Ohio Dept. of Ed Office of Community Schools as Regional Consultant, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company Corporate Headquarters - Engineering and the University of Akron Upward Bound Program Associate Director. Currently serving as Co-President of the Akron Rites of Passage Institute, Board of Project Ujima, Inc., Chief of Staff for the Universal Negro Improvement Association and Co-Founder of Navigate, Inc. and the Black Econonmic and Wellness Coalition of Akron. He has over 30 years of service committed to the advancement of African American people locally, nationally and abroad. A series of very significant losses (family, friends, loved ones, divorce, etc.) led me to the conclusion that I didn't know how to effectively deal with those losses.
My degree in counseling was not enough to help me with my personal issues of grief and loss.The head knowledge was not enough to help me honestly work through the stuffed and repressed emotional realities of my many unaddressed pain, necessary to heal my heart. The Grief Recovery Method was LIFE-CHANGING for me. The method was incredibly effective, redemptively transformative and the financial investment I chose to make into my emotional well-being through this process was priceless. Now, I am 1,000% committed to helping anyone and everyone, especially men, stuck in an emotional maze of grief and loss find healing and support through the Grief Recovery Method. I hold every unique and different session inside a heart-filled space of trust, openness and honest communication. I am a heart with ears ready to assist you individually or as part of a group, in person if you are local, or online. I will guide you through a confidential, action-oriented process designed to give you tools that will help you move beyond the pain, isolation and loneliness caused by a death, divorce or any other loss. You must be ready and willing to be honest with yourself, willing to do the work, and believe that your emotional health is worth the time and financial investment. It’s time to heal. You deserve it.
Christopher A. Falconer is a Professional School Counselor in the Akron area. He is currently employed by PSI Solutions as a school counselor and facilitator for depression and suicide for school age youth. He is also employed by Akron Public Schools as a Climate Coach. He received his bachelor degree in Elementary Education from the University of Akron in 2001 and then his Masters degree in Guidance and School Counseling in 2012. While attending the University of Akron, Mr. Falconer was employed by the Summit County Juvenile Court as a Correction Officer in 1998. He remained at the court after obtaining his degree in education and later would become a case manager for the Family Resource Center. In 2006, Mr. Falconer and his wife decided to look into business opportunities. They invested in the commercial cleaning industry and became part of the System 4 franchise. Years later, they would become a limited liability corporation and started “2 Clean 4 You, LLC”.
While at the juvenile court Mr. Falconer reestablished a mentoring program for male youth called “Real Talk”. After almost fifteen years of service in the juvenile court system Mr. Falconer decided to take his experiences and knowledge of youth and pursue his masters’ degree in Guidance and School Counseling. Mr. Falconer believes connecting with youth before they become court involved may hinder, if not break, the cycle of the “school to prison pipeline” and the lack of minority mentors in the school system. Christopher A. Falconer has obtained memberships with the American School Counseling Association and Ohio School Counseling Association. He is also a board and committee member with (Project Ujima) of Ohio, and obtained certification as an Advanced Grief Recovery Specialist through The Grief Recovery Institute. He currently resides in Akron, Ohio with his wife Demetrius, three daughters (Jadyn, Gabriella, and Jasmine), one son Christopher Jr, and mischievous dog Max.
Prior to co-founding Navigate, John owns and operates an Ohio based web development firm, and a national brokerage firm based in Akron, Oh. His professional career includes more than two decades of hands-on management and technology, consulting experience with organizations ranging from start-ups to pop up shops. John has served on the boards or advisory boards of Project Ujima, Buckeye Credit Union, Eta Tau Lambda, Akron Area PTO, UNIA - ACL, and FINAO Prep. John has been a member of numerous award winning teams working in collaboration with nonprofits, public agencies, and private industry partners. He has presented on subjects related to business, technology, and economics on behalf of numerous organizations. John Smith holds an MFA in Writing and a BS in Sociology with a focus on Family consumer science. And currently teaches Robotics and Design Automation at Innes CLC.
“I went through the Grief Recovery Method process and I realized how much grief I was actually carrying. To my surprise the process of acknowledging what you have been through and accepting the truth about your personal experience be it death, infidelity, loss of employment etc the awareness and the opportunity to address these traumatic experiences affords the spirit to grow from the release of burden. And the more insight and wisdom you have of your story the more you can become whole.”