Meet Fern
Fern is a big believer in seeing what others refused to see - Fern is a Treasure Hunter! She sees value in people whom others have cast aside. She has spent 30 years journeying with survivors of severe abuse.
The journey with others laid out a surprising path for Fern during the last 30 years as a lay prayer minister/counselor. Finishing a Bachelor's degree in Psychology in 2002 at age 43, Fern is a lifelong learner with a passion to understand the effects of trauma on individuals. In 2015, she completed the Certificate Program in Traumatic Stress Studies offered by The Trauma Center at Justice Resource Institute, Brookline, MA. She continues to attend trauma-informed seminars and review current trauma research and methods to help survivors walk in freedom and live out of love.
While understanding the dehumanizing effects of trauma on an individual's development and identity is important, Fern believes sound Biblical theology offers solid re-humanization for the marginalized survivor to walk in the fullness of being human as God designed. She desires to build up the body of Christ with sound Biblical theology. To that degree, each year for 7 years she hosted Dr. Michael Heiser in a “Round Table” discussion. Typically 15 or more attendees met with Dr. Heiser for three days to ask questions and examine the scriptures to ensure beliefs and understanding are theologically sound. Dr. Heiser continued to support our ministry personally until he died in 2023. However, his non-profit Miqlat, continues to support Fern & Audrey.
Experience
- 1996 – 2002: Fern worked out of her home, meeting with individuals that suffered severe trauma. She assisted church leaders and lay ministers with tools to help individuals who are hurting and conducted personal growth and healing classes for church leaders and lay ministers.
- 2002-2006: Fern began counseling traumatized individuals within a church. As a lay minister/counselor she worked full-time counseling the hurting and continued to host seminars and personal growth and healing classes for church leaders and lay ministers.
- 2006-2016: Fern's ministry moved into the marketplace, where she leased office space in Lehighton, PA. Audrey had a separate ministry but joined her in ministry to traumatized individuals.
- 2017-2024: Fern & Audrey collectively launched Discovering MErcy as a 501c3 non-profit.
- 2024: Fern & Audrey launch a new adventure
Fern holds a B.S. degree in Applied Psychology from Albright College where she graduated summa cum laude, with honors from Alpha Sigma Lambda and Psi Chi in 2004. She also has an A.S. degree in Business from Lehigh County Community College.
On a personal note, Fern is a lifelong Pennsylvania native, raised with two sisters and two brothers. She has been married to a supportive husband, and together, they have grown children and grandchildren. When she isn't in the office, you will find Fern connecting with nature on a walk, reading, gardening, or creating beauty where there wasn't any before.
Audrey's Story
For the last 20 years and going forward, Audrey has journeyed alongside adult survivors of severe childhood trauma as a counselor. Having walked through her own journey out of fear into love, she is passionate about helping survivors to live wholeheartedly. In 2015, she completed the Certificate Program in Traumatic Stress Studies offered by The Trauma Center at Justice Resource Institute, Brookline, MA. She continues to attend trauma-informed seminars and review current trauma research and methods to help survivors walk in freedom and live out of love.
Audrey is a gifted counselor and has completed several certificate courses focusing on Complex Post Traumatic Stress, Developmental trauma, Interpersonal Neurobiology, and understanding the impact of trauma. Audrey is continually seeking further education and certificate programs from leading trauma centers around the world.
Audrey has created several teaching aids and resources for survivors to gain further understanding of how trauma affected them as a child through adulthood. Audrey specializes in helping clients with Dissociative Identity Disorder or Ritual Abuse and has served a range of clients from 27 states in the US, and 13 countries on 5 continents.
Audrey is caring, kind, and has a mercy-filled heart. She gently helps adult survivors of childhood trauma understand how, as a child, they built a defensive structure to protect their hearts from what has happened to them. And how they still live out of that defensive structure present day, as an adult.
Experience
- 2005-2017: Counseling survivors of trauma alongside Fern, which includes human-trafficked survivors as well as survivors of severe child abuse. Audrey is involved with training and mentoring those in the helping professions such as prayer ministers, clergy, and therapists to care for those who have suffered severe abuse and developmental trauma.
- 2017-2024: Fern & Audrey collectively launched Discovering MErcy as a 501c3 non-profit.
- 2024: Fern & Audrey launch a new adventure
On a personal note, Audrey is a lifelong Pennsylvania native and enjoys swimming, spending time with her children, grandchildren, and dogs and relishing quality quiet time at the ocean.
BrainMD - Amen Clinic
In 2020, Fern & Audrey earned 50 continuing education credits with Dr. Daniel Amen's Brain Health Coaching Course and are Amen Clinics Certified Brain Health Coaches. Amen Clinics is one of the world leaders in applying brain imaging science to help people and Dr. Amen is one of America’s leading psychiatrists and brain health experts.