Dr. Hegstrom has earned a Ph.D. in Pastoral Marriage and Family Therapy; an M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy, and a B.S. in Pastoral Counseling from Evangelical Theological Seminary. He also holds an Honorary Doctrine of Humane Letters from Evangelical Theological Seminary.
Paul is a member of AACC (American Association of Psychological Counselors), CAPS (Christian Association of Psychological Studies), and NAFC (National Association of Forensic Counselors).
He is an internationally recognized authority on attitude and behavioral changes. He is also the author of the books "Angry Men and the Women Who Love Them" and "Broken Children/Grown Up Pain".
Paul Hegstrom lived the first forty years of his life not understanding the driving force that caused him to self-destruct again and again. He could not understand why his anger would never subside. He could not communicate or identify his feelings. His anger harmed his family, but nothing was ever resolved. He knew something was wrong, but lived his life in denial. Over $20,000 was spent on counseling where he was given "labels", but never got to the root of his problems, and this only added to his anger and frustration. His 16 year marriage ended because he could not get the help he needed and the violence toward his wife continued. The violence continued in subsequent relationships and finally, when he was involved in a life-threatening situation that could have meant 15-20 years in prison, he asked for help. It was the hardest thing he had ever done.
As a result of asking for and receiving help from a pilot program Paul found some answers for his behavior, but it still wasn't enough. He began searching for deeper answers as to why he had such a build up of rage. He has spent well over 18,000 hours in research with the goal of developing a curriculum that would offer hope and help to the abuser, the victim, and the families involved in domestic violence. "Learning to Live, Learning to Love" is the result of his research and over 36,000 hours of facilitating groups for the victims and perpetrators of domestic violence.
In 1983 Paul and his wife Judy were remarried. They worked together to re-parent their adult children and bring healing to their own family as they worked to set up Life Skills International (formally DVP, Domestic Violence Project), a non-profit domestic violence organization based out of Aurora, Colorado.
As a testimony to the program's effectiveness, the second marriage has been free of emotional and physical abuse since its beginning. All three children and their families live violence free. They are part of the healing that is offered to tens of thousands around the world through the program. Life Skills has expanded into an international program with over 100 centers across the United States, Guam, Saipan, the United Kingdom, Haiti, Canada, and Argentina. The Life Skills recovery rate far exceeds the national average.
|
|
