James Guidry is a Clinical Mental Health Counseling graduate student completing his practicum as part of his master’s degree at Liberty University. A retired Air Force veteran with 21 years of military service and 18 years of civilian law enforcement experience, James brings a unique understanding of high-pressure careers, crisis response, and the impact prolonged stress can have on individuals and families.

James has a particular interest in working with first responders, veterans, and individuals in demanding or high-expectation careers. He understands that people who are accustomed to being relied upon by others may find it difficult to slow down, ask for help, or recognize when stress is affecting their lives. His counseling style is practical, collaborative, and direct, while providing a supportive space where clients can speak openly without judgment.

Much of James’s professional work has focused on mental health crisis response. He leads his law enforcement agency’s Crisis Intervention Team and serves as President of Louisiana Crisis Intervention Teams, a nonprofit dedicated to improving crisis response throughout Louisiana. These experiences have strengthened his belief in meeting people where they are, listening before trying to solve a problem, and seeing the individual beyond the circumstances that brought them into care.

James is interested in helping clients navigate trauma, stress, anxiety, life transitions, relationship challenges, performance concerns, and the cumulative effects of demanding careers. He is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and his developing clinical approach incorporates person-centered counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy, and motivational interviewing. His goal is to help clients better understand themselves, build on their strengths, and develop greater resilience while working toward meaningful change.