Counselors and Staff Members

Founder and Executive Director -Winston Salem, NC

Wendy is an intuitive who is interactive in her consulting, counseling and spiritual direction. She enjoys being a lifelong learner and is shaped greatly through God’s word, inter-cultural and cross-cultural experiences along with the many beautiful people she has in her life.

She serves Holy Curious as the executive director, as a member of the board of directors and as a biblical counselor. She also is an adjunct faculty member with Westminster Theological Seminary and contracts separately with the Christian Counseling Educational Foundation as an online instructor.

She is currently completing her Doctorate in the area of Autism.

https://www.holycurious.com/wendybrowne

Counselor

Karen loves counseling and cross-cultural ministry, the country and people of Japan have a special place in her heart. In addition to counseling, Karen currently teaches English and Bible in a local ESL ministry.

She and her husband lived and worked in West Africa for a season providing administrative and IT support to Bible translators. This along with other Spirit led work has given her a heart for cross-cultural and CCW counseling.

Her desire is to point clients to the love of God through the venue of biblical counseling and hopes to grow in her language skills to offer counseling in multiple languages.

https://www.holycurious.com/karenchacko

Counselor

Wendy lives in Winston Salem with her husband Lai Chow, and they have two adult sons. She grew up in Singapore and takes special delight in discovering new cuisines with friends. She also enjoys cooking, reading, running, being close to the ocean, and spending time with her family. Her latest hobbies are embroidery and learning how to play mahjong.

As a counselor, she seeks to understand a person’s unique life experience, and help them discover how Scripture speaks relevantly to their struggles/problems within the context of the Bible’s larger story.

https://www.holycurious.com/wendykok

Counselor and Martinsburg Site Leader

Kirk is small town boy at his core, having grown up in one in southwestern Virginia and pastoring churches in two different small towns over the last 15+ years.  He and his wife, Michelle, have four children, and they have many dinner conversations that are both chaotic and hilarious.  Kirk loves to read but has a special place in his heart for The Lord of the Rings.

Kirk’s heart as a counselor is one that desires to join the Lord as the Great Shepherd who pursues those who are wandering alone, who are broken and need mending, who are wounded and need healing, who are grieving and need consolation, and who are addicted and desire to exchange this for a kind King.

https://www.holycurious.com/kirkblankenship

Counselor

Laura was raised in a small town in the foothills of North Carolina and now resides in the Triangle area. She and her husband, Adam, are on a journey that has included military life, raising children, foster care, adoption, graduate studies, and founding a nonprofit dedicated to serving foster children in eastern North Carolina.

Laura finds joy in sharing life with her husband and five children, immersing herself in books and podcasts, spending time with friends, learning new skills - currently pickleball, and taking walks with her poodle, Louanne.

As a counselor, she is both humbled and honored to be invited into people’s stories, being able to witness again and again the transformational presence and power of Jesus in the midst of life’s hardships.

https://www.holycurious.com/laurawhite

Counselor - Charlotte and Winston Salem

Originally, a native of Oregon and the Northwest, Brett spent his first career in the Air Force for 24 years. Active duty in Law Enforcement and later serving in the area of Personnel/ Human Resources, he lived Stateside and abroad. Upon retiring from the military, he began his studies at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte where he currently makes his home.

In his time off, Brett can be found running around Charlotte on local greenways, trails, and with running clubs. But if it's sunny outside, you can also find him doing almost anything from mountain biking, hiking, camping, to reading in a hammock. He also is a total dog-lover and, more often than not, is dog-sitting.

Brett has a heart for the marginalized and those who are just struggling in various ways. Aren't we all in some ways? From his own experiences, he wants to share the comfort he has received from a loving, faithful and redeeming God who is never done with us. He is excited at the prospect of coming alongside others to see where the Spirit leads and partner in what God is up to!

https://www.holycurious.com/brettsmith

Holy Curious Office Administrator info@holycurious.com

Durham, NC

Julie lives in the Raleigh-Durham, NC area with her husband Don, and they have two adult sons. She grew up in Western New York and can often be found walking her dog, enjoying the outdoors, especially when it's cold, and meeting friends for a walk or coffee. She brings a broad and diverse perspective, having worked with adults in multiple healthcare settings and operated a local small business focusing on media and marketing.

As a counselor, Julie is known for warmth, compassionate listening, and can help someone apply the words and promises of God to everyday life. Her love of stories lends itself to seeing how our story fits in with the grander narrative of Scripture.

https://www.holycurious.com/julieross

한순은 한국에서 태어나 자랐으며, 아시아 여러 나라와 현재 거주 중인 미국에서 다양한 문화적 경험을 쌓아왔습니다. 그녀는 사람들을 다양하게 창조하신 하나님의 지혜를 발견하는 것을 즐기며, 각 문화 속에 담긴 하나님의 형상을 바라보고 배우는 데 깊은 기쁨을 느낍니다. 한순은 결혼하여 세 자녀를 두고 있으며, 가족과 함께 시간을 보내고, 맛있는 음식을 요리하고, 자연 속을 산책하는 것을 좋아합니다. 평생 배우는 자세로 살아가며, 자신과 다른 사람들이 그리스도 안에서 성장하고 풍성한 삶을 누릴 수 있도록 돕는 방법을 이해하는데 열정을 가지고 있습니다. 

상담사로서 한순은 하나님께서 각 사람의 삶 가운데 이미 일하고 계심을 함께 발견하고, 예수 그리스도를 통해 구속받은 하나님의 형상으로서의 정체성 안에서 쉼을 누리도록 돕기를 소망합니다. 또한 성경을 삶의 실제적인 영역에 적용하고, 믿음 안에서 기쁨과 감사로 자라가는 여정을 함께하고자 합니다. 그녀는 매 상담 시간마다 내담자가 복음 안에서 더 깊은 자유와 온전함, 그리고 소망을 경험하게 되기를 기도합니다.

Hansoon was born and grew up in South Korea. She has had many cross-cultural experiences in Asia and now the USA. She enjoys seeing how God has made people differently, and learning from different cultures how God's image is present in every human. Hansoon is married and has three children. She loves spending time with her family, cooking delicious food for them, and going on a walk in nature. She is a life-long learner and passionate about understanding how to help herself and others grow and flourish in Christ.

As a counselor, Hansoon desires to help people see how God is already working in each clients' story. She longs to gently guide people to rest in their identity as image‑bearers redeemed by Jesus, apply Scripture to practical areas of life, and grow in faith‑filled joy and gratitude. Her prayer for every session is that clients would experience deeper freedom, wholeness, and hope in the gospel.

https://www.holycurious.com/hansoonchoi