Meet Dr. Larry…

Dr. Larry Freeney, Jr., PhD, LPC-S, CCTP

Dr. Larry is the Director of Education and Assessments for both Rejoice Counseling Apostolate and the Laetare Group, which form the Rejoice Community. At Rejoice, he also serves as a Team Leader. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor and board-approved Supervisor and a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional with extensive experience in psychological assessments, counseling, and education. Dr. Larry completed a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision at Sam Houston State University and conducted research on the lived experiences of millennials with student loan debt. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a Minor in Christianity (2014) and a Master of Arts in Counseling (2016) at Houston Baptist University.

Dr. Larry coordinates educational opportunities for our counseling team, our parish partners, and their parishioners. He also oversees the administration and evaluation of various psychological assessments, particularly for admission to diaconate and seminary formation programs, as he received extensive training under a licensed psychologist throughout his doctoral program. As a student supervisor, Dr. Larry works with counseling students from various universities by providing them with a practicum and internship experience that focuses on the wholistic formation of each student. When it comes to counseling, Dr. Larry has served onsite at multiple parishes and counsels from a refined approach that integrates Gestalt-based counseling with traditional, Catholic fundamentals. He has additional experience working as a Care Coordinator and Mental Health Counselor at The Harris Center (formally known as MHMRA) and as a Registered Behavioral Technician at Therapy & Beyond, where he worked with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other developmental disorders. Dr. Larry has also acquired 1500+ hours of experience working with individuals and couples with financial issues, focusing on budgeting, paying off debt, and basic investing.

Aside from counseling, Dr. Larry serves on the Advisory Board for the St. John Paul II Foundation, a national Catholic apostolate dedicated to proclaiming the gospel of life and forming families as intimate communities of love. Within the Catholic Psychotherapy Association, he previously served as a student representative on the Journal Taskforce, launching Integratus. Dr. Larry has also worked closely with UST MAX Studios at the University of St. Thomas in Houston where he served as an outside expert on relationships, communication, and conflict resolution. Dr. Larry is the host of “Fully Alive” on Radio Maria.

Dr. Larry and his family are parishioners at St. Cyril of Alexandria Catholic Church in Houston, Texas.