About Joe Abbott
D.Min., LMFT, LPC, Diplomate AAPC
Joe and Margaret "Peggy" Burke married in 1954. They have 3 children (Margaret, Joe Jr., Jim) and 7 grand children.
Peggy retired after 15 years as the Director of Volunteer Services for the Baptist Medical Center - Montclair.
Education & Experience
Joe is retired from the Baptist Health System. He was Corporate Vice President for Pastoral Counseling for 45 years. He is an ordained minister.
Joe grew up in Tuscaloosa, Alabama; and graduated from Tuscaloosa High School in 1950. He attended the University of Alabama and graduated from Baylor University in 1954.
Upon graduation, he attended Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and received a Master of Divinity degree. Out of seminary, Joe was soon called to serve as an associate pastor at a Baptist Church.
Sensing a call to pursue counseling as a career, he entered a Clinical Pastoral Education program at the Bowman-Gray School of Medicine, North Carolina Baptist Hospital. While there, he helped develop their program of C.P.E and Counseling more fully. He also earned the Doctor of Ministry degree from Columbia Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
In retirement, Joe works part-time with Samaritan Counseling Center. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and has served on both licensing boards for counseling. He's also licensed as a Clinical Supervisor.
Clinical Experience
Supervisor and Clinician
Joe developed and established the first accredited program of Clinical Pastoral Education in the State of Alabama. Joe is an active clinician and educator. He specializes in Family issues and in the concerns of those over 50 years old.
He has developed a therapy group for persons with Parkinson's Disease which meets regularly at Mountain Brook Baptist Church. Joe has played an active role in the establishment of Samaritan Counseling Center of Birmingham. Joe is also interested in life issues of the people of aging.
