David F. Cowdery

For more than forty years, I’ve walked alongside people through some of the most difficult and defining moments of their lives. My career has spanned roles as a lay pastor, coach, instructor/trainer, and mentor, but the common thread running through all of it is a passion and commitment to helping others move from struggle towards clarity, healing, and purpose.
I’ve spent decades offering peer-to-peer emotional support and compassionate care to people, who like me, have experienced trauma and abuse. As a child I was psychologically, emotionally, physically, and sexually abused. From my mid-teens to my mid-twenties, the cycle continued and I abused other people. On my twenty-sixth birthday God gave me a gift I will never will forget: He opened the door for me to break the cycle of abuse. Through His help I was able to deal with the pain and suffering that twisted my paradigms and my behaviors. I am not the man I used to be, and I can’t help but thank God for that freedom.
My approach to helping people draws on lived experience, careful listening, and an ability to translate complex or difficult ideas into something clear and actionable — often helping people recognize patterns or truths they hadn’t previously considered.
The first book I wrote is Hope for the Hurting, which was followed by the Group Study Guide. Both deal with my autobiography. The content of Hope for the Hurting reveals the full nature of the abuse I experienced. They were designed to reach people who’ve been abused or have a great deal of rage towards God. After that I wrote Finding Beauty from Trauma, which outlines the tools God taught me on how to heal from my pain and sorrows.