Because Life Isn’t Always Black and White
Greg Cowan said that his intention was always to major in psychology, but somehow he ended up with a BS in business finance. After a successful mining career as purchasing director for Energy West Mining, he still felt driven to work in a helping profession.
He began by mentoring youth, eventually working part-time at Castle Country Youth Center. At that point, he said it felt like doors began opening for him. He worked for Utah Foster Care Foundation, learning about foster care and recruiting foster families.
Cowan then returned to the U of U where he was awarded a Master’s Degree of Social Work with a clinical emphasis in 2005. Cowan earned his license as an LCSW in 2007 after 4,000 clinical hours and associated training. Since then, he has been employed as a therapist with Utah Youth Village, Intermountain Specialized Abuse Treatment Center (ISAT) and the State of Utah.
Cowan said he has learned a lot about the system and worked to help juveniles, blended families, individuals of all ages and court-ordered clients. Cowan recognizes that the choice of a therapist /counselor is a personal decision and will differ from one person to the next.
Cowan added that he grew up in Carbon County and with his wife, Clea, raised their family in the area. He refers to these “rich experiences” as providing him a unique understanding of the culture, industry, people and families of the area. Earning some gray hair along the way. “The one thing I have learned is that all families are from time to time faced with their own problems,” Cowan stated. “They can benefit from help by a professional whom they trust.” He recognizes that a client’s situation must remain confidential, especially in Carbon and Emery counties where everyone knows each other.
Cowan has now launched his own practice, Gray Matters Counseling. He said that the name means different things to different people, an example of how people are likely to have differing perspectives of a situation.
Gray Matters is located in Suite #5 of the Oliveto Building next to Zions Bank in Price. Gray Matters can be contacted by phone at (435) 650-9008 or by e-mail at greg.graymatters@gmail.com. Also, be sure to visit his website at www.graymatterscounseling.com. Cowan is available by appointment.