Group Leaders

NOTE: Most of the people listed below are willing to mentor and assist new group members on a one to one basis. We only have two hours per week for our group meeting and going through the divorce process requires a lot more support than that! The “lucky” people have their own therapist, good friends and family members to talk to. But if you don’t have an extensive support system please contact Doug and he will refer you to someone that is willing to help – or at the very least simply listen to and understand what you’re going through.

Email: dougcarson1@gmail.com

Call: 704 – 957 – 3943

Jerry McQuay - Lead Facilitator

Jerry is the most senior member of our group and has been facilitating the longest. He joined the group in 2003 after his 20 year marriage ended. He is our preeminent expert on the “Rebuilding” book we use and knows it by heart after having gone through it many, many times since 2003! Jerry is also an extremely talented artist and has hosted several paint-a-thon get-togethers over the years for our group member’s amusement (see our picture gallery). Jerry created the SDR logo at the top of this website.

Doug Carson - Facilitator, Webmaster, Treasurer, Email Manager

Doug joined the group in late 2006 after his 28 year marriage ended. At the time, Jerry McQuay and Mike Heeney were co-facilitators. Several years later Mike left the group and Doug gradually started helping Jerry with facilitator duties and began a weekly email distribution of separation / divorce related articles that continue to this day. Doug has been an analyst of one type or another in corporate America for over 30 years so he likes doing research on the psychology behind what drives us in our relationships and how to heal ourselves. He also created and maintains this website and collects the money each week to pay our rent at the church. He believes in giving back what he can to the group that literally saved his sanity and his life during the very difficult ending of his long marriage.

Bill Mowry - Assistant Facilitator, Resident Philosopher

Bill joined us late in 2010 after his 23 year marriage came to an end. He is one of our most ardent supporters and is with us almost every week. Bill is in commercial real estate but he is also a part-time philosopher and has shared many interesting insights into life and the human condition with us. He is very supportive and understanding of the great pain and trauma our members are going through but also has excellent advice and ideas to share with them. This is one of the great benefits of our group – we have people attending at all different levels of the divorce process – and people like Bill that have put in a vast amount of time, thought and personal growth work towards healing have a wealth of information to share with our newer members. Add to that, he is also a part-time piano player and singer and you might just hear him performing at one of our get-togethers!

Bill MacKinnon - Group Printer

Bill joined us during 2011 after his 25 year marriage ended. He is another of our most ardent supporters and is with us pretty much every week. Bill started a local Charlotte business 30 years ago that manufactures PVC plastisols and urethanes. And he has become our official printer! Out of his great generosity he prints many copies of the articles Doug sends out each week so our group participants will have a paper copy to refer to as we discuss the articles. He has also printed many copies of our Rebuilding book chapters that we keep at the church for participants to use that don’t have a book. THANKS Bill!

Betsy Jackson Heynen