Dr. Terry Donelson has recently published a book, “Character Blocks.”

A Salisbury resident for over 45 years,  Donelson once waited tables at both T&F and Richard’s BBQ.

According to a press release from the author, in 1993 she gave up waitressing and started a successful cleaning business.  It provided sufficient financial support and the flexibility she needed as a single mother to go back to school.

Donelson graduated magna cum laude from Winston-Salem State University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.  She earned a doctorate in ministry as well as a doctorate in theology, from Christian Life School of Theology, which equipped her for a new kind of work, she said.

In 2004 she helped start Jabez Family Outreach, where she operated two transitional homes for addicted men and women. Later she began Relational Rehab, a counseling service that uses Biblical principles as a guide or standard.

Over the years she has developed and taught life-skills workshops which include boundaries, communication and parenting, to name a few, the release said. She has held special training sessions for agencies such as Smart Start and Family Crisis in both Rowan County and Davie counties.  Donelson also speaks at other local agencies, churches, and ministries such as WOW, Women of Worship, a woman’s meeting held at The Inn in Salisbury.

Recently, Donelson taught life-skills classes at a minimum security prison. Many students told her they wished they had known some of the specific life-skills earlier in life. They said they thought they might not have engaged in criminal activity had they known earlier how to relate to others.

Realizing that counseling and training seminars are not available or affordable to everyone, Donelson said she decided to write books that could offer some specific, necessary, relational tools.

“Character Blocks” is described as a Christian self-help book that offers strategic insights for building a strong personal foundation.

Character represents the building blocks of that foundation. When one’s character is good, the foundation will be strong and will support one’s life or dreams. However, when one’s character is not so good it blocks one’s dreams, Donelson says.    

Donelson will sell a signed copy for $15 on Feb. 23 at Koco Java, 329 N. Main St., 11 a.m.-2.p.m. and March 2 at  Holy Grind 819 S. Main St., China Grove, 5-7 p.m.

Books are also available at True Potential Publishing, Amazon, or Kindle.

Go to www.terrydonelson.com to learn about other books to be released in the future and follow future speaking engagements.