Keith OCDS
Order of Carmelites Discalced Secular
Bio of Keith OCDS
Biography, Keith Reeves Barron, O.C.D.S.
Order of Carmelites Discalced Secular
Keith has been a member of the Order of Carmelites Discalced Secular since 1982 when he entered the St. Joseph Community, Washington, DC. He is the founder of the Pittsburgh, PA Carith Community of Holy Father Elijah, where he was (acting) president (1991-1994) and founder of the Columbia, SC Good Shepherd Community of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, (president from 1995-2000) where he is currently a member of the council (2000 to 2020). Keith is also guiding the formation of a new O.C.D.S. community at Precious Blood Catholic Church in Pawleys Island, SC in coordination with Steve Attias. He continues to present formation talks on Carmelite Spirituality in both the Columbia and Pawleys Island communities.
Family & Hobbies
Keith is married to Laura Barron and they have three sons, Keith who is married to Lauren and they have three children, Ellie, Margaret and Keith, III (both are M.D.s, Keith is a hospitalist at Richland Memorial and on the USC Medical School faculty, Lauren is a psychiatrist in private practice), David and Drew Blanchette, they have one daughter, Holly, and Michael (Michael works for Barron Financial Group, LLC) who is married to Marisa. Keith and Laura are active in church and community, and they love the outdoors -- hiking, backpacking, canoeing, and biking.
Academic History
Keith earned a PhD in Spirituality in the School of Religious Studies at The Catholic University of America (1989) where he taught part time for five years (his dissertation was on psychology and St. John of the Cross). He then taught for five years in the graduate Institute of Formative Spirituality at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA, an interdenominational institute in ministry, spirituality and spiritual guidance. He has been an adjunct professor in religious studies in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of South Carolina. Keith earned an Educational Specialist degree in counseling at the University of South Carolina in 1998. Keith founded and managed a two year Spiritual Guidance Training Program (2003-2007) through the Institute for Spirituality at Palmetto Health that offered a certificate in spiritual guidance. This program was in a PRIME relationship with the Graduate Theological Foundation, which made it possible for individuals in this program to earn their D.Min. in Spiritual Direction at the same time.
Professional
Keith has spent his adult life in helping professions, including time as an E.M.T. on an ambulance as a young man, fourteen years teaching at the university level, and fifteen years as a pastoral counselor. He is a licensed professional counselor and Nationally Certified Counselor and until 2008 practiced individual psychotherapy, marriage and family counseling, and spiritual guidance in the Department of Pastoral Counseling at Palmetto Health, a large multi-hospital system in South Carolina (1995-2008). Keith was founder and manager of the Palmetto Health Institute for Spirituality (1998-2008), which sought to foster the integration of spirituality and health through education, research and spiritual guidance to individuals and groups, through classes, workshops and retreats. He continues to provide spiritual direction in his local community.
Current Work: CEO, Barron Financial Group, LLC
Keith has been a silent business partner with his wife Laura since 2004. Laura entered the retirement planning and financial advising field in 1994 and formed Barron Insurance Services three years later. Keith was motivated to enter the business with her full-time in 2008 after hearing repeated stories about the serious, and at times, devastating consequences of poor financial planning by clients, friends and family. Keith now devotes his life to helping individuals and families assure proper planning so that they can preserve their life’s savings and insure their legacy. Keith is an investment advisor representative with Regal Investment Advisors. (Investment Advisory products/services are offered though Regal Investment Advisor, LLC, a SEC registered investment advisor. Barron Financial Group, LLC is independent of Regal Investment Advisors.) He is an active member of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA), the Better Business Bureau, the National Ethics Association and the Columbia, SC Chamber of Commerce. (See www.barronfin.com)
Keith Reeves Barron, O.C.D.S., Ph.D.
Columbia, SC
KeithOCDS@gmail.com
(803) 695-1769
Keith has been a member of the Order of Carmelites Discalced Secular since 1982 when he entered the St. Joseph Community, Washington, DC. He is the founder of the Pittsburgh, PA Carith Community of Holy Father Elijah, where he was (acting) president (1991-1994) and founder of the Columbia, SC Good Shepherd Community of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, (president from 1995-2000) where he is currently a member of the council (2000 to 2020). Keith is also guiding the formation of a new O.C.D.S. community at Precious Blood Catholic Church in Pawleys Island, SC in coordination with Steve Attias. He continues to present formation talks on Carmelite Spirituality in both the Columbia and Pawleys Island communities.
Family & Hobbies
Keith is married to Laura Barron and they have three sons, Keith who is married to Lauren and they have three children, Ellie, Margaret and Keith, III (both are M.D.s, Keith is a hospitalist at Richland Memorial and on the USC Medical School faculty, Lauren is a psychiatrist in private practice), David and Drew Blanchette, they have one daughter, Holly, and Michael (Michael works for Barron Financial Group, LLC) who is married to Marisa. Keith and Laura are active in church and community, and they love the outdoors -- hiking, backpacking, canoeing, and biking.
Academic History
Keith earned a PhD in Spirituality in the School of Religious Studies at The Catholic University of America (1989) where he taught part time for five years (his dissertation was on psychology and St. John of the Cross). He then taught for five years in the graduate Institute of Formative Spirituality at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA, an interdenominational institute in ministry, spirituality and spiritual guidance. He has been an adjunct professor in religious studies in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of South Carolina. Keith earned an Educational Specialist degree in counseling at the University of South Carolina in 1998. Keith founded and managed a two year Spiritual Guidance Training Program (2003-2007) through the Institute for Spirituality at Palmetto Health that offered a certificate in spiritual guidance. This program was in a PRIME relationship with the Graduate Theological Foundation, which made it possible for individuals in this program to earn their D.Min. in Spiritual Direction at the same time.
Professional
Keith has spent his adult life in helping professions, including time as an E.M.T. on an ambulance as a young man, fourteen years teaching at the university level, and fifteen years as a pastoral counselor. He is a licensed professional counselor and Nationally Certified Counselor and until 2008 practiced individual psychotherapy, marriage and family counseling, and spiritual guidance in the Department of Pastoral Counseling at Palmetto Health, a large multi-hospital system in South Carolina (1995-2008). Keith was founder and manager of the Palmetto Health Institute for Spirituality (1998-2008), which sought to foster the integration of spirituality and health through education, research and spiritual guidance to individuals and groups, through classes, workshops and retreats. He continues to provide spiritual direction in his local community.
Current Work: CEO, Barron Financial Group, LLC
Keith has been a silent business partner with his wife Laura since 2004. Laura entered the retirement planning and financial advising field in 1994 and formed Barron Insurance Services three years later. Keith was motivated to enter the business with her full-time in 2008 after hearing repeated stories about the serious, and at times, devastating consequences of poor financial planning by clients, friends and family. Keith now devotes his life to helping individuals and families assure proper planning so that they can preserve their life’s savings and insure their legacy. Keith is an investment advisor representative with Regal Investment Advisors. (Investment Advisory products/services are offered though Regal Investment Advisor, LLC, a SEC registered investment advisor. Barron Financial Group, LLC is independent of Regal Investment Advisors.) He is an active member of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA), the Better Business Bureau, the National Ethics Association and the Columbia, SC Chamber of Commerce. (See www.barronfin.com)
Keith Reeves Barron, O.C.D.S., Ph.D.
Columbia, SC
KeithOCDS@gmail.com
(803) 695-1769
