Who We Are
Who We Are
Discovering Family International (DFI) is a team of committed Christian educators with a passion to impact the mind, heart, and spirit of individuals, families, communities, and cultures by providing tools for healthy physical, spiritual, relational, and financial living.
Although holding to a Christian statement of faith, DFI is not affiliated with any particular Christian denomination and is excited to partner with secular and religious groups who are open to DFI programming which strongly espouses traditional Judeo-Christian biblical principles. All DFI programs center upon four interrelated beliefs:
- Every person is created with an intrinsic value
- Every marriage represents an opportunity for self-discovery and growth
- Every family system represents the potential to transform culture
- Every culture provides a glimpse into God’s ultimate design for healthy living
The biographical sketches of the principal partners are accessible via the links below and will give you a sense of the passions and purpose for which we strive. If you seek further information on how our experiences can serve you or your organization, we would love to talk with you.
Biographical Sketches
Harold L. Arnold, Jr., Ph.D. – Founder and President (click name to see bio)
Sean Chrysostom – Managing Partner (click name to see bio)
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Harold L. Arnold, Jr., Ph.D. Biographical Sketch
Dr. Harold L. Arnold, Jr. is the president and founder of Discovering Family International (DFI), an organization which promotes the virtues and values of family life through psychoeducational, theological, and cross-cultural education, consulting, and counseling. Harold is also the creator of the Marriage ROCKS™ program, a biblically-based marriage ministry that teaches pre-married and married couples the tenets of discovering authentic meaning in marriage and co-creator of the Managing the Marriage-Money Me$$™ workshop.
Harold earned a Ph.D. and Master’s degree from Temple University in Social and Organizational Psychology. Harold also holds a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Fuller Theological Seminary. Additionally, Harold holds a Master’s degree from University of Maryland College Park and an undergraduate degree from Howard University.
Harold is a social and organizational psychologist with specific interests in issues pertaining to marriage and family education, church culture, African-American leadership, and cross-cultural competence. Harold specializes in establishing marriage programming for faith-based organizations, particularly among African-American churches. Harold also serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Social Issues and as adjunct faculty for a Christian university in the Philadelphia region.
Harold serves as a minister, counselor, and Director of Christian Education for New Covenant Church of Philadelphia, a large ethnically-diverse congregation. Harold also serves as a board member of Covenant Institute International and as a former board member of the Miss Black USA Scholarship Pageant. Harold resides in the Philadelphia metropolitan area with his wife, Dalia, and two children, Quilan and Kyrsten.
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Sean Chrysostom Biographical Sketch
Sean Chrysostom is a Managing Partner with Discovering Family International (DFI), an organization which promotes the virtues and values of family life through psychoeducational, theological, and cross-cultural education, consulting and counseling. Sean is a co-creator of the Managing the Marriage-Money Me$$™ workshop. The program is a faith based financial series, designed to assist couples in establishing a healthy perspective on financial stewardship and wealth creation.
Sean holds a Bachelors degree in Finance from Howard University. Sean also has certification in cash management, and holds licenses in life insurance and real estate. Sean has spent the last twenty years working in commercial banking, with an emphasis in consumer and small business lending. Sean has been an advocate for greater financial education within social and faith based organizations in the metropolitan DC area. He continues to teach and work with a variety of non-profit organizations to promote financial literacy to children and adults.
Sean serves as an elder and instructor of Christian Education at Emmanuel Temple Church in Columbia Maryland. Sean resides in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area with his wife Lori and their two children, Camille and Jordan.
