Christian Counseling Bakersfield, CA. Find a Christian Therapist Near You.

As a Christian counselor and pastor for the past 30 years, I talk with people about matters of faith, the human spirit, and God. There are many important questions for us to consider as we grow in our faith and love of Christ. A most powerful question that I have had to consider is this, "Do I truly believe that Jesus Christ loves me?" Our answer to this one question - "yes," or "no" - will determine to a great extent how we feel about our selves, where we find meaning or purpose in life, where we get our own sense of legitimacy, and how close we will ever grow to God.

You make sense, and your story matters. I’m so glad you’re here. As your therapist, it is my goal to bring mindful awareness and empathic understanding to the unique story of your life. For over seven years I have walked alongside clients as they create peace, authenticity, and alignment with their deepest values. Together, we can uncover the enduring peace and resilience that have always been within you. You’ve likely heard the saying, “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result.” But have you ever really explored why you repeat the thing that isn’t working for you? I want you to know, there is a beautiful reason behind it, born from your incredible

Our deepest wounds are often those that are at the hands of another person. Human brokenness is the root of our need for redemption. This holds true in therapy and growth work as well. When we encounter our deep wounds, we encounter our need for our Big God. Here, we are able to reconcile the broken our hurt parts of our ourselves. Dr. Vanes been a pastor's wife for 15 years and is trained in integrated counseling with Masters degrees in Theology, Clinical Psychology, and Intercultural Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary, and a Master's in Clinical Psychology: Marriage and Family Therapy from Azusa Pacific Universality. Jace Draper is an LMFT with an MA from Azusa Pacific.

As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, we learn about the importance of religion and spirituality in the lives of our clients. I treat clients of all faiths and backgrounds and do not specialize in one particular faith. Instead, I am open to my clients teaching me about their beliefs and the important role that faith plays in their lives. From the very first session, I will ask about your religious practices, if there is a faith community that is important to you, as well as determine if there is room for growth in this area. Some people find their closest friends and family in faith communities, so having a therapist who understands this is a vital piece of the therapy experience.

Seeking support can be feel vulnerable, life can feel like there's no catching a break at times- I get it! But rest assured God did not intend we go through battles and challenges alone. As a Christian therapist, I believe the Bible is the infallible word of God and integrate therapy from a biblical world view. We will look at scripture for reference and offer insights into areas of growth, barriers and identify challnges to growth and change. I also integrate evidence based interventions that enrich our work as an integrative approach. Call or email today to get started.

I've been following Jesus for over 30 years. I'm not about Bible-bashing or quoting Scripture you already know ("Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.") with the belief you should just be able to do it because it's in the Bible - if you *really* love God. But instead I show my clients how they can live out what God and the Bible have to say about their life and relationships in realistic ways that you can actually do. My clients learn to personally experience the love, grace, mercy, gentleness, self-control, kindness, compassion, peace, and forgiveness, the Bible promises - and how to offer these experiences in their relationships with others.