Christian Counseling Sherman Oaks, CA. Find a Christian Therapist Near You.

Very often negative thinking, anxiety, depression, trauma, broken relationships and anger can get in the way of God’s plan for us to live wholly and fully. For those seeking a faith-based alternative to traditional therapy, Christian Counseling provides a safe, non-judgmental setting where you can wrestle with life challenges, while having the added support of exploring scripture and bringing it to bear on your current struggles. Whether you are seeking to discuss your faith in depth, or simply want peace of mind in knowing that your therapist “gets” your faith, I would be honored to help guide you on your journey to a fuller understanding of your challenges and how you can best meet them both as a human being and a person of God.

My Christian faith informs the way I view and practice counseling. God is the ultimate Counselor, and he is the one who brings about healing, change, and growth. I believe God uses counselors to help people experience the freedom, love, and joy he offers. Sharing openly about your faith and your feelings toward God is not only helpful but vital. I create a safe space for you to talk about all aspects of your faith journey--the good and the not so good. I rely on the Holy Spirit to guide and lead me so that our work together will reflect his purposes for your life and ultimately his Kingdom.

What do you want to stand for? This is what the heart of my work is as well as the heart of travelers of spiritual journeys. I want to help you take action that you take with full awareness, openness to experience and fully engaged. I specialize in moving towards what's important, and as a former minister I can help you view the spiritual inside of the dark and shadowy places as well as the light.

If you're "equally yoked," why do you experience conflict or heartache? You made a commitment before God, and you want to keep Him in the room as your relationship progresses into something you can call Holy. At CCRG, you'll find Biblical counsel from licensed therapists who can teach you what God wants for you generally, and how you can apply His Word to your life specifically.

My specialty is working with couples who seek help for their marriage from a Christian perspective. Over the last fifteen years in private practice, I've found that those couples who are willing and able to apply biblical principles to their marriage are the most successful in terms of resolving the struggles that initially bring them into my office. Of course, everyone is different and I do my best to provide a supportive and effective therapy experience, regardless of a client's faith.

I hold a masters degree in psychology from Fuller Theological Seminary and am committed to the integration of faith and psychology. I, however, do not provide pastoral counseling. I am committed to walking with individuals and couples in any stage of their faith journey, believers and non-believers alike, to facilitate a process of authentic self-discovery and freedom. I am interested in how your faith has informed who you are what you are wrestling with today. The whole range of human emotions, longings and desires are validated and explored in my practice in order to participate fully in the journey of healing.

I am a Catholic Christian, active in my church. When clients request it, I enjoy working from a spiritual perspective. Many Christian clients want a therapist with similar values. Some want a therapist who will pray with them during a session, which I do when requested. Others have been hurt by their church or by organized religion at some time, and want a safe place to explore those feelings with a therapist who is not hostile or apathetic about issues of faith. For all of these situations, and more, it can be very valuable to work with a therapist whose faith is an integral part of who they are. That is certainly true for me.

If spirituality is an important part of your life and you would like talk about it in your therapy sessions, then Transpersonal counseling can be very helpful for you. I incorporate prayer, meditation, dreams, mystical and shamanic experiences in my practice. Feel comfortable to talk about spiritual matters with a spiritually oriented psychologist.

Each therapist at Relate has training and experience with integrating psychology and spirituality in psychotherapy. While our training has primarily been focused on integrating Christian theology with psychology, we work with people from all faith backgrounds. Additionally, we focus on religious/spiritual issues in therapy if that is an important part of our clients' lives. If religion/spirituality is not an important area of focus, it will not be a focus of treatment.

The presence of God in therapy can be experienced when there is a more direct and open dialogue. As we become more present to each other a sacred space is created. The "space between" where we meet each other and the possibility of the Divine presence. This healing presence has power to transform you and your circumstances. As the philosopher Martin Buber once said,"Religion is Presence."

I am a graduate from Fuller Theological Seminary, with a Master's in both Marriage & Family Therapy and Theology. I do not consider myself a "Biblical Counselor" but a therapist who helps others in their journey of faith and spiritual development. I hold to the idea that "faith sees better in the dark" (Kierkegaard) and the need for guidance and counseling comes when we stumble in our faith.

Many people struggle with their faith or struggle with a hurtful event that happened to them in their church. It is very meaningful to work through these events. My specialty is Panic Disorder and this causes much guilt in my Christian clients because they feel they "should" be able to "faith" their way out of it. As a fellow Christian, I feel I can help you deal with your faith issues, and it is not just because you do not have enough faith. Please use your faith, but there is also help.

Some persons are concerned that couples counseling or psychotherapy may challenge their faith and they want to work with someone who supports, understands and even shares the importance of faith. Dr. Brainerd also holds a Masters degree in Christian Theology along with his doctorate in Clinical Psychology and not only values faith but can also help with persons who have found that sometime in their life, religion has hurt them.