About Me
Hi! I’m Christine. I have a slight obsession with house plants and gardening, and depending on the season, you can find me growing ranunculus, starting unusual varieties of tomatoes from seed under my grow light in the garage, or propagating cuttings from our Chinese money plant. I love writing and recording music, some of which has ended up in film, tv, and advertising. You can listen to some of my songs here. My favorite reaction so far to me answering the question, “Where did you and your wife meet?” was someone spitting out their drink (the answer = in seminary). After watching Ted Lasso, I discovered I was a fan of soccer IRL when I found myself at an NWSL game cheering my face off after our goalie blocked a penalty kick. We became season ticket holders shortly thereafter.
I work with people who have survived religious trauma and spiritual abuse, those who have been hurt by conservative religion and/or purity culture, people in faith transition or deconstruction, and LGBTQIA folx who have been harmed by un-inclusive faith communities and rigid religious belief systems that do not honor or allow space for minority sexual and gender identities.
Like you, my clients are trying to rebuild a life that feels authentic to who they are. They are learning how to love themselves after they were taught their whole life they were bad, wretched, or depraved (and also realizing just how many choices and behaviors were and are rooted in that belief).
Many are experiencing crises of faith and identity, as most *if not all* of the framework or worldview that those things stood on has since collapsed (i.e. “I pursued career because I thought that is how God wanted me to serve him and others, but now that I’ve stepped away from all that, and I’m not even sure what to believe anymore, what the hell am I supposed to do with my life?!”). They are trying to process through the pain and hurt they experienced from the one place they thought they were safe and that wanted what was best for them. Seems like a reasonable assumption, right?
Unfortunately, many people experience wounding in religious environments, especially in high control and rigid faith communities. Often my clients are experiencing profound grief and loss related to the loss of the relationships they had in their church group. They no longer belong, and they no longer have access to the second family that was their support system.
I’ve dealt with my own version of the above - growing up in conservative evangelicalism and purity culture, attending youth group, Christian colleges, serving as a worship leader, going on mission trips, and eventually coming to terms with my queer identity while in a faith community that was unaccepting. I’ve lost relationships and the community where I had previously felt like I belonged, and had to wrestle through difficult questions about what I believe about God, the Bible, the Church, and how to live in this world and rebuild a sense of meaning, purpose, and community in a way that aligns with who I am as a human being.
One of the most important parts of my journey was having a therapist to talk to who knew what it was like to navigate these questions and who helped me process my thoughts and feelings about them without judgment. They were also there to support me through major shifts and adjustments in my identity, relationships, career, and even geographical location when I began realizing that some things needed to change.
Though my specific lived experience is likely different than yours, I understand that a path forward is usually full of twists and turns, and probably even some pitstops. I believe that often we don’t solve our problems so much as we *with support* grow larger than them (a Carl Jung paraphrase). I also understand that when it comes to matters of faith and religion, there is nothing it does not touch. It is the entire framework on which a life is built. It determines how we live, how we think, what we do, the choices we make, who our relationships are with, and how we feel about ourselves and others. When this framework starts to crumble or collapse, our guide for who we are and how we are supposed to live crumbles along with it.
If you are looking for a therapist who gets it, I am here to help. You can have the support you need while you heal from religious trauma or deconstruct your faith. You don’t have to walk this journey alone. Let’s chat.
Credentials
Licenses
LPCC, California, #10275, 2021 – present
LPC, Missouri, #2006009845, 2007 – present
LMHC, Florida, #TPMC3482, 2023 – present (https://flhealthsource.gov/telehealth/)
Certifications
San Diego Psychoanalytic Center Fellowship, 2023-2024
Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC), National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC), 2008 – present
Education
M.A. Counseling, 2005, Asbury Seminary, Wilmore, KY
B.A. Spanish, 2000, Wheaton College Wheaton, IL