Christian Counseling
Glendora & online therapy in CA
Do you yearn for a stronger, more connected relationship with God?
Are you so busy with work, raising kids, or just life in general that you can’t really feel the presence of the Lord in your life anymore?
Despite drawing strength from scripture and prayer, do you still often worry or feel guilty for not being able to fully Let Go and Let God?
Perhaps you're a faith leader, and you've gotten so consumed with the business and politics of the Church that the Spirit of Christ has somehow gotten lost in the mix.
Or maybe you were hurt by someone in the spiritual community, and you're hoping Christian counseling can help you heal those sacred wounds.
Many Christians have a complicated relationship with their faith
After all, you may have been subjected to messages from the Church or Pastors that were actually harmful. With themes around eternal damnation, the “filthiness” of our flesh, how we’re all just sinners in the hands of an angry God—how can we expect to serve the Lord when we feel unworthy in His eyes?
Instead of finding strength and counsel in our relationship with Him, we can sometimes feel inadequate, unworthy, and even downright fearful of Him. However, scripture says, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love." 1 John 4:18 (ESV)
It’s my role as a Christian counselor and the Founder of Revive Life Counseling to help you embrace that truth so you can heal, reconnect to the sacred, and revitalize your relationship with our Heavenly Father.
Everyone’s spiritual journey is unique
That being said, parental influence, cultural forces, and other factors outside the Church can change that sacred dynamic. For instance, if you grew up under the microscope of critical parents in a strict, Christian household, you might see God as this disciplinarian you have to work tirelessly to appease.
At the same time, social media and our society’s obsession with flawlessness make us worry we’ll never be able to truly please God because we’re not perfect. Plus, Western culture is centered on earning rewards through achievement—but His Grace, His Mercy, and His Love are Gifts. We don’t need to DO anything to deserve those things. Rather, he just wants to have a relationship with us.
Why is that relationship so elusive sometimes?
A lot of people try to deepen their faith or relationship with God by focusing on one area: church, prayer, scripture, works, etc. And while those things are foundational in our walk with the Lord, it’s like trying to spot-reduce fat with sit-ups—it doesn’t really work. Self-improvement requires lifestyle changes. By making healthier choices, moving our bodies more, and giving it love, weight loss becomes the cherry on top.
Growing closer to Jesus, drawing strength from biblical truths, and learning how to trust in God’s will require the same systemic approach—and that’s where Christian counseling comes in. By tending to the wounds within, surrendering old fears, and being curious about while challenging your perception of the Lord, you can develop a true connection with God where healing and wholeness are the icing on the cake.
Christian counseling provides empathetic support from a kindred soul
Although God doesn't promise to shield us from heartbreak or hardship, he does promise to be with us to weather the storm. He instills in us His Holy Spirit to comfort and guide us, and He gives us healers and guides to navigate our way through pain and uncertainty. That’s why I consider my role as a Christian counselor a divine calling.
I, too, know what it’s like to experience moments of closeness to God and seasons of distance and silence. I understand what it’s like to over-identify with perceived flaws. I’ve felt that brokenness, where God's grace can reach everyone else, but with you, “things are just different.”
I also know that, through Christian therapy, it is possible to enjoy a deeper, more intimate relationship with God. So whatever season you find yourself in, I want to help you connect to greater strength, resilience, and prosperity in your life through Christ.
How would I describe my work as a Christian therapist?
I offer a holistic, action-oriented approach to Christian counseling that leverages your faith to help you heal and build a relationship with God, where you’re not governed by fear or striving to appease him. I also like to think of myself as a big sister who can offer compassionate support and validation while keeping it real and holding you accountable for your own growth.
Sometimes counseling sessions might involve creating and incorporating spiritual practices into daily life that help you hear God and let the Holy Spirit guide you. We can explore your current relationship with the Lord and how you see Him in the context of your struggles.
I’ll help you identify and work through reconciling the negative dynamics in that relationship that reflect early wounding by caregivers or the church. Ultimately, I want to help you move from doubting your self-worth and questioning God’s love to listening to Him and fostering a profound, holistic relationship in which He becomes Omnipresent in your life.
That way, instead of God being the last person you turn to for support, He’ll be with you from the start, informing your decisions, guiding your actions, and helping you through hardship every step of the way.
Therapy for Christians is a deeply personal experience
If you’re like me, you probably had a painful experience with the Church or your caregivers that complicated your faith and, as a result, this likely distorted how you see yourself.
When I was a teen, I was made to feel like my flesh was bad, which led me to develop self-hatred and perfectionism—but I realized, our physical bodies aren’t profane! They’re beautiful, resilient, wise, and perfectly imperfect.
Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a reflection of this truth. It invites us to sense where we experience the divine’s presence in our bodies and connect with God in a completely different way. A Christian SE session may involve becoming curious about what's happening in your body as we meditate on a Bible verse, inviting the Holy Spirit to speak to your experience so He can do what He wants to do.
Oftentimes, trauma and emotional wounding can color how we perceive God. To help you see through those harmful projections, I can draw upon my experience as a certified EMDR therapist.
Through EMDR, we can tap into your faith as a resource while working to connect with the mind of Christ and lean on biblical affirmations for guidance. Working through an attachment-based lens, we can invite Jesus into the session as your protector and advisor, imagining and interweaving what He might say about your situation if He were physically here.
Lastly, through a Christian Internal Family Systems (IFS) lens, we can explore the parts of you that carry negative beliefs or fears that hold you back from living your life in fullness. We can tend to those parts and unburden them so they can take on a new role within your system. As a result, you will find greater harmony among those parts, enabling you to draw on the wise, grounded, and compassionate qualities as you navigate life.
Healing and wholeness are within your reach
Regardless of what your journey may look like, what you are doing is amazing, and you’re already blessed because you have God on your side. You are not alone. You are loved. You have the strength. Let me support you in this healing journey and revitalize your relationship with the Lord so you can discover the best version of yourself and walk confidently in His light.
Are you considering Christian counseling but still on the fence?
I had a bad experience with a previous Christian therapist.
Whether it involves your spiritual or mental health, the foundation of effective counseling is a strong client-counselor relationship, so I’m really sorry you had a bad experience. If at any point in our work together you feel your needs are not getting met, I welcome your honesty. I care deeply about you and this work we are doing—and I truly want your experience to be a positive one.
I'm afraid I’ll be judged by my Christian Counselor.
I completely understand. People come to therapy and pour their hearts out. The last thing they need is for a therapist to add to their distress. To be clear, I am NOT here to criticize or judge; rather, quite the opposite. I want to lift you up, give you flight, watch you soar. It feels instinctive, deeply natural for me to encourage, support, and elevate people, but I also understand it can take time to build trust. So I invite you to take all the time you need.
What's the difference between Christian Counseling and Biblical Counseling?
Christian Counseling blends traditional psychotherapy with Christian faith and values. Biblical Counseling focuses solely on using scripture to help people manage daily challenges. As a practicing Christian and mental health counselor with a background in Marriage and Family Therapy, I combine the best of both worlds in counseling. By blending biblical truths with the power of psychotherapy, you can improve your health and achieve wholeness on a mental, physical, and spiritual level.
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Let Me Help You Tap Into The True Potential Of Your Faith
If you’re looking for a faith-based approach to counseling that can help you heal and deepen your relationship with God, I would love to be a part of that sacred spiritual journey. To schedule your first session—or to set up your free, 10 to 15-minute phone consultation—please visit my contact page.
Carmen Montenegro-Sis, with Revive Life Counseling, offers online and in-person Christian therapy to clients in Glendora, serving Pasadena residents, and throughout California.