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James Longo Jr - Scottsdale, AZ
What I liked most about my sessions with Stephanie was being able to speak what was on my mind and not feel judged. I liked that she was able to relate things I was going through back to the Bible. She has a great way of articulating things so I can understand them. We never moved on from a topic until I completely understood it or was comfortable with grasping what it was. I liked that even though the sessions were on Zoom they still felt very personal. During our work together I learned how to see myself through the eyes of God. I have a better understanding of how God loves me, and I feel like a child of God. As a result, I've gotten over my rejection mindset and the tendency to be a people pleaser. I am now able to make time for myself and say "No" to things that don't serve me. I dive into the Bible a lot more now and read it with intentionally rather than as a checklist. I trust that God has my best interest in mind at all times and that everything I go through is a steppingstone to the future and my end place in heaven. Additionally, I learned how not to let myself get in the way of my own life and calling. I learned that I have a voice and should use it to help others get through their traumas. I am strong, confident, and know I will be able to make a positive impact on this world. This has helped me see that I could be a Christian Counselor as well. To this end, I have started the Christian Counseling Training Course and look forward to having my own counseling ministry one day soon.
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Kristine Pellegrino - Dracut, MA
I have seen a lot of change in my life, and it's been encouraging. I have learned how to navigate and heal the pain of growing up without a present father. Releasing my worldly father from the bondage of expectations and placing God in that position was extremely healing for me. My worldly father may never be able to be the father I need him to be, but God can be. Knowing my identity in Christ and placing God at the center of every aspect of my life, has impacted my heart and spirit for the better. I have released the old "story in my head" that was holding me back and have created a new story that I now live my truth from. Every day is not perfect, but I am more aware of when I fall into old patterns, and I can implement healthy boundaries for myself much more often. What I like most about my sessions is that I never feel rushed to work through something. Even if we are over time, Steph always make sure to allow room for healing if we are still working through a topic. I also admire the level of trust I felt right from the start without fear of judgement. Most importantly, it was crucial that I confided in someone who loves God's word and lives by it. I feel comfortable and honored recommending Stephanie to friends or family who may need counseling as well. Brianne McDonough - Norwood, MA
What I like best about my sessions with Steph is that they bear fruit! I’m heard, validated, challenged, and held accountable! I no longer need to perform for God's love and acceptance, instead I live from a place of already being loved "in Christ". I can allow myself to rest and not feel I have to strive so much. As stated in 1 John 4:18, “Perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” And, in 1 John 4:18, "We love because he first loved us.” My relationship with the Lord is much more beautiful and consistent. I now live in a steady flow with God rather than being up and down based on my performance, moral barometer, the kind of day I had, or how “good” or “bad” I was. I am allowing myself to "be okay with myself" and to let go of the fear of being wrong! Knowing I’m an adopted daughter of God and not a slave, I can live in freedom - free of bondage to religious performance, perfectionism, or inadequacy. Condemnation is no longer a tenant in my head renting invaluable space. Love and peace rent the space now! ❤️🙏🏼🙌. Female, Anonymous - Pawtucket, RI
What I really enjoy most about my sessions with Stephanie is that "she gets it" and understands where I'm coming from. I like that she challenges me without being harsh or judgmental. I feel like she genuinely cares for my growth and development in all areas. She is also incredibly encouraging, and I really appreciate that. I have gained clarity on some of the issues I face in my life and learned tools that I can use so that these challenges don't cripple me. I also have a better understanding of my behavior. I 'm practicing how to identify when I'm giving life to a negative mindset so that I can stop and practice more positive self-talk. I am working on breaking agreement with inner vows, thoughts, and beliefs that no longer serve me. My relationship with God has grown, and I no longer feel as closed off as I was. I no longer feel like I need to perform for God (or others), and I understand where that comes from now and that it is not true. Dereck Boyd - Bridgewater, MA
What I like most about our sessions are the conversations we have; they can be very encouraging. Not only am able to express how I feel but I am able to open up about creating things that help me become a better man instead of keeping it all in. During our time together, I have learned what rejection is, why I have excessive neediness, more about God and His word, and I have developed more confidence talking with females. I am applying what I have learned by reminding myself that I am good enough and that I am loved by God. My prayer life has improved, and I started writing down prayers and scriptures that I post on my wall. I am also more aware of my neediness and back off when people don't answer me by not frantically texting or calling them. I better understand God's will for my life, and I'm more grounded in the knowledge that I am loved by Him in Christ. Female, Anonymous - Norton, MA
I have learned to focus on being more mindful and to take a second to think about things before I react. I've learned that I still have a lot to learn and a lot to work on, but that working on anxiety and depression is something that won't happen overnight. I am genuinely working every day to apply what I have learned. For example, I am thinking more win-win when it comes to things that might bring me anxiety but that bring other people joy. Also, I'm gentler in my reactions with my kids and husband; I think more before I speak; I'm more mindful to reframe negative self-talk; and I am fueling my body with healthier choices. I have become closer with God, and I reference the Bible more frequently as compared to before (I didn't even have a Bible before I started counseling! 😬) What I like best about Stephanie is her openness and ability to be honest. She is caring and doesn't enable poor behavior but helps to others with ways to react differently so they can improve their behavior. Karen Harris - Mansfield, MA
One of the issues I presented when I started counseling was feeling disconnected from God. I learned a lot about loving myself and staying away from negative self-talk. I learned that I am loved by God and that my sins are forgiven in Christ. I am confident that there is nothing I can do to make God stop loving me. When I pray now, I can sense the Spirit of the Lord because I have released myself from condemnation. Also, I learned how to practice being more assertive rather that giving into my anger. I have become more aware of the thoughts that enter my mind and how to reject, question, and reframe them. I've realized feelings are not above the truth of God's word. Today, I am being more intentional and applying the strategies I learned by not letting negative thoughts fester or stew. Stephanie is very down to earth and easy to open up to. I like her practical advice and the resources she gives... And of course, I love the fact that this is Christ-based counseling. Briana Tondreault - Foxboro, MA
I learned how to cherish myself and to speak more positively about myself. I learned how to shift out of a negative mindset, set boundaries, heal a rejection mindset, and be more assertive. I also learned that I WAS causing a lot of my own problems and addressed it in a comfortable safe setting with someone who is not judgmental. I found Stephanie easy to talk to and someone who always has great advice. As I move forward, I am growing in the knowledge of God. Understanding how He views me is helping me transform the way I see myself to align with the way God sees me. When I feel myself falling back into negative thinking patterns, I go back over older assignments to help remind myself of what I learned. Even if I haven’t conquered everything yet, I’m more mindful of what I’m doing. Female, Anonymous - North Providence, RI
Stephanie has been such a blessing to my life. I have been meeting with her for 4 months and have learned so much. I struggled with self-image, self-worth, and ultimately self-love. I learned that I had a rejection mindset and didn't fully understand the depth of God's love for me which, at its core, created so many of my struggles. Through Steph's counseling I now understand that God's love and grace for me "in Christ" is unconditional. This understanding has enabled me to give love and grace to myself and others. I no longer have a rejection mindset, which had held me back for 20+ years. I no longer put my worth, acceptance, and love in others, but rather, look to God for all I need. I understand God is everything I had been seeking. He is the ultimate Father. Humans are imperfect. They can't fill us up like God can. I enjoy how Steph is SO thoughtful. She truly gets to the root of the problem and doesn't just put a band aid on the client. I appreciate how she doesn't hold herself back and is honest with her insight and advice. REAL healing requires REAL advice. Mary Wagne - Boynton Beach, FL
I worked with Stephanie for about 3 months and can honestly say I feel more alive now! I was scared of starting therapy at first but Steph really made it something I looked forward to. These counseling sessions opened a flood gate of information and emotions that before I tried to just bury and bottle up. During my sessions, I wasn't only just talking about my emotions but I really had to examine myself as a whole. I liked how Steph would not only listen but would also hold me accountable. There were times when it felt like chunks of weight had been dug out of myself and just thrown away. The weight has lifted out of my heart and it feels great! I have learned how to handle issues in a healthier manner that before would really bother me. My relationship with God has also improved and I feel more connected. I always knew Jesus loved me but my heart didn’t grasp it completely. Now that it has, I lean to God more, and my life feels like it makes sense. I remind myself that God loves me every day. I don’t allow the enemy to bring me down like he did before. There will always be issues in life but I am committed to not "fall back" to old patterns. Today, I love myself better and have created necessary boundaries to protect myself and my family... And doing so has made me feel so much better. Things are falling into place and it’s amazing! Jessica Murphy - Attleboro, MA
My favorite thing about my first session was that at the end there was a plan in place. After my first session, I knew immediately that change was coming in the best way. Each time I meet with Steph it is like meeting with a trusted advisor who listens to you, and then in turn teaches you too. There are so many things I have gained and learned from our sessions together. I learned how to recognize and reframe negative self-talk. I now find myself reframing bad thoughts that come up throughout the day. I also learned more about how to set boundaries in my life and have successfully applied boundaries at work. The skills I have learned with Steph have given me more confidence in myself. Lastly, my relationship with God has only improved since my sessions with Steph. Adding another Bible study with new people in my life has allowed me to broaden my scope of reading. It also has allowed me to hear different perspectives of the Bible and learn more from other people too. Female, Anonymous - Palm Springs, FL
I have started to learn how to love myself and how not to think so negatively about myself, my body, and my mind. I learned that God created me the way He wants, and now I can appreciate that. I have stopped complaining about things that are in my power to change. Whenever I find myself thinking negatively, I try to stop it and think more encouraging thoughts. When that doesn’t help, I write whatever I’m feeling down in my notebook and write something true and encouraging about myself. I try not to jump to conclusions and draw negative assumptions. I’m finally understanding that I can find a way to change the things that are in my control to work on. I'm also allowing myself to grieve the loss of my mother instead of suppressing my emotions. I am now reading God's word more and learning to put my trust in God. I’ve been trying to include God more, and I find myself trying to better myself more for Him. What I liked most about my sessions with Stephanie was how she would go over things that I need to do that helped to guide me in the right direction. Saskia Ridley - Lake Worth, FL
I have gained so much from my sessions! I can honestly say that I have been set free from scary thoughts. I have learned ways to deal with anxiety, obsessive thoughts, and so much more. Stephanie not only help me with all that I was going through, she also provided me with so many resources to help me in my journey. I am so grateful that God lead me to her. I am applying what I have learned simply by practicing them with every opportunity I get. What I have learned has changed so many things for me. I like the fact that I had someone listen to me and really care about my wellbeing. I never felt rushed to end a session or pressured to say anything I wasn’t ready to talk about. Female, Anonymous - Chicago, IL
Throughout my time with Stephanie, I have gained insight into many of my life challenges and tools to use when I am triggered. I am using the information to increase my self-awareness and decision-making. What I like most about our sessions is how Stephanie is consistent, validating, non-judgmental, supportive, and is able to meet me where I'm at. Kathleen Carlow - West Wareham, MA
Through my sessions with Stephanie I have been able to get to the root of my pain. Understanding this root cause has helped me to heal and move on from an extremely painful past. My current relationships and stressors were a direct result of a rejection issue I was completely unaware of. I couldn't see clearly into my behaviors and actions because I had an overwhelming fear of being rejected. I didn't know that I had developed habits to try to protect myself but in reality I was destroying the relationships around me and not allowing myself to fully trust and forgive. With Stephanie's help, I was able to see things more clearly. She encouraged me with scripture and sent me a book about rejection that has opened my eyes to what fear of rejection looks like and why it's unhealthy. Also, I can see how the rejection in my life (my dad leaving, abuse, betrayal etc.) was plaguing my relationship with God. I would automatically assume I wasn't going to be loved and by doing that I would distance my relationship from God. Though I have always had "child-like" faith and felt the presence of God, my issue was accepting that I was worthy of God's love and presence. By facing my rejection issues I have been able to see that I can choose to accept His love as He freely gives it. I am worthy of being loved because God says I am, not because I had a "perfect upbringing" or because my father's choices. I am worthy regardless of the pain in my past! Now I am able to look at myself as being in control of my life rather than as being a victim. I am applying what I have learned by being able to objectively look at my emotions and reactions. I can see that the times when I am feeling emotions of unworthiness and rejection, that 99.9% of time they are not true! I see when I am setting myself up for rejection before it even happens and I am stopping the lies from the enemy from entering into my life. I feel like I am in control of my life, where as before I was jumping back and forth from every emotion and overwhelmed with confusion. I can now walk into a situation, without fear that I will be rejected but rather with confidence that I am worthy of being loved and accepted. I am no longer a slave to my stronghold of fear of rejection. My relationship with my boyfriend was also completely toxic, and we both suffered from fear of rejection and trust issues. Now, our relationship is filled with hope and trust. We are both closer to God, and our communication has grown and continues to grow. We listen and have a better understanding about why we do the things we do. We understand that as a woman my greatest need is to "be loved" by him; and as a man his greatest need is to "be respected" by me. I have also been able to forgive him from his wrong doings. My greatest fear was being able to place my trust in him again but I can honestly say that I am filled with joy and continue to believe him and trust his word. Trust is a decision, not a feeling and I can't be holding on to his wrong doings. I was forgiven so he deserves it too! What I love most about my sessions with Stephanie is the overwhelming care and understanding I feel. She listens and helps me to see the issues at hand. I am not afraid to be open and honest because I know that she cares and desires to help me. I love going chapter by chapter in the book she sent me. Stephanie counsels us both (my boyfriend and I) separately and together and has created an environment for us to feel comfortable opening up and not being ashamed of our issues. She is our saving grace! Samantha Johnson - Calimesa, CA
I have been released from a lie that I had no idea was negatively affecting every area of my life. The belief that "I have to earn God’s favor", or anyone’s favor for that matter, is now completely gone! I now know that God loves me for "who I am" and not for "what I do". As a result of this understanding, I'm able to love and care for myself and others out of the abundance and overflow of this love. I no longer need or seek the validation of others, whereas before I felt like I could not live without it. I have the confidence of knowing I can actually achieve the goals that before I thought I could never even come close to achieving. I had been searching for a breakthrough like this in various ways for two years, and after just a few sessions with Steph I can say without a doubt I found it. I came to Steph looking for guidance on boundaries, security in relationships, and identity. In a matter of weeks, I learned how as a believer God sees me as his adopted daughter and that nothing can separate me from His love. I have also been able to process some pain from my past such as neglect, trauma, and spiritual abuse. I see how those experiences helped confirm the "false story" I wrote about myself in my mind that wreaked havoc in my home, relationships, and commitments. Recognizing those things and processing through them has helped me heal. It has radically changed my way of thinking, and I know it will change my life for the better. I could sum my experience up in one word: FREEDOM. I no longer approach God with chronic shame. I know I’m not perfect but I feel so confident in my newfound identity in Christ. I know He loves me and this makes me feel so close to Him. I feel so treasured and loved as God's daughter which I now realize was the feeling I was trying to get from relationships and other empty pleasures of this world. Chasing this feeling outside of God caused me dysfunction and led to depression. I finally feel “captivating” in God’s eyes, and it overwhelms my heart in the best way. From the beginning, Steph asked what my goals were and recommended we go through a book together which has been extremely helpful to guide our sessions in a productive way. After each session, I walk away with more knowledge and ways to apply things practically to my life and relationships. She is able to listen well to my verbal processing and respond to what I said while gearing up for the next challenging question. It’s clear Steph is very familiar with the book and with my unique challenges. I absolutely love how she asked me questions to understand my relationship with God and my understanding of the Gospel right from the beginning. She uses God’s word to help guide me, and I like how she involves me in that process. She always brings it back to the truth of the Bible. The truth really does set you free! Female, Anonymous - Millville, MA
I first contacted Stephanie seeking help for my depression in April of 2019 after having been recently released from a psychiatric hospital. In the past, I tried many different therapies, doctors, medications, and approaches with very little relief or lasting results. After my first couple of sessions with Stephanie, she recommended I have a hormone panel done to test my hormone levels to see if perhaps some of my depression and lack of energy was the result of a hormonal imbalance. She referred me to Dr. Noah Segal for further testing and the test results showed that I did in fact have a hormonal imbalance. To address this, Dr. Segal recommended a nutritional and supplemental protocol to help correct this imbalance. In the meantime, Stephanie began working me through a 15 week Depression and Anxiety Course that I just recently completed. Throughout our sessions, we would discuss what I learned from each session in the course, and Stephanie would provide me additional feedback and support. As a result, I'm finding that my internal self-talk is becoming healthier and more functional. I am learning how to be assertive and find I'm able to express my needs to others in a healthier way, and I say "no" when necessary with much less anxiety. Also, I give myself permission to not engage in situations that stress me out. I no longer have the suicidal thoughts that I once struggled with. I also started exercising more consistently which is very beneficial to my overall well-being. And lastly, my relationship with the Lord is much closer, and I'm reading the Bible more consistently. Recently, Stephanie asked me, on a scale of 1-10 (10 being completely healed from depression and anxiety), how would I rate my overall progress since the start of our time together, and I gave myself a score of 7-8! Together with Stephanie and Dr. Segal's help, I have made tremendous progress. Male, Anonymous - MA
I have been married to my wife for decades and throughout our marriage verbal abuse has been a challenge. My wife verbally attacks me almost daily, and I am left feeling that I have "reached the end of my rope". It feels like I am living with a person who has a Jekyll and Hyde personality. As a result, I hold tremendous tension in my body and walk on eggshells wondering, "When will the next attack come?" I react by either getting angry, storming out, or enabling her by trying to appease her. Unfortunately, these responses never work. She just gets angrier and my self-esteem continues to plummet. I realized how bad my situation was when our neighbor (who must have overheard my wife screaming at me) said out loud, "Don't kill him!" Fortunately, my wife didn't hear her but it made me feel shameful, frustrated, embarrassed, and hopeless. I knew this could not go on, however, I didn't know how to stop the attacks. I needed serious help, so I confided in my counselor, Stephanie. She assured me that the verbal abuse would not stop unless I asserted myself, started setting some healthy personal boundaries, and dealt with my anger. Together, we came up with boundaries and communication strategies that I began implementing. I also learned that to be successful establishing boundaries with an abuser I needed to reinforce my boundaries often and implement consequences when those boundaries are violated. I have learned that I don't need to resort to anger, control, or enabling patterns to try and stop or "fix" the abuse. Rather, setting and reinforcing necessary boundaries for myself is the healthy way to break the abuse cycle. I find taking small breaks and establishing consequences, like not engaging conversations that become abusive, to be very effective. I feel more confident and much more relaxed knowing I don't have to tolerate verbal abuse and that I am responsible for protecting myself against such violation. Things are different now. My wife and I are able to talk through things more calmly. Having a counselor to talk with and to think things through with has made a huge difference. The key for me now is consistency and not falling back into old habits that do not serve either of us. Every time Stephanie and I speak I feel so much better. She is able to see things clearly and it really stabilizes me. No one else is giving what Steph is giving me. I am seeing clearly how I need to become stronger in who I am. I'm so grateful that I contacted her, she is the best thing that's happened to me in decades. I trust Stephanie completely because she wants to honor the Father, so I don't worry about her advice. It's always solid, logical, and biblically-based. Brittany Petisce - Johnston, RI
I first spoke with Stephanie the week before my wedding day. At the time, I was experiencing feelings of fear and doubt in regards to the man I was intending to marry. It made me sad, confused, and frustrated, and I was receiving no clear answer to my prayers. Stephanie carefully listened when I explained my situation, and she asked questions to better understand what I was going through. My main take-away from our conversation was understanding the four core needs of a man (husband) verses the four core needs of a woman (wife) and how they are different, yet complimentary. I realized that he was not meeting many of my own core needs as a woman, and I was not meeting many of his core needs as a man. Our relationship at the time was heading down a path that was completely opposite of God’s order laid out in Ephesians. Stephanie gave me examples of how I can meet his needs, and in turn, it would motivate him to want to meet mine. Since my husband is very teachable and committed to our relationship, he was willing to put the work in, too. During my encouraging conversation with Stephanie, I felt the Spirit comfort me and confirm within me that the decision to marry my fiancé was the right one. I had an understanding and appreciation of the importance of maintaining God's order in our relationship and marriage. Going into our wedding day, I felt a complete 180 degree turn around in my perspective. I felt very confident and hopeful after my conversation with Stephanie. To this day, I’ve been happily married to my husband for two months with no regrets. I feel blessed, secure, loved, and thankful that God gave me the "go" to move forward and that He spoke through Stephanie to help me. Stephanie really takes the time to pray and invite the Holy Spirit to be present in our conversations, which is something that is very important. She is also very patient, and will spend extra time with you if it is needed. She still checks in with me through our once-a-month phone calls to make sure things are still going well, and she helps me when we hit stumbling blocks. I am very thankful that I met Stephanie because she encouraged me with Godly wisdom with one of the most important decisions of my life! Female, Anonymous - Coconut Creek, FL
When I first started with Stephanie, my intentions were to become more spiritually grounded, live according to God's word more, learn how to handle confrontations better, and address my depression and anxiety. In our 5 months working together, I have grown stronger in my faith, learned to pray and plan more, and I'm becoming a more balanced person overall. One of the topics we are focusing on is learning how to set healthy personal boundaries which I am finding very beneficial. Also, during the course of our time together, I mentioned suffering from physical pain. Together we came up with a plan of action for getting clarity on the source of my pain (and possible source of my anxiety) and I now have a plan for moving forward towards healing my body. One of the things I like most about working with Stephanie is our prayer time and the sense that I am not walking alone in the Spirit. I really feel as though I have a sister in Christ. I also attend her weekly Women's Bible Study as often as I can as way to stay connected to God's word and other women. I definitely have found that my relationship with God has become more stable. I have learned that no man is an island and that it is okay to reach out to others for help if I need it. Female, Anonymous - Boca Raton, FL
I love how Stephanie gives me tools for how to process my decisions in a healthy way. I have had a few situations where my emotions clouded my ability to reason in the Lord, and she helped me to dissect my feeling with God’s truth. Together we were able to tackle my reason for feeling the way I feel, and she helped me to develop a healthy response to the situation. Aside from that, it helps that Stephanie is nice and genuinely cares. She has a sincere desire to help people from her heart and does her best to see that people walk in God's unadulterated truth, making sure to reference back to the word of God. Ashley Gamble - Phoenixville, PA
When I first reached out to Stephanie I was seeking Christian discipleship as I was recently saved out of the occult and the New Age. I was also looking for general counseling for my life, finances, and relationships. I value having a counselor who has came from a similar spiritual background as myself. I love the wealth of spiritual knowledge, solid scriptural understanding, and precision she brings to each session. I really love the fact that I have someone strong in the Lord who I can talk to about struggles. I’m always looking forward to our sessions. Stephanie has really helped me understand how to read the Bible and has shared valuable financial principles with me that I have been applying to my life. I have come to realize that being financially abundant is not unbiblical and that my abundance allows me to be more generous to others. I’ve gained so much from a session we did on forgiveness and I now have a better understanding of what forgiveness really is. This has allowed me to truly forgive people who have hurt me and move forward without allowing bitterness to take root in my heart. My relationship with God has also been strengthened immensely. Our sessions have inspired me to stay in God's word and to continue my studies on spiritual topics. Michelle Tschupp - Tamarac, FL
I have learned so much about myself and have grown so much through my sessions with Stephanie. Words can not expressed how grateful I am to her. Before working with Stephanie, I was very confused and anxious about who I was in Christ. My mother is a non-practicing Catholic, and my father is a non-practicing Jew. Therefore, I grew up not knowing what religion I was. At the age of 15 I chose to follow the Jewish religion. I later became a Christ follower at 32. Even then I was still not clear on who I was in the Kingdom of God. I did not know if I was a Jew or a Gentile, and I didn’t feel that I was accepted by God. As a result of Stephanie's guidance and her pointing me back to the Word, I'm now clear on my identity in Christ. Going through the books of the New Testament and gaining a better understanding of them, specifically Acts through Philemon, really helped. My eyes were opened reading through Romans and also Acts 15:8-9, which reads, "God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them (Gentiles) by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did us (Jews), and made no distinction between us (Jews) and them (Gentiles), purifying their hearts by faith." I was so excited to know that it does not matter if I was a Jew or a Gentile, God loves all who call on Him! Even me!! This was such a revelation for me! As a result, I am able to walk more in my authority in Christ. I'm better able to identify oppressive thoughts (satanic lies) that the enemy tries to attack me with, rebuke them in Jesus' name, and replace them with the truth of God. I appreciate Steph's honesty and firmness in reminding me of God's truth. The time I spend with her never feels rushed. She gives me 110% of her time and passion sharing her knowledge of the Word and mental help techniques to help me with my anxiety, anger, and fear. I thank God for putting Stephanie in my life, and I thank Stephanie for opening my eyes to the true Gospel. Amen! Female, Anonymous - West Palm Beach, FL
I first contacted Stephanie after my boyfriend of three years suddenly and abruptly ended our relationship. Needless to say I was shocked, heartbroken, and devastated. Questions flooded my mind like, "What is wrong with me?", "What did I do wrong?", "Was I not good enough?", "Why did he leave me?" I was convinced that he left me because of something I did. I felt that perhaps there was some reason why I wasn't good enough for him and that it was all my fault the relationship had ended. Furthermore, I later came to learn that during the relationship he was seeing another woman. This only added to my pain and suffering. As a result, I became depressed and was left feeling alone, sad, worthless, and unattractive. For someone who knows herself to be a very strong person, I couldn't understand why or how I had let myself get to the point of losing myself, my identity, and my self-esteem. I felt like the world was against me and that my life was passing me by. After a few sessions with Stephanie, I started to understand how part of my depression was coming from my negative self-talk. Together we identified some of the lies I was telling myself and reframed them with the truth. I learned that we can't choose our experiences but we can choose how we respond to our experiences. I am learning how to respond in healthier ways. I am also learning about the need for healthy personal boundaries, why they are important, and how to effectively establish them. I see now that my failure to establish and enforce healthy personal boundaries in my previous relationship was part of the problem. Since then, I have made a lot of positive changes. I'm starting to put myself first, appreciate myself more, and I am able to set healthy boundaries for myself. I understand that people will come into my life, and sometimes won't stay for long, but that I can always learn something from the experience. My life is so much easier now. I lean more on God, and when I get lonely or depressed, I trust in Him. Jesus is healing my broken heart. I acknowledge some of my flaws and I'm working on them. One area of growth that I'm working on is my tendency to become a "caretaker" in relationships which results in me "losing myself" in relationships. I'm learning how to better care for myself and not ignore my needs. I know that I first need to love myself well before I can truly love others well. Sophia Paul - Lantana, FL
When I initially started my sessions with Stephanie I was in a very wounded place. I wanted a therapist I could be transparent with and trust. The last therapist I had at the age of 6 broke my trust, so I was in some way hesitant to find a therapist but I knew I really needed one. I was battling with pain and hurt from my mother’s death that I never fully healed from. I experienced moments of being disassociated from those around me and extreme withdrawals. Furthermore, I experienced church hurt, depression, insecurity, and did not really know who I was. I was experiencing an identity crisis. I am grateful for the counseling and therapy Stephanie provided me. Never did I feel judged during our sessions. I am now in a better place and have recovered and healed from the loss of my mother. My perception of myself has changed. Throughout the sessions, I discovered that there were many other hidden issues. I had been holding on to a lot of pain, hurt, and disappointment, all of which turned into bitterness, unforgiveness, and resentment. I am now in a place where I have unconditional love for the individuals who hurt me. Not only did God use Stephanie to address the issues I dealt with but also to provide restoration. Today my Heavenly Father and I have a better relationship and that continues growing. Generational curses have been revealed and dealt with also. I'm a lot more pleasant and happy, even my friends have noticed. I am very grateful to have worked with Stephanie. |
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