Meet Rebecca
Rebecca is a Christian psychotherapist with a group practice in Jacksonville, FL. She is passionate about helping individuals navigate their personal and spiritual growth through a holistic approach of psychotherapy. Rebecca is also an author and podcaster, sharing her insights and guidance on faith, mental health, and relationships.
As the Church begins to engage more and more in the mental health movement, Christians find themselves looking for a reliable resource that grounds them in scripture and gives guidance for addressing mental and emotional health. As Christians, we know that we live in a fallen world that no longer functions in the perfection that God intended. The consequences of the Fall are visible in every facet of our humanity, including mental health. Jesus and Your Mental Health will use the links between God’s word and modern science to address common mental health issues.
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While the book is still in the writing and editing phase, some of the topical content is being discussed on the Jesus and Your Mental Health podcast, launching July 1, 2024. You'll get some sneak peeks of the book and some great conversation with Rebecca and her friend, Pastor Jonathan Vinke. Check out the podcast tab on this page, or find it wherever you listen to podcasts!
Rebecca believes that good mental health starts with understanding the intersection of faith and science. She is dedicated to empowering her clients to embrace their journey towards healing and wholeness, both personally and in their relationships.
My Story
I am a licensed marriage and family therapist in private practice, leading a team of counselors at Jacksonville Counseling Services in Jacksonville, FL. Prior to starting my practice in 2015, I spent 15 years in church ministry with children, adolescents and their families. I was on staff at several different churches during this time. The last church that I was on staff with provided me an opportunity to build and launch a children’s ministry from the ground up under the leadership of Pastor Joby Martin at the Church of Eleven22. At the time we launched in 2012, I was finishing my master’s degree in marriage and family therapy. I was also able to fulfill the requirements for ministry ordination during my time at Eleven22.
In 2015, the church helped me launch my private practice, and I still serve as a resource for church staff, as well as being one of the main counseling groups that the church refers to. In addition, the church utilizes me for speaking and teaching to groups of ministers and pastors at the church, leading marriage retreats, and being an occasional guest on the weekly Deepen podcast. I recently was part of a mental health panel during Sunday morning worship, where I taught and participated in a panel discussion. This year, I will be leading 3 marriage conferences, one of which will serve 300 participants.
I am passionate about the intersection of scripture and psychology. I believe that scientific research reveals to us how God made and created us for healing in our faith communities. I get excited about equipping Christians to understand and practice good mental health for themselves and their families. A major focus of my practice is relational health and parenting; people are healthier and more productive in secure, safe and connected relationships.
I was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, in a loving, generous, home where faith was not discussed much. But God clearly had a plan for me. My neighbor at an early age was also my preschool teacher at a local Baptist preschool. No doubt she prayed for me and over me in my most formative years. In middle school, a local youth group started me on the pursuit of knowing Jesus. God has always put people in my path to continually point me to him. In college, some friends brought me to a gospel-centered campus ministry at Georgia Tech. It was in this environment that I truly understood what it meant to surrender to Jesus as the Lord of my life. I also met my husband, Shawn, and our journey together began.
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Shawn and I have always pursued ministry together in our 24-year marriage, being active in serving our local church wherever we have lived. We have always enjoyed discipling kids and teens, and we spent many years leading a high school conference called Fun in the Son. Shawn is now an ordained Pastor serving in full-time ministry at Eleven22. We have nearly raised two college-age boys, and are excited to see where the Lord takes them as they launch into adulthood.
Working in ministry and learning how to teach others the Bible is God's most profound method to develop me spiritually. Each time I write, speak, or teach, it is an overflow of what Christ has poured into me. I would not have anything to say or the ability to communicate it clearly without the deposit of the Holy Spirit in my life. I am fully dependent on him for every step I take because it is he who works in me (Philippians 2:13).
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I am an avid reader, love deep conversations, and hacking life according to the scriptures. For fun and rest, I love to travel, swim, ski, golf and hang with good girlfriends.