About Through Faith Therapy
He provides the refuge- we create the space
Hey sister. Let’s pause and take a breath. You made it here……. That’s HUGE!!!
Let’s check in. Take some time to fill in the blanks below…
+ My life would be so much better if I could just ________________.
+ It happened so long ago. Why can I not move on from _________?
+ On my worst days I feel like ______________________________.
+ In relationship to my situation, the Bible says _______________, but/and________________________________________________.
Does any of this fit?
You feel disconnected from yourself, from others, from God- it’s beginning to feel like too much. On the outside, you look like you have it all together. You’re responsible and successful. Others rely on you.
But inside, you’re depleted, constantly trying to hide your imperfections- the lies you believe about yourself. That’s part of what’s so hard. It’s lonely here. Few people know the real you.
You are the “good girl,” the “good wife,” the “good mom,” the “good Christian,” the “good…..fill in the blank,” but you are pushing down everything about yourself that you dislike- running from yourself, and “self” is beginning to catch up.
Reaching out for help feels hard- the part of you who thinks you shouldn’t even have these problems is in conflict with the part of you that desperately wants to heal and feel better. You worry that if people really knew your struggles, they’d see you differently- they’d reject you. You are incredibly hard on yourself and you have guilt about that too.
Let’s talk sister. You are not the only one who’s ever felt this way. I am telling you, there is so much hope for you.
THROUGH FAITH THERAPY IS
A holistic place to bring your whole self—faith included
I am here to tell you that you don’t have to carry this alone, nor does the Lord want you to. I am a Christian therapist, integrating faith and evidence-based therapy. I serve high-achieving women who have survived trauma from child and adulthood, including narcissistic caregivers, attachment trauma, emotional abandonment, sexual abuse/assault, racial trauma, and intergenerational trauma.
Over the past decade I have done a significant amount of work supporting women who have survived religious or spiritual trauma or abuse and this is an area of specialty that I am passionate about.
There is nothing. you’ve gone through that I can’t hold space for- nothing you’ve survived that will have me running. I am here to hold space for all parts of you and every last thing you’ve been through.
The peace and clarity you seek is possible for you. I’ve helped countless women navigate this walk. I offer a compassionate, shame-free space to help you explore, heal, & evolve with grace.
Whether you’re carrying the weight of past trauma, feeling stuck in anxiety or depression, or wrestling with questions about God in the midst of pain, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to navigate it by yourself.
What you can expect in therapy
During your initial session I will get an idea of why you’re coming in; you can share as much or as little of your history as you’re comfortable sharing and we will also discuss whether or not, and in what ways you would like to integrate faith into our work together.
Sessions with me are collaborative, paced to your needs, and grounded in both evidence-based practice and faith-centered care (if you choose). You are allowed to show up as your whole self- all parts of you are welcome in this space of exploration and refuge. Wherever you are in your faith journey, I meet you exactly there and we explore how your faith walk may support your healing journey, if that is something you desire.
Trauma healing can be heavy, but I believe it can also be fun, joy-filled and playful- I’ll show you how.
Telehealth: Online counseling for adult Christian women located in Texas.
Meet your therapist
Grace Gessel, LCSW provides faith-centered, online trauma counseling
for adult Christian women in Texas.
Grace Gessel, LCSW
Hi, I’m Grace! Welcome to Through Faith Therapy. I believe there are no mistakes with God. I’m grateful He’s connected our paths.
I’m a wife, a mom of two sweet girls, and I love traveling and being out in nature. I am forever in awe of God’s grace, patience and forgiveness, and beyond grateful to have been called to sit with people and hold space for the Holy Spirit to lead the work of healing and transformation.
For the past 13 years I’ve supported women crawling out of the abyss of trauma and navigating its impacts: anxiety, depression, low self-worth, mom guilt and parenting struggles, spiritual crisis and addiction. I’ve watched God re-form women and I’ve witnessed them walk out of my office, truly, as new creations.
MY PAST
I’m a psychiatrist’s kid, so my childhood was interesting (and not without significant trauma). I loved escaping in a book. I remember reading my dad’s DSM as an eight-year-old when I was bored. I kid you not. But it was the first time I saw my father cry, after one of his child patients took his own life, that I had my first existential crisis. I was the same age as that child. I became interested in mental health at that time, but ever the planner, I knew I wanted to hold out on becomming a therapist until after I retired from a professional ballet career. I had my whole career path planned out. I was nine.
While it looked wildly different than what I imagined, I did dance semi-professionally for several years before getting into graduate school to become a therapist. I’ve always enjoyed integrating somatics and movement into the work I offer. I also love the intersection of scripture and science.
As a follower of Christ, I believe God is the ultimate authority on mental health, and I believe that modern day neuroscience and clinical innovations that help us heal trauma and remove the obstacles that distance us from God are a gift from Him- that help to reconcile us back to Him.
I use Christian adaptations of popular trauma therapies, like Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) and Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS), and Somatic Experiencing (SE), always while remaining biblically faithful and Holy Spirit led.
I have not always worked this way. I know personally what it’s like to turn away from God, to doubt His goodness, to explore other paths. For over two decades I was a Buddhist, new age, yogi, until one day, a long-time seeker of truth, Christ encountered me in the middle of the night, and I learned at that moment that truth is not an idea to be found within- truth has a name, and his name is Jesus.
It is an incredible gift from God to sit with and support women like yourself- to bear witness to the God’s transformative power, to watch women grow in their faith and gain confidence in themselves as they heal. I cannot imagine doing anything else and it is with the utmost gratitude that I do this work.
My license number is #63382. I am a licensed clinical social worker, or LCSW in Texas State.
My post-graduate training
Specialties
Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) Level 1 • Faith-Integrative EMDR • Attachment Focused EMDR • IFS-informed EMDR
Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS) Level 1 • Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS) Level 2 • Christian adaptations for IFS training
Somatic Therapy • Movement Therapy
My Educational Background
I received a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Old Dominion University in August of 2006.
I received a Master’s in Social Work from Fordham University in May 2013.
★★★★★
“I felt safe bringing both my faith and my struggles into the room. Therapy helped me understand my the childhood roots of my anxiety, process what I’d been through, and deepen my faith .”
Client
Online counseling
Texas
Ready to take the next step?
Let’s talk about what you’re carrying—and what healing could look like
If you’re looking for compassionate, faith-centered, trauma-informed support, I’d be honored to help. Reach out to schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation with me and see if Through Faith Therapy is the right fit for you.