Berkeley Christian Counselors

Registration is live for our couples workshop! Spent 2 weekends with your loved one in Berkeley at an informative course to strengthen your relationship. 💌

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Come visit us at Cal Move in day. We are here until 4pm. Pick up a flyer on imposter syndrome, managing stress and mindfulness.

How is Christian Counseling different than counseling?
Scott one of Licensed Clinicians shares:
Your Christian Counselor will not tell you to simply "try harder" or "have more faith". Your Christian Counselor will utilize compassion and to help you understand and remove the things that constrain you from experiencing the full and abundant life God intends.

"Mental health is not a linear climb of progress and feeling better. It is more like a ladder, where we sometimes move back and then up again- that's okay and that is normal. You are still in progress."

Mental health tip from Sarah K.:

Suffering = Pain x Non-acceptance (or Resistance)
Peace = Pain x Acceptance

Acceptance doesn't mean we give up. It just means we recognize where we are in the moment, keeping our future goals in mind.

A mental health reminder from Randi:
Do not neglect or ignore what your body is saying to you. The unresolved hurts and pains stored up in our hearts and minds will find a way to come out not only in our behavior, but also our health. Maybe take a moment to pause, breathe and reflect on what your body is trying to tell you today. A helpful breathing technique such as square breathing may be helpful in taking a pause. (Breath in for 5 seconds, hold for 5 seconds, and release for 5 seconds)

Randi, one of our Trainees shares what mental health means to her:

There are many important aspects of our mental health such as strong relationships, healthy and effective communication, the sense of purpose and the peace of mind and spirit. To me one thing that can be overlooked regarding our mental health is the importance of taking time to be aware of nature that surrounds us and celebrating the Creator who created it all.

Scripture, Job 12:7-10 invites us to consider the benefits we receive from the Lord in his creation. “But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind."

Claire Kim, one of our licensed clinicians shares what is her definition of mental health. “It’s been most helpful for me to see mental health as a continuum. Most of us have experienced feeling anxious over a big presentation the following day or feeling sad because our pet died. On the other end of the continuum examples are when we end up being bombarded by intense feelings of anxiety that we go to the ER several times in a month or feeling so sad that we can’t get out of bed for 1-2 weeks without a reason. When we find ourselves at this end of the continuum, it will be time for us to get some professional help. As humans, we can experience emotions and thoughts, but when they prevent you from daily normal functions, then it might be time to get some outside help.”

Scott, one of our licensed clinician shares,” Christian Counseling is about helping you access the Spirit of healing and well-being. As God is a God of freedom, we want to help you find the freedom that God wants for you - for your afflictions and your confusion from your sense of separateness and despair.”

Meghan, one of our associates writes, "Mental health to me means both the noticing and the compassion for how to exist as a human being; feeling empowered to care for ourselves and to honor our pain. It also can be an individual and collective experience. It requires us to look back to our past - to moments when we were 'just making it by' and re-introduce ourselves to the present self, in order to become who we want to be in the future."

The month of May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Look for posts from our clinicians about mental health and mental health tips.

Meet our newest Trainee at Berkeley Christian Counselors

Meet our newest Trainee at Berkeley Christian Counselors: Hi everyone. My name is Sarah Gregorios. I am an MFT trainee at Berkeley Christian Counselors. I have worked with preschoolers, young children, and youth in educational and ministry settings. I enjoy working with them because I believe in being a positive influence in their lives and helping foster their development. I want to continue working with young children, adolescents, and adults in counseling for a positive impact and to improve the quality of their lives. Children deal with behavioral and emotional challenges like adults, so being a therapist offers me a chance to help positively impact their young lives.