“Do I have your attention now, Kathy?”

That’s what Kathy sensed God asking her during a recent season of stillness, a time when knee surgery and a forced recovery kept her homebound for weeks. For the first time in decades, she had no one else to care for and nowhere to run.

“It was just me, God, and my Bible,” she said. “And wow! God showed up.”

That sacred pause came after years of pain, healing, and searching. Kathy is a woman of deep faith and resilience. But her journey hasn’t been easy. Raised in an abusive home and drawn into drugs and countercultural lifestyles as a teen, Kathy spent much of her early adult life searching for meaning and stability.

Her faith journey began at age 23, after an encounter with the hospitality and kindness of a Christian family who took her and her son in when she was homeless. Over the years, she married, raised children, and became an active member of her church.

Kathy has been in and out of counseling since the ‘90s. Over the years, she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), and found some relief through medication that helped ease her social anxiety. Yet despite these efforts and her deep love for the Lord, many of her emotional wounds remained. They were buried, but not healed.

“It is amazing how long a person can go through counseling and just gloss over the surface…It wasn’t until I started working with Sheryl at Christian Family Solutions that I really started getting to the root of things.”

Sheryl gently guided Kathy toward truth, grace, growth, and a deeper healing.

“Sheryl has helped me see myself realistically and live to a higher potential with God’s grace than I ever thought possible. Her gentleness has truly affected my life…Sheryl doesn’t try to fix me. She asks the hard questions that help me see things for myself. And she always brings it back to God’s Word.”

With Sheryl’s support, Kathy began confronting lifelong patterns of fear, anxiety, and shame. She found clarity and courage through journaling, Bible study, and other assignments.

“The best counseling comes out when the client thinks about things in between sessions and writes them down… A good counselor assists you in developing your own future. Sheryl gave me permission to focus on myself. To not feel guilty. To let God tend to my heart.”

Kathy emphasizes that her true healing began when she finally opened up in complete honesty before God. The Holy Spirit helped her realize truth and guided her toward the right choices. Her journey has been supported by counseling, as well as countless hours of listening and encouragement from her husband, Christian friends, and pastor. Together, these relationships and her therapy have played a vital role in her growth.

The Christ-centered care she receives at CFS is something Kathy is passionate about sharing with others. She has referred several friends and advocates strongly for faith-integrated counseling.

“I’ve tried counselors who weren’t Christian. Something was always missing. Sheryl brings God into every session in a way that’s gentle but powerful. That’s what makes the difference.”

Kathy’s healing journey is still unfolding. There are hard days and painful memories she continues to work through. But the light is breaking through. And she knows that the hope she has in Christ, and the care she receives through CFS, are helping her live with renewed strength and purpose.

“God has used everything in my life to somehow touch other people. And if sharing my story gives someone else the courage to get help, then it’s worth it.”