Rebecca Worsley

Are you facing any of the following issues and find yourself in need of help?

• Are you feeling stuck in an unsatisfying relationship?
• Does your life feel out of control?
• Do you feel challenged to be a parent?
• Do you feel overwhelmed by the loss of your job, your home, your health?
• Do you feel immobilized by your feelings of loneliness, depression and anxiety?
• Do you want intimacy but don’t know how to develop it?
• Would you like Christian based, meaningful individual, marital or premarital counseling?
• Are you hurting deeply from a significant partner/friend or family break up?
• Would you like to develop more positive and successful communication approaches and avoid communication breakdowns?

If so, I can help.

You can become the person you want to be.

You’ll find an accepting, kind, and supportive setting in which you can safely explore, grow, and be restored to a healthier and more fulfilling lifestyle.

You can gain awareness of the inconsistencies between your behavior and your beliefs/values.

You can become aware of non-verbal and verbal communication that hinders you from developing healthy relationships.

You can learn non-verbal and verbal communication techniques that encourage open, honest and non-judgmental discussions.

You can experience living more fully in the moment.

You can learn how to forgive yourself and others more fully.

You will become aware of the boundaries that are important to you and learn how to consistently set them.

What can you expect to gain from therapy?

• Increased feelings of well-being and confidence
• Improved skills for dealing with your emotions
• Greater awareness of negative self-talk and help in forming and using healthier self- talk
• Increased awareness of unhealthy defenses you use
• The ability to choose healthy behaviors for forming healthier, more intimate relationships
• Improved skills in setting clear boundaries while loving others
• Assistance in becoming more aware of your thoughts and feelings, how they affect you and how to effectively manage them

My Philosophy:

I see therapy as a journey on which you are attempting to find a higher, more fulfilling level of living. I become a kind of “emotional tour guide” for you as you grow to trust that I am for you, that I care about you and believe in you, and that I know you are doing your best. As we build our relationship of trust, I will help you learn about and integrate those parts of yourself that are hidden from your awareness.

Through my studies, observations and my own therapy, I have learned that when we experience deep woundedness, we subconsciously create emotional walls in order to survive. I describe these emotional walls as a kind of “emotional clothing” we put on to protect ourselves. The more traumatic our circumstances, the more layers we put on and the thicker the layers become. The thicker the layers, the less we trust and the less we feel. It becomes increasingly difficult for us to access our souls and for others to connect with us intimately. These defenses and facades were originally adopted by us to protect us, but in adult life they keep us from experiencing healthy intimate relationships and leave us lonely and empty.

Sometimes, we turn to artificial ways of feeding our loneliness and pain. We try eating, drinking, shopping, overperforming, controlling others and so on in an attempt to make ourselves feel better and safer. By engaging in these unhealthy behaviors, we actually drive others away, increasing our feelings of loneliness and hopelessness. Some describe this state of being as depression, anxiety or being split off from our real selves.

My desire is to be a vessel through whom God will work to help you re-gain access to parts of yourself that you have lost. Depression occurs when parts of our selves are cut off from our core (our real self, made in God’s image)self. Therapy is about gently opening up these deeper areas that need attention and healing. While this journey toward healing may be challenging and sometimes uncomfortable or painful, the reward is great. You can experience full restoration. Remember, in God’s realm, nothing you go through is wasted. May the Lord use your therapeutic process to bring more wisdom, peace and joy into your everyday life. One of my clients once said that before our work together, her life was experienced in grays. After walking through two years of therapy, she said she was experiencing her life in “living colors”. All glory goes to God. Hallelujah!

Areas of Counseling:

I have counseled young adults, individuals and couples who encounter stress and difficult emotions in their school, work, relationships and social life. I have experience in the following areas:

• Relationship and couple issues/Premarital counseling
• Adolescent and young adult issues
• Women’s issues
• Loss and grief
• Parenting
• Depression & anxiety
• Single parenting
• Singleness and intimacy concerns
• Divorce recovery for adults and children
• Parenting a special needs child
• Trauma
• Adoption/Infertility

Experience:

More than 25 years of experience

Served on At-Risk Board for students in Menlo Park City School District

Interned at Menlo Park City Police Dept. as a counselor for At-Risk teens and families

Taught/facilitated career classes for Christian women in Menlo Park, Ca.

Co-facilitator/teacher with Ed Brackenbury -parenting classes at Menlo Park Presbyterian

Co-facilitator/teacher divorce recovery classes at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church

Co-facilitator/teacher with Joanna Watson -depression classes at Menlo Park Presbyterian and Santa Rosa Alliance

Trained Stephen ministry volunteers at NewSong church of Windsor to be more fully equipped to work with people experiencing depression

Facilitated Divorce Care Classes at Spring Hills Church

Degrees/training:

Child Development Bachelor of Science- San Diego State University

Multicultural Teaching Credential-San Jose State University

Pupil Personnel Credential-San Jose State University

Marriage Family Masters Degree- Azusa Pacific University

John Gottman Couples Therapy training- Seattle, Washington

Grief Recovery Institute training- Sherman Oaks, Ca.

Contact Rebecca