Christian Counseling: A Holistic Approach – Counselors and Coaches in Lynchburg
At Thriveworks Lynchburg Christian Counseling, we believe that therapy should deal with the whole person — your biological, psychological, social and spiritual self. Essentially what that makes you, you.
You are not just your physical form. You are not simply the thoughts in your head.
You are also a person with a connection to a greater community. You are also a person with deeper considerations about what it means to be alive, what it means to be human, what it means to have the gift of consciousness — and those considerations often inform how you live.
To focus on one area of your life while ignoring how it interplays with all others, would be to ignore major insights into what makes you the way you are, and those insights are what will help you grow into a happier, more fulfilled version of yourself.
We want to help you approach whatever you’re going through, whether it’s a problem at school, trouble at home, a difficult relationship, depression, addiction or anxiety, and analyze those experiences in light of your faith.
What is Christian Counseling?
What we do is not Christian counseling in the sense of pastoral counseling, which is when a trained member of the clergy (or a counseling professional with in-depth ministry/theological training) provides therapy services.
This Christian counseling we provide is more about addressing your life issues and opportunities in relation to YOUR faith. Our Christian counselors are believers, yes, but they don’t believe it is their job, nor in your best interest, to evangelize or push their interpretation of the Bible on you.
Your first session
When you first come in for an appointment, you fill out an intake form that contains the following question:
”What is your religious background/involvement?”
We want to talk about what you want to talk about, what’s important to you and how those things interact with your daily life, career and relationships. If faith in Christ is part of that conversation, then we will incorporate it into our sessions:
For example:
What insights does your faith offer about the particular issue your struggling with?
What does scripture say?
How does what you believe align with your actions?
[NOTE: If you’re not a Christian (e.g., Muslim, Jewish, Christian, atheist, agnostic, etc.) but still would like your beliefs incorporated into your sessions, that’s great! Even if your clinician doesn’t share your worldview, he or she will still be well-equipped to talk to you about your life in relation to your faith from a place of mutual respect — and with the goal of improving your well being.]
Your therapy sessions are about YOU and your thoughts and experiences. Our therapists will work with you in understanding what it means to find congruence between your faith and the way you live your life.
Appointments Available within 24 Hours
We believe that everyone can benefit from counseling and coaching, no matter what their gender, religion, orientation or age, and that the sooner you begin experiencing therapy’s benefits, the better.
That’s why, when you call us for a session, you won’t reach a voicemail but an actual person who will schedule your first appointment for the same week, if not within 24 hours, and you’ll be able to get started on the path to change.
Also, to make counseling even more accessible, we accept many insurance providers, and have available session times that fit your schedule. And through our subscriber program, you can also have phone and email access to your counselor, along with other benefits.
You can change. You can thrive. We can help. Call us today at 434-528-3268.
Insurance: Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia | BCBS, Beacon Health Options, +16 more
5 years in practice
As a modern therapist with connections in current cultural concerns that impact many of us today, I work to understand clients with a wide variety of view points and unique skills to assist.
Insurance: Aetna, Cigna | Evernorth, SelfPay, +2 more
3 years in practice
I am passionate about assisting individuals and couples who wish to improve their relationships and achieve their personal goals through the counseling process.
Insurance: Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia | BCBS, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia Medicare Advantage, +21 more
5 years in practice
By practicing integrative psychiatry to treat the whole person, not just the symptoms, I want you to feel comfortable, welcomed, safe, and heard. Learning how to master your emotions and understand how things impact you is key to finding strength and moving forward in life.
Insurance: Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia | BCBS, Beacon Health Options, +19 more
18 years in practice
With 18 years of experience in the mental health field working with a variety of clientele, I value establishing an authentic connection with my clients and working to meet their individual goals.
Insurance: Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia | BCBS, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia Medicare Advantage, +22 more
33 years in practice
Life comes with struggles — at times we all need a safe place to be heard in order to understand how best to navigate emotions and reframe our thinking process. I have developed listening skills over the 25 years of assisting individuals and couples as well as families, learn how to navigate emotions as they express process and understanding themselves.
Insurance: Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia | BCBS, Beacon Health Options, +17 more
5 years in practice
As a counselor who has worked extensively with clients who have experienced many forms of trauma, I understand the difficult process it is to heal from these experiences.
Insurance: Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia | BCBS, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia Medicare Advantage, +16 more
12 years in practice
As an experienced therapist working with mental health and substance issues, I've developed a unique understanding of both which allows me to offer effective counseling in a collaborative approach.
Insurance: Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia | BCBS, Beacon Health Options, +15 more
6 years in practice
As a licensed counselor with a wide range of experience in the field, I have compassion for others and truly believe that everyone can benefit from mental health counseling at some point in their lives.
Insurance: Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia | BCBS, Beacon Health Options, +14 more
14 years in practice
As a 14 year veteran in the mental health field, I have worked with children, teens, adults and families to help them improve their daily functioning and live better lives.
Insurance: Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia | BCBS, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia Medicare Advantage, +21 more
18 years in practice
As someone who has first-hand experience with the positive impact of counseling, I look forward to the opportunity to see how I can best serve you on your journey.
Insurance: Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia | BCBS, Beacon Health Options, +18 more
15 years in practice
Having 15 years of experience working in the field, I understand the need for others to improve the ability to cope and improve their overall quality of life.
Insurance: Aetna, Cigna | Evernorth, SelfPay, +2 more
1 year in practice
As a cognitive behavioral and emotion focused provider, I understand that who you are now and who you want to be in the future, are probably not as far apart as you think.
Thriveworks Counseling & Child Therapy Lynchburg is located on Jefferson St. in the heart of the downtown area. The James River runs directly behind our building, which we share with Zola’s Beauty Studio and Stimulus Adverstising and Web Design.
"Kim is the absolute best counselor! She is very kind and caring and adapts to whatever works best for you personally. She does not use the typical counselor answers or “by the book” responses. She talks to you like you are a real person. She always make me feel like the things that I am going through are important and the feelings are valid. She provides a completely judgement free zone to talk about anything that is needed. She understands that things take time and she does not force you to talk about anything. She allows you to process in your own time. She has a way of working with me that allows me to fully trust her. Kim has a heart of Gold! You can tell throughout your sessions with her that this is more than just a job for her. You feel legitimately cared for by her. You can tell that she genuinely wants to help you to move through the things that are holding you back in life. She’s very encouraging and reassuring. Her genuine compassion and encouragement helps me feel like I am actually important and deserving of growth. I would highly recommend Kim as your counselor if you are looking for someone who will make you feel valued and heard and not like you are just another name on their client list! She has definitely made a huge impact on my life!"
Lynchburg client Jul. 2022
★★★★★
"Working with Dr. Tiffany Stephens has been so helpful! She is very approachable, easy to talk to, and genuinely cares about concerns and circumstances. She can help think through problems and works toward a better outlook and teaching real skills that help toward calmness and strength in the midst of complicated issues. She helps teach courage to be vulnerable in the moment, so I can learn patterns and work at replacing them with more healthy ones— her style of preparing clients to approach things differently makes all the difference when difficulty arises. I feel safe and confident (but not tight and overly-clinical) when talking with her. I absolutely recommend working with her if you are working toward a better you!"
Lynchburg client Dec. 2021
★★★★★
"Dr. Tiffany Stephens is an amazing therapist. She is engaging as well as empathetic. I highly recommend Tiffany for anyone looking for a highly skilled and compassionate therapist."
Lynchburg client Sep. 2021
★★★★★
"Bryan Hunsley has been a great help in providing counseling to myself and my husband! He begins our ZOOM sessions on time. Bryan is great at his job in that he is easy to talk to and nonjudgmental. His feedback is even tempered (appropriate, positive and welcoming), plus clear and easy to understand. My husband and I feel that Bryan provides sensitive care and treats us both with ultimate respect! He is flexible in that he can easily switch gears according to the urgency of our needs for any particular session and is quick to offer any needed support between sessions. He provides a professional high quality of care that is also relaxing and informative. I am more than satisfied with his services being provided and find myself looking forward to the next session! Bryan has and continues to strengthen our marital wellness with his superb counseling expertise!"
Lynchburg client Sep. 2021
★★★★★
"Jenifer Suri is an energetic, lively woman who felt like a confidant during our very first meet up. She was engaging and listened well!"
Lynchburg client Feb. 2021
★★★★★
"Jeanie has been working with me for over 5 months on developing Effective strategies and coping methods to better manage my anxiety and depression. She has been wonderful throughout this whole process and I definitely recommend her for a counselor!"
Lynchburg client May 2020
★★★★★
"I came in knowing I wanted to strengthen my mental wellness but previous encounters with therapists hasn’t proven helpful. I met with Kim Plourde and it changed my perspective. She is easy to talk to, nonjudgmental and gives clear and easy to understand feedback that’s relative to the issue at hand. I highly recommend her to anyone seeking someone to talk with about their mental well being."
Lynchburg client Sep. 2019
★★★★★
"So thankful that Thriveworks is so responsive and available. Our family went through a very devastating situation while visiting Lynchburg and I was agonizing on how to go forward. Crisis never happens at a convenient time but we were quickly able to get a family counseling meeting with a very respectful and skilled therapist, Regina. In one visit alone, Regina was able to help us see clearly the next steps needed for healthy family dynamics, and although I wish I could bring her back home with me, perhaps our other family members will take advantage of this great blessing available. Thanking God for your help."
What we do is not Christian counseling in the sense of pastoral counseling, which is when a trained member of the clergy (or a counseling professional with in-depth ministry/theological training) provides therapy services.
