Anxiety that won’t let go
You know what Scripture says, but fear, worry, panic, or the need for control still affects how you respond.
Christian Counseling in Fort Myers
Counseling that respects your faith.
You shouldn’t have to choose between professional counseling and your biblical convictions. Get evidence-based therapy that respects your faith and values.
Christian faith respected • Fort Myers office • Telehealth in Florida
Christian counseling you can trust
Your faith belongs in the counseling room
Your Christian faith shapes how you understand yourself, your relationships, your choices, and the challenges you face. You can trust that your biblical convictions will be treated with respect in counseling.
When you want faith included, we can thoughtfully integrate biblical truth, Scripture, and prayer with evidence-based therapy—helping you move forward without compromising the convictions that matter to you.
Meet Rachele Epp, LMHC
Christian faith and clinical expertise
I bring an active Christian faith, biblical education, and professional clinical training to counseling. My faith shapes how I understand people and approach my work, while your beliefs, values, and goals guide our work together. I hold an undergraduate degree in General Studies (Bible and Humanities) from Grace University and a master’s degree in Agency Counseling from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
As an EMDR Certified Therapist with over 30 years of counseling experience, I provide evidence-based care that respects your Christian beliefs and values. I see clients in my Fort Myers office and offer telehealth for adults throughout Florida.
When Christian counseling may help
When faith is strong, but life still feels difficult
Painful experiences
What you’ve been through has affected your sense of safety, identity, responsibility, or ability to trust.
Fear or control
You find yourself responding with fear, avoidance, self-protection, or control even when you want to respond differently.
Living out what you believe
You know what you believe, but putting that truth into practice can be difficult when thoughts, emotions, or reactions take over.
Questions about suffering
You’re wrestling with suffering, responsibility, meaning, or perseverance and want more than simple or shallow answers.
Feeling overwhelmed
Discouragement, stress, or strong emotional reactions are making it difficult to feel steady and move forward.
Integrated care
Professional therapy integrated with Christian faith
I use evidence-based approaches such as CBT and EMDR when appropriate, while also addressing belief, fear, control, trust, self-reliance, identity, guilt, and responsibility.
Scripture is not used as a quick fix or surface-level answer. It is applied thoughtfully, carefully, and in connection with the actual struggle being addressed.
Christian counseling is meant to complement faithful church life, providing focused therapeutic help for concerns that benefit from professional counseling.
How Christian counseling works
Clinical care integrated with biblical truth
1
Understand what’s keeping you stuck
We identify the thoughts, behaviors, body responses, and beliefs that may be keeping anxiety, distress, or repeated patterns going.
2
Examine beliefs and responses
We explore fear-based assumptions, distorted thinking, false guilt, and the need for control, incorporating biblical truth when desired.
3
Use appropriate therapy tools
CBT, EMDR, and other evidence-based approaches may be used based on your needs and counseling goals.
4
Put truth into practice
The goal is not simply knowing what is true, but helping you respond with greater peace, confidence, and consistency in everyday life.
Common areas of focus
Counseling for the concerns affecting your life and faith
Anxiety
Address fear, worry, panic, avoidance, and the gap between what you believe and how you respond.
Anxiety counseling →Trauma
Work through painful experiences that affect your sense of safety, trust, guilt, shame, and identity.
Trauma therapy →Identity and self-worth
Address shame, self-criticism, and beliefs about yourself that affect how you see your identity and worth.
Life transitions and decisions
Navigate difficult changes and decisions while considering your values, responsibilities, relationships, and faith.
Guilt and responsibility
Distinguish true guilt from false guilt, self-blame, fear, and distorted responsibility.
Trust and control
Address patterns where fear, self-reliance, or the need for control have become your default response.
Client experience
Faith and hope for the road ahead
I firmly believe God predestined me to meet Rachele. She gave me the tools, guided me through the process, and I was finally able to integrate my experience, come to acceptance, and truly have hope and faith in my future. Her approach was gentle, truthful, and spiritual.Former Client
Frequently asked questions
Questions about Christian counseling
What makes Christian counseling different from regular counseling?
Christian counseling integrates evidence-based therapy with Christian faith and biblical truth when you want them included. Your faith is not treated as separate from the concerns that bring you to counseling, but as an important part of understanding your values, goals, and how you want to move forward.
Do you only work with Christian clients?
No. Clients from all backgrounds are welcome. Christian counseling is available for those who want faith integrated into the process, but it is never required. Counseling is tailored to your goals, concerns, and the framework you want included in the process.
Will you use counseling approaches that conflict with my Christian beliefs?
Your Christian beliefs and values will be respected throughout counseling. I use evidence-based approaches such as CBT and EMDR in ways that are consistent with your goals and convictions. If you ever have questions or concerns about an approach, I welcome that conversation.
Will Scripture or prayer be used in every session?
No. Scripture and prayer may be included when you desire them and when they are helpful to our work together. They are not substitutes for clinical treatment, and Scripture is never used as a quick answer that minimizes or dismisses what you are experiencing.
How does Christian counseling address trauma?
Trauma is addressed carefully and at a pace that helps you remain emotionally grounded. Approaches such as EMDR may be used to process painful experiences, while biblical truth can be incorporated when desired. Scripture is applied thoughtfully—it is not used to rush healing, minimize pain, or force quick resolution.
What if I feel guilty for struggling with anxiety, depression, or trauma?
Experiencing emotional distress does not necessarily mean you have failed spiritually or lack faith. Counseling can help distinguish true guilt from false guilt, shame, fear, and distorted self-blame so that each can be addressed appropriately.
Can counseling help if my view of God has been affected by painful experiences?
Yes. Painful experiences can shape how you functionally relate to God, even if you know what is true. Counseling helps identify that gap and work toward a more accurate, grounded understanding.
Start Christian counseling
You don’t have to choose between your faith and professional care
If you’re looking for a counselor who will respect your Christian convictions while helping you address the concerns affecting your life, I’m here to provide professional counseling that takes both seriously.