Our Counselors in Wilmington, Jacksonville, and Shallotte, NC

“Your life does not get better by chance.  It gets better by change”  -Jim Rohan

 

My practice has been dedicated to assisting people with implementing healthy boundaries, focusing on self-love, processing past traumas, and self-awareness through cognitive and solution-focused therapy.

I am committed to working with families, individuals, and couples in their walk to make the necessary changes to enhance or improve their life circumstances.

I am a believer and proponent of self-care and incorporating your spiritual beliefs into your daily life to improve your quality and peaceful existence.  I have a heart for working with individuals with anger management, women’s related issues, single parents, and life transitions (divorce, grief, and chronic illness).

I would be honored to assist you with your journey of enlightenment.

Barb is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapy Associate (LMFTA) who is passionate about equipping others with the tools they need to live their best life! In today’s world, life often feels chaotic and relationships can be challenging: it can be reassuring to know that you don’t have to face difficult situations alone. With a heart for supporting marriages and strengthening families, Barb offers solution-focused strategies to manage life transitions (i.e., marital stress, parenting challenges, career changes, divorce, loss of a loved one), as well as mindfulness and CBT techniques to overcome emotional/behavioral issues, such as Anxiety, Depression, or OCD

Each person has a unique set of strengths and abilities. Barb is committed to helping you tap those resources to improve communication, heal trauma, restore wellness, and enhance your relationships.

 

Lori is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 27 years of experience helping youth, adults, and families navigate to a place of peace and thrive from daily struggles to life-altering traumatic experiences. Her focus is to use clinical techniques and Christian-based values to help people find comfort for their souls and skills to flourish again. Lori provides patience and compassion in a space that encourages vulnerability and connection with their true self under current life challenges. Lori has a sweet spot for children, teenagers, and families struggling with behavior management, impulse control, anxiety, depression, psychosis, high-risk behaviors (suicidal, self-harm, harm to others), and complex trauma experiences. Lori has worked in the areas of foster care, adoption, juvenile justice, day treatment, residential treatment, and acute hospitalizations. For youth and adults alike, Lori wants to meet you where you are and provide a peaceful place to process difficult experiences.

Hi there! My name is Marisela, and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapy Associate (LMFTA)
with a passion for helping individuals, couples, and families find healing and grow into who they were
created to be. Our minds can sometimes be a scary place, leaving us feeling consumed by darkness and
held captive by our thoughts. My focus is to use a variety of therapeutic approaches and Christian-based
values to help you bring those thoughts to the light, towards a life where you feel confident in your ability
to overcome life’s challenges. I have a heart for helping children and teens struggling with low self-
esteem, stress, anxiety, depression, self-harming behaviors, suicidal ideation, complex trauma
experiences, neurodivergence-related challenges, and behavioral issues. I am also passionate about
helping couples and families navigate relationship issues and family conflict related to premarital/marital
stress, intimacy issues, infidelity, communication barriers, lack of boundaries, life transitions, grief and
loss, divorce/separation, parenting/co-parenting challenges, and blended family issues.

“Owning our story can be hard, but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.” Brene Brown

You have a story, uniquely your own. Inviting someone to know, share and explore your story in order to illuminate truths both wonderful and difficult is the courageous work of therapy. My goal is encouragement, growth, and freedom for you, attending to the light within you. As God is the creator of light and promises to be with us in times of darkness, my presence with you in the therapy room is inspired and informed by this truth.

 

Rob’s heart is to see people and families whole and walking with confidence in their God-given purpose and relationships. He wants you to feel heard, inspired, and empowered to embrace this purpose. Rob uses different therapeutic approaches to meet you in your situation; however, Rob believes that the essential ingredient for change lies within a Spirit-filled alliance created to walk life’s path together. 

Hello, my name is Sue Stephens. I am grateful to be a part of Agape Counseling while
working toward my goal of serving the community as a Clinical Mental Health
Counselor. At an early age, I knew I was called to be a helper through connecting and
listening to the stories of others and, to help them identify their best self while learning
to thrive in the present. I enthusiastically work with individuals to embrace their
strengths while helping them cope with anxiety, depression, life transitions, self-care,
grief, spiritual issues or where they may feel stuck. The interaction with clients is in a
non-judgmental, empathic, accepting environment that encourages exploration of their
uniqueness. I am passionate about suicide awareness and prevention, which brings the
understanding that everyone matters and they all have a purpose in life.

Hello! My name is Tracey, and I am currently a Graduate-Level Intern who is working
toward Licensure as a Licensed Counselor with Mental Health (LCMH). I am passionate about
individuals of all ages having the resilience and capability of moving past difficult life
experiences such as grief, difficult parenting, and careers. Sometimes you can just feel stuck,
low, or at a loss as to what to do in your life to take the next step. My goal is for you to move
through the therapy process, problem-solve, and find God in your story in a safe space and
without judgment.

I am excited for the opportunity to walk with you in this current season as we progress towards your personal goals and aspirations. I believe having someone to process life with that understands the importance of creating a safe relational environment by ensuring you are supported, understood, and shown genuine curiosity goes a long way in helping us resolve the problems we face. Many of my clients appreciate my direct approach that isn’t afraid to hold you accountable to your goals, ask challenging questions that help you refine your beliefs, and encourage you to become your best. My biggest passion in therapy is exploring and understanding the various forms of relationship and how intertwined these dynamics are on every area of our life. Relationship is not just between us and others, its also how we see ourselves and relate to God. Many times talking through these parts of our lives lead to trails that highlight why we have painful cycles, where our negative self views came from, misunderstandings of what is and isn’t our responsibility, and many other relational complications that create depression, anxiety and stress in our lives. It is very fulfilling to see how adjusting the way we see our relationship with God, self and others reveals untapped opportunities for growth in confidence, self understanding, and an overall sense of peace.