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What is Integrative Care?
Integrative Soul Care emerged from a simple but profound recognition: healing rarely fits into just one box. Many people want real, practical tools: boundary work, coping strategies, skills they can use in daily life. And they also want to stay connected to their spiritual lives, their sense of meaning, and their relationship with God or the Divine. Rather than choosing between therapy and spiritual direction, Integrative Soul Care says: why not both? Drawing from a full range of training in counseling, trauma-informed therapy, and spiritual direction, this approach meets each person exactly where they are. No two sessions look the same. One moment we might work on practical coping strategies for anxiety, and then move into exploring what your soul is trying to tell you through that anxiety. We might examine limiting beliefs that keep you stuck, then create space for meditation or contemplative silence. The blend follows what you need, not a predetermined script. This approach also holds an important truth: sometimes what looks like a mental health issue is actually a spiritual crisis. And sometimes what feels like a spiritual struggle has very practical, therapeutic solutions. Integrative Soul Care is equipped to hold both. Who Is This For? Integrative Soul Care is a good fit if you want concrete tools and skills but also crave meaning, purpose, and spiritual connection. It's especially helpful for people who have found traditional therapy useful but felt something essential was missing: that deeper soul dimension. You don't have to compartmentalize your life to work here. Your struggles with relationships, your questions about purpose, your grief, your joy. All of it is welcome. Some people use this space for a single session to gain clarity on a specific issue. Others commit to ongoing work over time. Both are a valid way to begin. This work moves at the pace your soul needs: honoring the sacred nature of your healing journey while providing practical tools for real change.
What is Spiritual Direction?
Spiritual direction is the practice of being accompanied as you deepen your relationship with the Divine, or simply with your own inner life. It is a space to explore your personal spirituality, sit with life's biggest questions, and listen for what is already alive within you. As a spiritual director, I don't provide answers. I offer deep listening, reflective questions, gentle promptings, and a spacious presence. Most of the time, people already carry the answers they are searching for. My role is to help you hear yourself, and to create a space safe enough for you to do so. The insights people arrive at by the end of a single session still astound me. To accompany others on this sacred journey is one of the great honors of my life. What Happens in a Spiritual Direction Session? Sessions are fluid and entirely shaped by what you need. Spiritual practices may be woven in: centering prayer, welcoming prayer, guided meditation, grounding exercises, or contemplative silence. Or none of these. There is no agenda to complete and no method imposed. You set the pace. You can bring anything to spiritual direction that you might bring to traditional therapy: relationship struggles, grief, questions about purpose, confusion about faith, or simply a longing you can't quite name. We don't even have to discuss God or the Divine directly. At its heart, spiritual direction is about becoming your most authentic self and learning to be true to who you are. Does Spiritual Direction Give Answers? This is one of the most common questions people ask, and it deserves an honest answer. Spiritual direction does not provide concrete answers. Instead, it gently asks whether the questions themselves are even answerable. Most people arrive searching for resolution to questions that may never fully resolve. And somehow, in the holding of those questions together, something shifts. Clarity arrives — not always as an answer, but as a kind of peace with not knowing. All confusion, wonderings, and wanderings are welcome here.
How do I know if I need Spiritual Direction?
You might be drawn to spiritual direction if you find yourself wanting to understand yourself more deeply, not through someone handing you answers, but through a space where you can finally hear your own inner voice. Parker Palmer calls this the "inner teacher," and spiritual direction is one of the most powerful ways to learn to listen to it. Spiritual direction may be right for you if you are sitting with questions about faith, God, or spirituality that don't have easy answers. If you have wandered, or are wandering, and need a companion for that journey rather than someone to redirect you back to a prescribed path. It may also be the right fit if you are moving through loss, grief, or a season of hardship and want to be accompanied by someone who is genuinely gentle and truly present. Not fixed. Not advised. Simply held. You might also consider spiritual direction if you want to grow in discernment: the practice of making important life decisions from a place of inner clarity and alignment with your own values. Or if your relationship with God, the Universe, or the sacred feels confusing, distant, or in need of tending. And if you have left church, whether from hurt, disillusionment, or simply outgrowing what once fit, and are longing for spiritual community or a place to process that experience without judgment, you are especially welcome here. You don't need to have it figured out to begin. The not-knowing is often exactly the right place to start.
What is the difference between Counseling and Spiritual Direction?
The simplest way to put it: in counseling, I usually have the answer. In spiritual direction, you usually have the answer. My role shifts depending on which space we are in, and that difference shapes everything about how the work feels. Counseling is change-focused. There is an agenda, and that is a good thing. We work with practical tools and skills, tangible strategies for creating change in your relationships, your patterns, your daily life. People come to counseling ready to do the work, often eager to see their life shift quickly. Sessions tend to move at a faster pace, with a clear sense of direction and progress. Spiritual direction is something different. There is no predetermined agenda. People often arrive with something on their heart, a question, a struggle, a longing, but I don't come to sessions with set solutions. The work is slower, gentler, more reflective. We listen. We wonder. We make space for what wants to emerge rather than driving toward a fixed outcome. Another way to feel the difference: counseling has a lot of "doing your work" energy. Spiritual direction has more of a "being with your life" energy. How Long Does Each Last? Counseling tends to be time-limited. People move in and out of it depending on the season they are in. Spiritual direction, by contrast, can continue indefinitely, because we are spiritual beings and the inner journey never really ends. Many people find they stay in spiritual direction for years, even decades, through different chapters of their life. In practical terms, counseling clients typically meet with me once a week. Spiritual direction clients meet once or twice a month. Can I Do Both at the Same Time? Yes, and it can be a powerful combination. Counseling and spiritual direction complement each other well. One tends to the practical and psychological; the other tends to the soul. They are not in competition. A note on who I am in this work: years ago, one of my professors told me something I have carried ever since. She said, "Gina, you are the actual gift. Who you are makes your work. That's what a healer is. They just are. You are the product." Some of what I bring to sessions comes from my training. And some of it is simply me.
What Is Your Counseling Style?
My counseling style is transformation-focused, rooted in both professional training and deep personal experience with healing and change. In 2008, I discovered I was struggling with codependency, and it was quietly destroying my relationships and running my life. I was taking everything personally, had no boundaries, couldn't say no, and constantly over-explained myself hoping others would finally understand me. None of those patterns were serving me. Counseling changed that. Experiencing firsthand how transformative this work could be is what called me into this profession. I wanted to help others find that same freedom. I completed my professional counseling training through Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, and have been practicing for over twelve years. My approach combines the rigor of evidence-based counseling techniques with the wisdom that comes from lived experience — something that enhances rather than replaces formal training. How I Work My training emphasizes focusing on both the how and the why of human change. Research shows that examining how you think, feel, and behave creates more sustainable change than exploring the why alone — but I believe both matter. In our work together, we hold questions like these side by side: Why am I the way I am, and how do I change? Why did my parents hurt me, and how can I forgive? Why do I feel stuck, and how can I grow? These questions rarely have simple answers. But the perspective shifts that emerge from sitting with them honestly help you make better sense of your life, your relationships, and yourself. What to Expect in Sessions Every session includes something actionable. A concrete step, a reframe, a practice you can take into your daily life immediately. We identify what is keeping you stuck, which is often a limiting belief that once protected you but no longer serves you, and we develop new ways of thinking, feeling, and responding. I draw from a range of therapeutic approaches: talk therapy, somatic work, EMDR, and psychotherapy, because I believe each has its place and no single method works for every person. What they share is a commitment to helping you become deeply aware of your own patterns and then giving you practical tools to shift them. My approach is both practical and spiritual, honoring the whole person. Not just the presenting problem. A Note on What I Believe I believe all emotional pain can be transformed into beauty, character, and a well-managed life. Nothing is impossible to heal from. And I am here to help you find your own path to freedom.
What do you specialize in?
My specializations have been shaped by both formal training and lived experience, because I believe the most effective healers bring both to the room. On the therapeutic side, I work with depression, anxiety, codependency, and women's issues, as well as identity exploration and LGBTQ+ affirming care. I am trained in evidence-based modalities including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), alongside deeper experiential approaches like inner child work and parts work. Methods that help you understand and integrate the different aspects of yourself rather than simply managing symptoms. I also specialize in nervous system regulation, which is the practice of helping your body feel safe enough to heal. This is foundational to trauma-informed care and underlies much of the work we do together, regardless of what brings you to counseling. On the spiritual side, my training includes spiritual formation, contemplative spiritual practices, and group spiritual direction. I am trained in the Clearness Committee which is a Quaker discernment practice that creates a structured, deeply respectful space for individuals to access their own inner wisdom when facing an important decision. I also work with discernment more broadly, helping people navigate major life transitions in alignment with their values and sense of calling. Racial justice is also woven into my practice. I am committed to culturally responsive, anti-oppressive care that honors the full complexity of each person's identity and experience. If you are unsure whether your particular concern fits within my areas of practice, please reach out. The free exploratory session is a good place to start.
Do you support Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging?
Yes. Fully and without reservation. I am deeply committed to providing culturally competent, identity-affirming care for all clients. This is not a footnote to my practice. It is foundational to it. I specialize in supporting BIPOC individuals and LGBTQ+ communities, and I understand that finding a therapist who genuinely validates your lived experience is not a luxury. It is essential for meaningful healing. My practice offers affirming counseling for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer clients, as well as culturally responsive therapy for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. I also provide a safe space for those healing from religious trauma or spiritual abuse, welcoming clients of all faiths, spiritual backgrounds, and belief systems, including those with none. As a white counselor, I take seriously my responsibility to examine privilege and engage in continuous anti-racist education. My graduate training included extensive study of multicultural counseling approaches, including works such as Injustice and The Care of Souls by Sheryl A. Kujawa-Holbrook and Karen B. Montagno. I chose San Francisco Theological Seminary for my spiritual direction training specifically because of their commitment to inclusive, affirming spiritual formation. This learning is ongoing and not a credential I completed and set aside. I recognize that marginalized communities often face significant barriers to accessing quality mental health and spiritual care. My practice is committed to being one place where those barriers are lower, where your full identity, your whole story, and your lived experience are not just tolerated but genuinely welcomed.
What Are Your Credentials and Training?
Counseling I am a professionally trained counselor with twelve years of experience working with individuals from diverse backgrounds. My training equipped me with evidence-based counseling skills and therapeutic techniques across a wide range of concerns including anxiety, depression, codependency, relationship issues, personal growth, and major life transitions. I am also ordained clergy, which informs the ethical framework and pastoral sensitivity I bring to all of my work. I am currently pursuing additional certification in trauma-informed care to become a nervous system regulation coach, expanding my practice into somatic therapy approaches. Spiritual Direction I earned a Certificate in the Art of Spiritual Direction (CASD) from San Francisco Theological Seminary in Marin County, California, completing the program between 2019 and 2022. SFTS is recognized for its inclusive, affirming approach to spiritual formation, which is one of the primary reasons I chose it. The program included extensive training in spiritual formation alongside the practice of spiritual direction itself. I have been actively seeing spiritual direction clients for over five years. Specialized Training Beyond my core credentials, I have specialized training in the Clearness Committee which is a Quaker practice of deep, structured listening used for discernment in group settings. I am trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), inner child work, parts work, and nervous system regulation. I adhere to strict ethical standards and confidentiality protocols in all client work. Who I Work With I provide counseling and spiritual direction to clients from all walks of life including those who are non-religious, spiritual-but-not-religious, agnostic, atheist, or rooted in any faith tradition. My approach is holistic, addressing mental health, emotional wellness, and spiritual questions as interconnected dimensions of a whole person.
Do you take insurance?
I do not currently accept insurance for counseling or spiritual direction services. Here is what that means in practice and why many clients find it works in their favor. Working outside the insurance system means we have complete flexibility in how we structure our work together. Session length, frequency, and focus are determined by your needs rather than by coverage limits or predetermined treatment plans. There is no required diagnosis, no clinical framework imposed from the outside, and nothing shared with a third party. What we discuss remains entirely confidential between us. This privacy matters more than people often realize. When insurance is involved, a mental health diagnosis becomes part of your permanent medical record. Working privately means your healing journey stays yours. Many clients find that investing directly in their care, while it does require thoughtful budgeting, reflects and reinforces their commitment to the work. That said, I want this work to be as accessible as possible, so I encourage you to reach out to discuss fees and any flexibility I may be able to offer. Do I Need a Diagnosis to Work With You? No. Because I work outside the insurance system, no diagnosis is required to begin counseling or spiritual direction. We can explore whatever is alive for you, psychological, relational, or spiritual, without needing to fit your experience into a clinical category first. Many clients find this freeing, particularly those who have felt reduced or misunderstood by diagnostic labels in the past.
Where is your office located?
I am based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and offer sessions both in person and online.
For in-person sessions, I meet clients at my Minneapolis office or, for those who prefer a more relaxed setting, at a local coffee shop. For online sessions, I work with clients via Zoom or Google Meet, whichever platform you are most comfortable with.
Online sessions are available to clients throughout the United States, making it possible to work together regardless of where you are located.