Brenda Stewart, MA, M.Div, D.Min, LMFT
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
LMFT 129384
(408) 357 - 3690
Education/Degrees
Master of Arts in Counseling, LPCC, MFT: Concordia University Irvine, John Townsend Institute for Leadership and Counseling
Master of Arts in Ministry: Corbon University, Salem, Oregon
Master of Divinity Tozer Seminary, Redding California
Doctor of Ministry, Gordon Conwell Seminary, Charlotte North Carolina
Additional Training
EMDR Therapist
Leader Breakthru Christian Life and Leadership Coaching
Homeword Ministries-certified leader/teacher
Gottman Marriage Therapy Level 1 trained
Prepare and Enrich
Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts (SYMBIS) Certified
Certified Smart Stepfamily Therapist
Memberships
CAMFT-California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists
California Board of Behavioral Sciences
Meet Brenda
Brenda is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, who has a passion for adults of all ages, marriage health, blended families, parenting children and teens. Brenda has been married for 30+ years and he has raised four children of her own with her husband and understands family systems.
If you are experiencing marriage and relationship struggles, anxiety, depression, grief and loss, life transitions, career transitions and leadership challenges, she would love to walk beside you and help in these areas. She specializes in spiritual direction and integration of the whole person: mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical.
She also has a special affinity for church staff and ministry leaders since she has been a pastor’s wife for 30+ years with extensive Christian ministry experience and has been a licensed pastor herself for eight years. She understands the pressure, isolation, and stress of ministry that ministry leaders experience and is certified in leadership coaching.
My Background
Brenda Stewart is an Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with 30+ years of pastoral counseling.
Brenda received a master’s degree in Counseling at Concordia University, Irvine at the Townsend Institute. She also completed a master’s degree in ministry at Corbon Graduate School in Salem, Oregon, her master’s in Divinity at Tozer Seminary in Redding California and a Doctor of Ministry in Redemptive Organizational Leadership at Gordon Conwell Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Brenda’s philosophy for therapy includes a customized approach based the needs and goals of each client. She integrates techniques from a variety of therapy models including psychodynamic therapy, Attachment and Family of Origin Relationships, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Emotionally Focused Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
Combining her education and life experience, she offers a unique blend of high-quality professional counseling integrated with faith-based principles. She uses this approach to improve the spiritual, emotional and psychological wellbeing of her clients and to facilitate genuine and healthy interactions with the client’s relationships and life challenges.
Areas of Focus
I focus on; Anxiety, EMDR Therapy/Trauma, Emotional Abuse, Grief/Loss Counseling, Adults of all ages, Marriage Counseling, Pre-Engagement/Pre- marital, Blended Family-Recognized Smart Stepfamily Therapist, Parenting, Life Transitions/Crises, Family of Origin, Women Specific Issues, Mid-life/Empty Nest, Spiritual Direction, Spiritual Abuse, Career Transitions, Divorce Recovery/Co-parenting, Relationship Conflict, Codependency, Emotionally Focused Therapy, Low Self-esteem, Work Life Balance, and Minister/Missionaries.