Brenda Stewart, MA, M.Div, D.Min, LMFT
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/Enrich Certified Facilitator Training
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
**Please be advised that the Licensed Therapists are affiliated with the Christian Counseling Collective and are not direct employees of the organization.**
Meet Brenda
Are you feeling disconnected in your marriage, struggling with painful relationship patterns, or carrying wounds from your past into your present relationships? Do you want counseling that takes both your emotional health and your Christian faith seriously? I help individuals and couples understand the patterns that keep them stuck, heal from past experiences, and develop healthier, more connected relationships.
I am a California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with advanced theological and clinical training and extensive experience working with individuals and couples. My approach integrates Christian faith with evidence-based therapeutic methods, including attachment-based therapy, EMDR, and other relational approaches. I believe meaningful healing involves understanding not only what is happening today, but also how our family-of-origin experiences and attachment patterns can shape the way we relate to God, ourselves, and the people we love.
Areas of Focus
I work with couples experiencing:
Communication and conflict
Emotional disconnection
Attachment and relationship struggles
Infidelity and betrayal recovery
Trust issues
Blended family challenges
Parenting and co-parenting difficulties
Major transitions in marriage and family life
Sexual and emotional intimacy concerns
Premarital and marital counseling
Parent-adult child estrangement
I also work with individuals experiencing:
Anxiety and depression
Codependency / people-pleasing
Trauma and attachment wounds
Family-of-origin issues
EMDR and trauma recovery
Divorce recovery and Co-parenting
Grief and loss
Midlife and Empty Nest Transitions
Women’s issues
Relationship difficulties
Neurodiverse relationship challenges
Spiritual and relational struggles
Spiritual Direction and Faith Integration
Church Staff, Pastors, Missionaries, and Ministry Leaders
Leadership Challenges and Leadership Coaching
My work is particularly focused on helping people recognize and change longstanding relational patterns. When appropriate, I use EMDR to help clients process traumatic experiences while also addressing the attachment and relationship patterns that may have developed around those experiences.
Faith Integration
Faith is an important part of the counseling process
For clients who desire it, I integrate Christian faith and biblical principles into counseling in a way that is clinically thoughtful and sensitive to each person’s story. My goal is not simply to help you cope with your circumstances, but to help you experience greater healing, connection, emotional health, and hope.
I have extensive experience walking alongside individuals, couples, families, and people navigating significant life and relational transitions. My background includes graduate training in counseling, theology, and redemptive organizational leadership, as well as clinical training through the John Townsend Institute.
I also bring many years of experience in pastoral ministry and Christian counseling, which has given me a deep understanding of the unique relational and emotional challenges that can arise within marriages, families, churches, and leadership settings.
Whether you are seeking Christian couples counseling, working through trauma or family-of-origin wounds, recovering from betrayal or divorce, or simply wanting to develop healthier relationships, counseling can provide a safe place to understand what is happening and begin moving toward meaningful change.
If you are unsure whether I am the right therapist for you, I welcome you to reach out to me for a free consultation to learn more about the counseling process and whether we might be a good fit!