Grace Palmer

Why did you decide to become a counselor?

I have always experienced a significant desire to better understand myself and those around me which led to an interest in the field of psychology. As I studied, I recognized the brokenness and complexity but also the beauty and strength of humankind. I feel the Lord has called me to walk alongside individuals as they turn toward the pain and complexity of their stories to experience true restoration, hope, and healing.

Where did you go to graduate school? What did you like most about your program of study?

I received a Master’s degree from Liberty University online. For my undergraduate and graduate degrees, I sought programs that would allow me to study counseling and psychology from a Biblical worldview. However, my program also prioritized developing an understanding of other worldviews and approaches within the field to gain the knowledge and skills needed to serve numerous types of clients and presenting concerns.

Describe your approach to counseling.

​My approach to counseling is holistic as I prioritize my clients' mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, and relational health. As a counselor, I take an empathetic, gracious, and curious stance. I hope to provide skills and tools to help my clients overcome obstacles, identify their strengths and resources, and heal experiential and relational wounds. I am a firm believer in the opportunity for healing found within the therapeutic relationship and relationships developed with others, self, and God.

What significant events in your life have shaped your counseling?

My work as a counselor has been influenced by my own experiences with mental health and wounds that contributed to the development of anxiety, shame, perfectionism, and people-pleasing tendencies. Through my own healing and counseling journey, I have recognized a need for a sense of self grounded in Christ, the ability to feel and honor emotions without allowing them to take control, and secure and attuned relationships with myself, others, and the Lord. It is my prayer that my experiences with both brokenness and healing will inform the way I care for and serve my clients.

How does your Christian faith inform your counseling?

My Christian faith heavily informs my work as a counselor as my relationship with the Lord is integrated into every aspect of my life and being. It informs my view of clients and their concerns as I view all individuals as image-bearers of God (Gen. 1:27). My faith informs my view of healing as I believe God is the ultimate Counselor and source of healing (Psa. 147:3; 1 Pet. 2:24) It also informs the way I interact with and serve my clients as I hope to reflect the love and grace exemplified in Jesus Christ (John 3:16; John 1:16).