Renee Stokes

Biography

Qualifications & Experience

I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Women’s Studies with a minor in Dance and my Master of Science in Counseling (Marriage and Family Therapy), both from California State University, Long Beach. I have 20 years of experience in the mental health field with specializations in addiction as well as trauma, grief, and loss.

My advanced training includes certification as a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional Level II (CCTP-II): Complex Trauma. I am trained in the Reconnect Integrative Trauma Treatment Model (RITTM) and received direct training and supervision from Dr. Karol Darsa, author of The Trauma Map and The Trauma Bridge, and founder of Reconnect Integrative Trauma Treatment Centers. In addition, I am an EMDR-trained therapist and a Certified Dancing Mindfulness Facilitator through The Institute for Creative Mindfulness.

My Call to Christian Counseling

Through traumatic experiences in childhood I learned that God can use what the enemy intends for evil for good instead (Genesis 50:20). I understand this process deeply, from both a personal and clinical level, and use this knowledge to help my clients effectively navigate some of the obstacles that can be involved in healing.

More About Me/On a Personal Note

I enjoy spending time with my husband and our two sons (one in elementary school and one in high school). I love spending time at home with our chickens and bunnies, and tending to our vegetable garden.

Our family is actively involved in our church in Irvine. We especially enjoy Saturdays at church and seeing our children participate in the children’s ministry. I also enjoy being involved in the women’s ministry and other church events. Staying connected to our local community is important to us, so we are also involved with our children’s schools and sports activities.

As a family we enjoy hiking in Yosemite, skiing in California and Utah during the winter, and spending time at local California beaches and lakes during the summer. We love traveling, exploring new cities, and trying new restaurants. In my free time, I enjoy writing and reading, as well as dancing, particularly ballet, modern, and jazz.

Services and Specialities

Areas of Expertise/Specialties

• Abandonment and Neglect
• ADHD
• Anger Management
• Anxiety
• Autism
• Bipolar Disorder
• Chemical Dependency
• Couples Counseling
• Codependency
• Depression
• EMDR
• Family Counseling
• Grief and Loss
• Individual Counseling
• Lifespan Integration
• Marriage Counseling
• Men’s Issues
• OCD
• Online Counseling
• Personal Development
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Premarital Counseling
• Relationship Issues
• Sexual Abuse
• Spiritual Development
• Trauma
• Women’s Issues

Trauma

I am a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional Level II (CCTP-II): Complex Trauma and I am also a trained EMDR therapist. Together we will work to uncover and better understand the various layers potentially contributing to current symptoms or relational struggles with others and also with God.

Trauma can begin in childhood as both “little t” and “big T” traumas and experiences, which can include relational ruptures, conflicts and misunderstandings, as well as past experiences of abuse, including physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual. These early life experiences can result in low self-esteem created from false identities or labels connected to these experiences. These childhood traumatic experiences can extend into adulthood from the choices we make in friendships, career and dating relationships, and marriage.

In addition to relational trauma we can also experience a one-time traumatic event that we find ourselves struggling to overcome. I also help people recover from abuse including spiritual or church abuse, domestic abuse, overt and covert abuse, and post-separation abuse.

Unresolved trauma can manifest as hyper arousal, intrusive thoughts and/or somatic distress. I provide a non-judgmental, emotionally safe space to work through whatever trauma you may have experienced so you can walk calmly, clearly, and confidently in God’s plan for your life.

Codependency

Codependency is a learned behavior that can be passed down from one generation to the next. People who struggle with codependency often form or maintain relationships that are one-sided, emotionally destructive, and/or abusive. It is very common in families of alcoholics and often affects those afflicted with alcohol or chemical dependence or those connected to alcoholics interpersonally.

In codependent or dysfunctional family systems, family members learn to repress emotions and disregard their own needs. They struggle deeply with vulnerability and trust. The identity and emotional development of the family members of a codependent or dysfunctional family are often inhibited.

Through our sessions together we will look at where these habits began and work on goals to dismantle internalized guilt, allow for feelings of grief, practice authenticity and appropriate boundaries, foster emotional self-regulation, and encourage mutually supportive relationships where you can trust and care for others, without losing who you are and who God intended you to be.

Marriage Counseling

Together we will work to improve your marriage. We will consider the layers involved in your current situation in order to provide a holistic approach using God’s Word and effective therapeutic interventions to help your marriage thrive. We will consider how various dynamics and responsibilities in our community, work, and family, including parenting children or caring for aging parents, affects the marriage relationship dynamic.

As your marriage counselor I will provide a supportive environment where you and your spouse can feel heard and understood to create greater connection within the relationship. By practicing tools learned in couples counseling to keep your relationship healthy, you can experience improved communication, honesty, trust, and greater understanding and intimacy with yourself, your spouse, and God.

Chemical Dependency

Chemical dependency describes a physical, emotional, and psychological reliance on any mood-altering substance, such as prescription drugs, illegal drugs, or alcohol.

I have many years of experience working as a therapist, a case manager, and also as a group facilitator in both residential and outpatient addiction treatment facilities. By attuning and collaborating with my clients, I offer a safe space to address, process, create, and initiate new resources for healing. Through our counseling sessions and with God’s help, I have witnessed my clients’ ability to remain clean and sober, no longer relying on mood-altering substances to make it through the day. I am passionate about supporting and walking with people through their healing journey and into greater intimacy and connection with Jesus.

Grief and Loss

Learning how to grieve is an art that has been lost in our fast-paced consumer culture. Being able to sit with and tend to the most delicate parts of our heart and soul brings healing and ultimately greater trust in God and the mystery of His work and plan. It is my greatest honor to walk alongside individuals in their greatest moments of grief, completely trusting their timing and ability to process what needs to be processed. I believe strongly in people and their ability, and I trust and allow them to lead wherever their heart needs to go in order to understand and heal what needs to be healed. “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).

Payment and Forms

Sessions: I offer 53-minute sessions. Sessions can be held more than once per week, weekly, or every other week. Scheduling options are discussed in greater detail during your Risk-Free Initial Session.

Availability (by office location):

• Newport Beach – Tuesdays and Fridays
• Online Counseling – Tuesdays and Fridays

Fees: I offer a Risk-Free Initial Session for individuals and couples looking to pursue counseling with me. Please note that there is a fee for the Risk-Free Initial Session as it is a clinical hour and reimbursable to most insurance companies, but if you choose not to reschedule and continue therapy after the initial session, the entire fee for the session will be waived. For ongoing treatment, the full fee per session is required at the time of service.

Insurance: As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), most insurance companies will reimburse for a portion of my services (as an Out-of-Network Provider). Please consult with your insurance provider as to whether they specifically cover adolescents, individuals, and couples.

Receipts/Statements: In the event you require a printed or digital receipt, I will provide receipts for personal use, insurance reimbursement, Flex Spending Accounts (FSA), and Health Savings Accounts (HSA).

Payment options: Cash, Check, or Credit Card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, & American Express). A fee of up to 4% per transaction may be added for credit card payments.