*BE THE HANDS AND FEET WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE – ONE PERSON AT A TIME.*
Individual, Couples, Family, and Lay-Counseling
Licensed Counseling Services
Our licensed and associate counseling services in El Cajon and San Diego County are delivered by state-credentialed mental health professionals who specialize in helping individuals, couples, and families navigate anxiety, depression, trauma, relational challenges, and life transitions. Whether you’re looking for in-person sessions or prefer the flexibility of online counseling, our team uses evidence-based practices tailored to your unique journey. Many sessions may be covered by insurance or offered on a sliding scale. Serving the greater San Diego community, we’re here to support you every step of the way.
Pastoral and Biblical Counseling Services
Our Pastoral and Biblical Counseling blends clinically sound counseling with spiritually rooted guidance. Available throughout El Cajon, San Diego County, and online, our counselors are not only licensed in their respective fields but also deeply experienced and certified in pastoral care. Grounded in Scripture and compassionate care, they help you apply biblical wisdom to your relationships, faith struggles, and daily challenges. Whether you’re seeking spiritual encouragement or faith-integrated mental health support, our pastoral counselors are here to walk alongside you with empathy and spiritual insight.
FAQs about Counseling
Do I have to include faith and religious practices in my sessions? What if I have different beliefs?
Not at all. While we believe faith can play an important role in mental health, how it’s incorporated into your licensed counseling sessions is completely up to you. Our licensed counselors are trained in cultural competence and respect all beliefs, integrating spiritual or cultural practices only if you wish. Your goals, values, and comfort guide the process.
Do you have counselors who are both licensed and biblical focus?
We have counselors who are both licensed in California and biblically focused. You can find them in both the licensed section and biblical/pastoral counselor lists.
What ages and diagnoses do you work with?
Due to the large array of counselors and specialties available, it is difficult to list them in one section. We have the availability to work with ages 6+ depending on the unique child’s place of maturity. Our counselor bios listed below breakdown each counselor’s specific age ranges and areas of expertise.
Do you off online and in-person sessions?
We utilize our HIPAA compliant software JaneApp to maintain records and allow for both virtual sessions and in-person sessions at the following location:
1685 E Main St. Suite 203 El Cajon, CA 92021.
What times do you offer sessions?
Our goal is to arrange sessions from 8 AM to 8 PM; however, this flexes with the availability of counselors on staff. When booking an appointment, you will see the availability based both on counselor and based of a monthly view showing which counselors are available on the individual days.
What if my insurance isn’t listed or isn’t covered by the specific counselor I want to see?
All of our licensed clinicians can provide a superbill—an itemized receipt—that you can submit to your insurance for possible reimbursement. Full out-of-pocket payment is required at the time of service. We recommend discussing superbill reimbursement with your insurance provider in advance to confirm if it will be accepted..
MEET OUR STAFF
OUR LICENSED AND ASSOCIATE COUNSELORS IN TRAINING:
Keegan Starr, LPCC # 14938
Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor
Many clients come to me feeling like life is out of control and they don’t even know where to begin. They may feel weighed down by anxiety, depression, or conflict—unsure how to move forward or whether change is truly possible. For some, it’s the challenge of navigating high-stress relationships, parenting struggles, or the aftermath of trauma.
I use an integrative, strength-based approach tailored to each client’s unique needs and goals, drawing on evidence-based techniques to help bring clarity, restore balance, and build practical skills for everyday life.
Together, we create a safe, collaborative space where clients feel grounded, empowered, and equipped to overcome challenges, strengthen relationships, and create lasting, meaningful change.
Experience:
Keegan is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor with over a decade of experience in the mental health field. He specializes in working with children, teens, and adults experiencing anxiety, depression, behavioral challenges, and high-conflict relationships. Keegan has extensive experience supporting individuals and families impacted by domestic violence and guiding them toward safety and healing. His integrative, strength-based approach draws from a variety of evidence-based modalities to meet the unique needs of each client.
Client Focus: Individuals, couples, families, children, teens
Types of Therapy: CBT, DBT, trauma-informed care, strength-based approaches, solution-focused therapy
Issues:
- Standard: Anxiety, depression, trauma
- Specialties: Behavioral challenges, relationship & family conflict, parenting support, domestic violence, divorce, blended family adjustment, and pre-marital counseling.
More than just my work:
“I believe in the power of resilience and the importance of building on the strengths you already possess.” Outside of counseling, I’m a husband, father, and veteran who enjoys building motorcycles and spending time outdoors.
Araceli Gabriel, APCC# 20033
Associate Professional Clinical Counselor Supervised by Keegan Starr
LPCC#14938
Problem: There may be individuals who are skeptical about therapy or hold different cultural beliefs surrounding mental health. Coming from a Hispanic background, I’ve personally experienced this hesitation within my own family. For many, this may be their first time seeking therapy, and trusting someone new can feel uncomfortable or even unsafe. Opening up to a stranger and being vulnerable doesn’t come easily.
Solution: I want to be that person who is patient and creates a nurturing, holistic environment. Practicing cultural humility is very important to me. I understand that I may not fully grasp my client’s lived experience, but I can create a safe space where they can guide me through their worldview — one built on trust, confidentiality, and without judgment.
Experience:
Araceli Gabriel is an Associate Professional Clinical Counselor, bilingual in Spanish, who earned her Master of Science in Counseling from Sacramento State University. Over the past two years, she has worked with children, adolescents, young adults, and adults in school settings, supporting and assessing clients experiencing depression, grief and loss, anxiety, anger, and trauma. In school settings, she has also led groups focused on grief and loss, as well as individuals who are newcomers to this country. She has also volunteered at a Sacramento Juvenile Detention Facility, providing mentorship and resources to young adolescents and young adults who are underrepresented and marginalized.
Client Focus: Families, individuals, children
Types of therapy: CBT, Gestalt Therapy, Mindfulness, Person-Centered Therapy, Choice-Theory
Issues:
Standard: Anxiety, depression, trauma
Specialties: Parenting Issues, Grief and Loss, Relationships
Currently Hiring:
Hiring for a licensed counselor who would like to work with medical clients.
Christian, biblically-integrated, Counselors and Lay-Counselors:
Our counseling team includes a diverse range of professionals—lay counselors, pastoral counselors, biblical counselors, and licensed clinicians—who incorporate Christian principles and practices into their work. While not all of our professionals are licensed through the California Board of Behavioral Sciences, each operates under the oversight of their respective credentialing boards or points of accountability, which are listed in their individual bios. Every team member is a trained expert in their field and receives weekly support and collaboration with our fully licensed clinicians, ensuring the highest quality of care for those we serve.
Keegan Starr, LPCC # 14938
Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and
Christian Biblical Counselor
Many people come to me feeling like life is spinning out of control—unsure where to begin, weighed down by anxiety, depression, or conflict. For some, it’s the strain of high-stress relationships, parenting struggles, or the deep wounds of trauma. Others feel spiritually stuck, wrestling with questions about God’s purpose for them in the midst of pain.
I believe God created each of us with unique strengths and the ability to grow through even the hardest seasons. Using an integrative, strength-based approach rooted in biblical truth and evidence-based practice, I walk alongside clients to bring clarity, restore hope, and help them develop practical tools for both life and faith.
Together, we create a safe, grace-filled space where you can address challenges openly, grow in emotional and spiritual resilience, and take confident steps forward—trusting that God is guiding your path.
Experience:
Keegan is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor with over a decade of experience in the mental health field. He specializes in working with children, teens, and adults experiencing anxiety, depression, behavioral challenges, and high-conflict relationships. Keegan has extensive experience supporting individuals and families impacted by domestic violence and guiding them toward safety and restoration. His counseling integrates biblical principles with evidence-based modalities, meeting clients where they are while pointing them toward lasting change.
Client Focus: Individuals, couples, families, children, teens
Types of Therapy: CBT, DBT, trauma-informed care, strength-based approaches, solution-focused therapy
Issues:
- Standard: Anxiety, depression, trauma
- Specialties: Behavioral challenges, relationship & family conflict, parenting support, domestic violence, divorce, and blended family adjustment
More than just my work:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” — Proverbs 3:5–6
Outside of counseling, I’m a husband, father, and veteran who enjoys building motorcycles, spending time outdoors, and investing in my community.
David Shirley, M.A., M.Div
Pastoral Counselor
Many Christians hesitate to seek counseling because of beliefs within the church that struggling with mental health is a sign of weak faith, that needing help is a failure, or that Jesus alone should be enough for every issue. Others may wrestle with or question aspects of their faith and feel uncomfortable sharing these struggles with their church leaders.
The Christian life was never meant to be walked alone. I offer a biblically-based, individualistic approach that considers each person’s God-given design, helping them strengthen their identity and purpose in the Lord while addressing life’s struggles.
My goal is to build a trusted partnership with clients in a comfortable, confidential, and nonjudgmental environment where they can grow spiritually, mature in their identity, and navigate life’s journey with confidence.
Experience:
David is a non-licensed pastoral counselor with a Bachelor of Science in Clinical Psychology, a Master of Arts in Religion with a focus on Pastoral Counseling, and a Master of Divinity in Pastoral Counseling from Liberty University. He has several years of experience in both traditional mental health settings and ministry environments, working with clients on a wide range of mental health and spiritual concerns.
Client Focus: Individuals, couples, families, youth (12+), church/ministry staff
Types of Therapy: Pastoral counseling, biblically-based CBT, DBT, narrative therapy, spiritual formation guidance
Issues:
- Standard: Anger, depression, trauma, conflict resolution
- Specialties: Crisis of faith, spiritual identity, unforgiveness, ministry burnout, overcoming habitual sin
More than just my work:
“Wise man say, ‘Forgiveness is divine, but never pay full price for late pizza.’” — Michelangelo, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
Our Services:
1685 East Main Street,
Suite 203
El Cajon, Ca 92021
For more information, please contact us at 619-997-1777 or click the button below to request information:
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