Christian Life Coaching Tucson

Soul Care: Christian Counseling Tucson

Are you looking for Christian counseling in Tucson? Do you want make sure the counseling you receive is from a Biblical perspective? Soul care with a pastoral counselor may be just what you’re looking for.

What is Soul Care?

It’s not uncommon to describe a human being as a compilation of mind, body, and soul. Soul care describes the process of attending to the needs of a person’s soul – addressing things that get in the way of having peace with God.

Soul care is not the process by which you gain salvation. Eternal salvation, based on Christian theology, is free and available to all who seek because of what Jesus accomplished through death on the cross. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NIV). Jesus paid the price for the sin of all mankind so we could be restored into a personal relationship with God the father: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God…” Ephesians 2:8 (NIV). Accepting the gift of eternal life, offered by grace, is simple: “…confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, [and] you will be saved.” Romans 10:9 (NET).

Soul care is the process of attending to the care, healing, and health of the soul. You see, you can be a child of God and still have a damaged soul. Since the fall of Adam and Eve, when sin and death entered the world, we continue to live in a broken world filled with evil, pain and suffering. You can be close to God and still suffer. You can be close to God and still struggle with anxiety and depression. You can be close to God and still have doubt. You can be a child of God and bad things still happen. You can be close to God and still have a less than perfect marriage. You can be close to God and not feel like you fit in. 

Dr. Marybeth Steigenga provides soul care Christian counseling and life coaching in Tucson, in a comfortable office setting, and via telehealth. She is ready to walk alongside you and help you heal, grow, reach clarity, and reach your goals. Marybeth works with older teens, men, women, engaged couples, and grieving couples. Learn More.

Her approach is compassionate, humorous, genuine, and relatable. 

Signs & Symptoms of a Wounded Soul

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Worry
  • Stress
  • Spiritual Doubt
  • Anger
  • Grief
  • Marital Distress
  • Discontentment
  • Unrest
  • Resentment
  • Weariness
  • Sexual Brokenness
  • Substance abuse 
  • Loneliness
  • Lying & Deceitfulness
  • Pride
  • Overthinking
  • Fear
  • Impatience
  • Hate/Contempt
  • Greed

"Lord, heal me and I will be completely well; rescue me and I will be perfectly safe. You are the one I praise!"

How does Soul Care differ from Licensed Counseling?

Christian counseling from a soul care perspective is different from the counseling you might receive from a counselor licensed to practice psychotherapy by a state board of behavioral health, such as an Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) or Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). As a condition of their licensure, these professionals (and others similarly licensed) adhere to a code of ethics which admonishes licensed counselors from imposing their beliefs on the client.  “Counselors are aware of—and avoid imposing—their own values, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.” (ACA, Code of Ethics, 2014). Licensed counselors may only integrate their faith into counseling when it is specifically requested by clients to only to the degree a client is comfortable. Faith, Scripture, and prayer are not typically the focus or foundation of counseling with a licensed professional. Within Arizona law, there is a provision that allows for members of clergy to provide counseling without being licensed by the Board (ARS 32-3271.3). Ordained ministers are permitted to provide counseling from a faith-based perspective. “The basic idea behind ordination is that the church leadership and congregations recognize that a person is fit to serve as a leader in their religion. Being ordained is a way of symbolizing that a person has the knowledge, training, spiritual purity, and relationship with the church to perform various duties and responsibilities” (pastoralcounseling.org). Read more about the distinctions between pastoral counseling and licensed counseling.

Marybeth Steigenga is an ordained minister of pastoral care, Board Certified Pastoral Counselor (BCPC), and a formally educated counselor with a PhD in Christian counseling. She is also a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC). Read more about Marybeth.

What to Expect

Soul Care with Marybeth Steigenga at Joshua Tree Counseling

Marybeth chose ordination and pastoral counseling intentionally in order to provide soul care to wounded, questioning, and struggling Christian believers. She is passionate about her faith and about your healing and soul care. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”  Soul care with Marybeth is counseling from a Christian, Biblical perspective. 

Initial Appointment Request

You can request a Christian counseling appointment with Marybeth online. Once that appointment is accepted by Joshua Tree Counseling, you will receive confirmation of that request along with the initial paperwork to review and complete in a secure client portal. You will be asked to add a credit care at this time. 

Initial Questionnaire & Assessments

As part of the initial e-paperwork process, you will be asked to complete a brief questionnaire to help Marybeth determine appropriateness of care and an initial needs assessment. You may also be asked to complete several assessments to report things like depression and anxiety. Marybeth does not work with clients who are suicidal, violent, or diagnosed with a serious mental illness (other exclusions may apply). If your needs are such that a referral is warranted, you will be offered referral options. 

First Soul Care Session

The first soul care session is for you to share your story, your pain or struggle, and your goals. Marybeth listens without judgement and offers validation and support. She knows how difficult it can be to show up and tell all your troubles to a complete stranger. She tries to make this experience relational, sometimes humorous to ease tension, and seeks to truly understand why you’re seeking help. 

Ongoing Soul Care

By the end of the first session, Marybeth usually has a recommendation for how many appointments might be helpful to put on the books to begin to address your concerns. In each subsequent session, Marybeth will help you explore and process your emotions, notice your thoughts and core beliefs, and help you look at your identity in Christ. Romans 12:2 (NLT) says, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”  Marybeth sees each client as unique and worthy of care, concern, and truth. She is gentle and validating and also speaks truth when led by the Holy Spirit to do so. Essentially, she will climb into the hole with you, grab a shovel, and working side by side with you to dig out. She believes in collaborative soul care and invites you to learn, heal, and grow in the safety of a safe space with a safe person. 

In Person Christian Counseling at Joshua Tree Counseling in Tucson