Personal Journey

I was born again in Christ in September of 2001—the month the Twin Towers fell and the world changed forever. In that season of global upheaval, God was beginning a work of transformation in my own life that I couldn’t have imagined. 

My family migrated to the United States in 1997, and we settled in Hialeah and Hialeah Gardens, Florida, where we lived for eight years. I am married and blessed with two adult children. During those early years in South Florida, I became deeply rooted in faith as a member of Iglesia Evangélica Ágape in Hialeah Gardens under the faithful leadership of Pastors Anays and Ernesto Pantoja. There, I completed several Bible study and discipleship courses that laid the foundation for everything that would follow.

The Turning Point

About 12 years ago, during a season of overwhelming personal crisis, I found myself in desperate need of sound spiritual guidance. The kind of help you need when prayer alone isn’t enough—when you need someone who understands both the spiritual battle and the human heart. That’s when God brought me to Casa de Dios (House of God) in Tampa, Florida, where I met my dearest spiritual mother, the Pastora Yolanda Ajo. 

In my most vulnerable moment, Pastora Yolanda didn’t just pray for me—she walked with me. She listened. She held me. She guided me through the darkness with biblical wisdom, spiritual discernment, and genuine care. That experience changed everything. I discovered that sometimes God’s healing comes through the hands and hearts of His servants who are called to counsel, to intercede, to fight alongside the broken.
That crisis became my catalyst. What the enemy meant for destruction, God transformed into calling.

The Call to Counseling

From that season of personal struggle emerged a relentless pursuit and passion for counseling souls. I knew firsthand what it meant to sit in the chair on the other side—to be the one who needed help, who was drowning, who needed someone trained and anointed to guide me out. I wanted to be that person for others.  

I pursued training as a Pastoral Christian Counselor through the National Christian Counselors Association (NCCA), completing the program through Above and Beyond Counseling Ministries. There, I had the privilege of learning under the dedicated leadership of Dr. Donald Ibbitson and Dr. Phyllis Tarbox, gifted counselors and teachers who instilled in me a deep love for the ministry of counseling. I also served briefly in their office as an assistant, participating in intercessory prayer and supporting both individual and group deliverance sessions—experiences that shaped my understanding of spiritual warfare and the power of intercession.

For over a decade now, I have continued to serve faithfully at Casa de Dios under the honored leadership of Senior Pastors Henry and Delia Ajo and their pastoral family. I have participated in numerous discipleship courses and ministry training, serving in areas including: 

Intercessory prayer at early morning prayer meetings and for brothers and sisters who request prayer in our women’s group

Supporting women’s encounters and retreats in prayer

Sunday Bible school teaching to preteens

Ongoing spiritual formation through continuous discipleship

These years of serving in ministry have equipped me not just with knowledge, but with practical experience in walking with people through their darkest battles.

Understanding Parents’ Struggles

As a mother of two adult children and someone who has worked extensively with families, I am deeply familiar with the struggles parents face—especially Hispanic and immigrant parents trying to raise teenagers in a culture that often conflicts with their values. The generational gaps, the language barriers, the cultural clashes, the fear of losing your children to a world that doesn’t honor what we hold sacred—I’ve seen it, I’ve lived it, and I’ve counseled families through it. 

While the primary focus of Bethesda Christian Counseling is individual, premarital, and couples work, I also offer parenting guidance and support to aid families navigating these struggles. This is not formal “parenting therapy” but pastoral support for parents who need biblical wisdom, practical tools, and someone who understands the unique challenges of raising teens in today’s culture—especially in bilingual, bicultural households. 

“Sight restored. Shackles fall. Walk in His peace — grace for all.”