Parishioners of Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church,
Welcome to your Parish Counseling Services page
Rejoice Counseling Apostolate is overjoyed to offer professional counseling services to parishioners, both onsite at Christ the Redeemer and offsite. Through individual, marriage or family counseling we can journey with you through numerous challenges that you want to overcome. And we will always bring the Catholic faith into the work that we do with you.
Read below to learn about the Catholic counseling services that are available for parishioners and then get in touch with us. We are here to help.
– Dr. Chris Stravitsch, President
You can meet with your Parish Counselor in-person or via video, depending on your needs.
Contact us to discuss your scheduling options.
Se ofrecen sesiones de consejeria por video así como reuniones en persona.
Por favor contáctenos para más información y para hacer su cita.

– Fr. Sean Horrigan, Pastor
Counselors serving the parishioners of Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church
On-Site Counselors

Lauren Guido, MS, LMFT Associate, LPC Associate; Supervised by Dr. Chris Stravitsch, DMin, LPC-S, LMFT-S
Parish Counselor
Meet Lauren
Lauren Guido is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate and Licensed Professional Counselor Associate who earned a Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy from Capella University. She receives counseling supervision from Dr. Chris Stravitsch, DMin, LPC-S, LMFT-S. Lauren earned a Bachelor of Arts in Catholic Theology from the University of Dallas. In counseling, Lauren can address depression, anxiety, self-esteem, addictions, emotional abuse, relationships, marriage and family life, and more. Read full bio.
Location
Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church, Houston

Melissa Abraham, LMSW; Supervised by Janet Sturtz, LCSW-S
Parish Counselor
Meet Melissa
Melissa Abraham is a Licensed Master Social Worker who graduated from Baylor University and receives counseling supervision from Janet Sturtz, MA, MSW, LCSW-S. She provides counseling and psychoeducation on topics such as grief, anxiety, addictions, depression, coping skills, women's issues, family relationships and more. She loves integrating Catholic faith with mental health. Read full bio.
Locations
Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church, Houston
Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Angleton
St. Cyril of Alexandria Catholic Church, Houston

Barry Horn; Supervised by Larry Freeney, PhD(cand), LPC
Practicum Student
Meet Barry
Barry is currently a graduate student at Lamar University in their Counseling and Development-Family, Couples, and Marriage program. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Texas Tech University. Barry has served diverse, underrepresented populations for over five years in a community college setting. Through helping community college students, he recognized the need for mental health support within his community. Barry is committed to serving others through counseling.
Locations
Christ the Redeemer, Houston

Samantha Tavares; Supervised by Larry Freeney, PhD(cand), LPC
Practicum Student
Meet Samantha
Samantha is a graduate student in the Marriage, Couples, and Family Counseling program at Lamar University. She has over nine years of previous counseling experience in Brazil, her country of origin, where she earned an undergraduate degree in Psychology. She enjoys working with individuals, as well as families and couples, who are struggling with communication issues, addictions, behavioral problems, grief, and chronic pain.
Samantha es una estudiante en el programa de maestría en el programa de Matrimonio, Parejas y Consejería Familiar en la Universidad de Lamar. Read her bio here.
Locations
Christ the Redeemer, Houston
Additional Rejoice Counselors available to you nearby

Larry Freeney, Jr., PhD (cand.), LPC
Parish Counselor
Meet Larry
Larry is a Licensed Professional Counselor completing a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision at Sam Houston State University. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a Minor in Christianity (2014) and a Master of Arts in Counseling (2016) at Houston Baptist University. Read Larry’s full bio
Locations
St. Ignatius of Loyola, Spring
St. Theresa, Memorial Park, Houston

Janet Sturtz, MA, MSW, LCSW-S
Virtual Counselor
Meet Janet
Janet Sturtz is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Supervisor with over 20 years of experience as a therapist. She has a Masters in Spanish Literature from Kent State University (Ohio) and a Masters is Social Work from the University of South Florida (Tampa). She counsels individuals, couples, and families in both English and Spanish.
Janet Sturtz es una trabajadora social clínica licenciada u supervisora con más de 20 años de experiencia como terapeuta. Tiene una maestría en literatura española de Kent State University (Ohio) y una maestría en trabajo social de University of South Florida (Tampa). Janet ofrece el servicio de consejería a individuos, parejas y familias en dos idiomas, Ingles y Español.

Monica Hildebrand, MS, LPC Associate; Supervised by Julie Nicodemus Jones, PhD, LPC-S
Virtual Counselor
Meet Monica
Monica Hildebrand is a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate and holds an M.S. in Counseling with a concentration in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Divine Mercy University in Sterling, Va. She counsels individuals, couples, families, adolescents, and children. Monica is a trauma-informed counselor with competence in depression, anxiety, trauma, grief and loss, group therapy, marriage and relationship distress, play therapy, and spirituality. As a certified Spiritual Director, she easily integrates faith with counseling. Read full bio.

Cindy Contreras; Supervised by Larry Freeney, PhD(cand), LPC
Speaker & Pre-Marriage Inventory Facilitator
Meet Cindy
Cindy is a Mental Health and Counseling graduate student at the University of St. Thomas in Houston. She recently completed extensive training in our Internship Student Program, which aims to form the next generation of Catholic counselors.
Cindy es una estudiante de la Universidad de St. Thomas-Houston que esta estudiando para obtener la maestria en Consejeria y Salud Mental. Read her bio here.

Raquel Shaw; Supervised by Laura Aguirre, LPC
Practicum Student
Meet Raquel
Raquel is a graduate student studying Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the University of Houston, where she's training for excellence in professional skill development, theoretical knowledge, personal disposition, and cross-cultural awareness.
Raquel es una estudiante de nivel de maestría que estudia Consejería Clínica de Salud Mental en la Universidad de Houston. Obtuvo una licenciatura en Artes de la Universidad de Houston con especialización en Psicología con una especialización en Desarrollo Humano y Estudios Familiares. Read her bio here.
Locations
St. Bartholomew the Apostle, Katy
Counseling Hours Onsite at Christ the Redeemer
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- Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays
Offsite Counseling: Available Monday-Saturday
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- Parishioners can also schedule appointments with any of our professional counselors at any of our locations and still receive the parishioner discount. Appointments are available Monday thru Saturday.
Fee
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- The fee for professional counseling is based on a sliding scale. All parishioners of Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church will be able to use a sliding scale. Your fee is determined by your annual household income and family size. Contact us for details.