Fear and Shame: Their Role in Addiction

About Stacy Echeverria

For as long as I can remember, people have felt comfortable talking to me. Even people I met for the first time didn’t mind sharing personal details about their lives because they felt comfortable and safe with me to disclose those details. Maybe it’s because I am truly interested in hearing someone else’s story, so I ask a lot of questions. I can sympathize with where people have been or are currently, and ask questions about where they would like to be in their lives now. And if they’re really interested, I’ll help them dig a little deeper to uncover why things turned out the way they did. Then I offer them encouragement and hope in knowing they can change things if they want to. Whenever this happened, I listened and offered feedback. My friends used to say I would be a great counselor. So… here I am! My journey to counseling was a long and winding one. After I graduated from Cal-State, Northridge, with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Theatre, I worked in the entertainment industry for 14 years. From production, to casting, to being an agent for film and television composers, it was quite the experience. I came to know the Lord seven years into my entertainment career, and my eyes were opened to the realization that there are a lot of hurting and wounded people in the world needing help. I left the industry in 2004 when its excitement wore off, and I found myself working in Human Resources for the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel in Los Angeles. It was here that I met the individual that introduced me to The Genesis Process, a faith-based cognitive behavioral therapy. I went through this six-month process that helped me heal very deep pain. During this time, I realized my true calling in life: to help hurting people heal their emotional wounds. I wanted them to experience the restoration, transformation, and freedom available to them. After leaving the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, I worked for other companies and organizations, but none could fill the desire and calling the Lord placed in my heart. My husband, Robert, and I presented The Genesis Process to the church we were attending. We officially started taking men and women through the process in 2010. We facilitated many groups throughout the years, helping men and women experience true healing in Jesus Christ. During our journey, in a span of eight years, we lost five jobs between us, and at times we were both unemployed at the same time. Throughout all of it, God continued to provide, and our faith in Him deepened. We knew that He would never leave us nor forsake us. As the Lord provided me with a job in 2016 at a local union, and my husband got steady work, we were able to pay off debt (we’re debt free except for our home), purchase two newer pre-owned vehicles (all cash), and give to various ministries. After losing my job in October 2020 (this was a blessing!) I had a peace and an excitement about what God was going to do next. I knew that now was the time to fully focus on what the Lord called me to all those years ago. I did not want to work for anyone else, and I set about putting things in place to build my counseling practice. The Lord continues to not only provide financially, but opportunities to be used to bring hope to those that have lost hope. Other training that turned my calling into a vocation… I completed the basic certification course work in substance abuse counseling in 2011, and I went on to receive my BA in Christian Counseling from the Colorado Theological Seminary in 2020. I am currently enrolled in their graduate program. I became a Licensed Pastoral Counselor in 2019, and I’m both a Temperament Therapist and a certified Christian Life Coach. When I’m not doing counseling, I am a foodie at heart. Growing up in my mother’s Armenian kitchen, my childhood was filled with the smells and tastes of Mediterranean food. I am an avid baker and cook, with a focus on eliminating the common food allergens from one’s diet. I also enjoy the outdoors, walking my dogs, Chloe and Mia, four miles every morning and getting in a hike when the weather permits. I live in Southern California, so inclement weather is a rarity! My husband and I love to travel when we get a chance. In 2019, we visited Israel for the second time, and I got to meet family in Tel Aviv I didn’t even know I had! This led me on a journey to learn about my Christian roots in Judaism. I’ve been studying Torah since October 2019, and the Lord has broadened and deepened my faith and understanding. I’m grateful for my ethnic background of being Jewish and Armenian, and the desire He has placed in my heart to know Him.