About
Bringing calm and confidence to your life and relationships.
Hi my name is Eric Gilbert. I help adults and children dealing with anxiety to be more calm and confident. I bring an uplifting, Christian approach for relieving stress and anxiety developed from my Master’s degree in Marriage and Family therapy and certifications for treatment.
I know firsthand what it is like struggling with anxiety in social situations, school, work, and relationships. As a child, I hardly spoke. This made my parents worry that I had a serious learning disorder. When I did speak, it was usually in hushed tones to my older brother who would relay the message to my parents. As I started school, I was usually quiet in the classroom, but had a mean temper that would sometimes get me in trouble.
In counseling, my family and I started to realize that the driving force behind my behavior was actually my anxiety. As we focused on effective ways to calm my nervous system, those nervous habits and behaviors started to subside. Soon enough, I began to speak with confidence and perform better in school even in anxiety-provoking situations.
As I matured, I practiced a ‘Rising Calm’ process that has helped me from childhood to adolescence and into adulthood. It helped me to rise above anxiety to experience love and success in learning, work, and in my marriage. I've even built a successful small business over the past 5 years and managed a team of employees without going crazy. What used to be stressful for me became moments to rise above the challenge and see positive results.
Now in my mid-thirties, the professional training I’ve received alongside my personal experience has helped hundreds of others to experience calm in the midst of life’s storms. I have worked in Christian counseling centers, public and private schools, and community programs.
My work focuses on taking you from anxious and stressed to calm, centered and focused no matter the situation: work, school, social gatherings, heated arguments, tight deadlines, placement exams, etc. The process involves learning and practicing effective ways to calm your mind and nervous system even in anxiety-provoking situations. I also provide clients with practical guides and resources that help them with specific needs and goals.
Christy Darji
Meet our Mental Health & Education Specialist
Hi, there! My name is Christy Darji. I would be honored and excited to walk with you on your journey! I like to work collaboratively, in a personalized manner (not a cookie cutter approach), from a strengths based, solution focused perspective. Together we will explore where you have been and where you want to go.
My background is in counseling and education. I bring 17+ years of experience working with all ages in a counseling and/or teaching capacity. I hold a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from the University of Alabama and a master’s and specialist degree in school counseling and mental health counseling from the University of Florida. Additionally, I am a certified teacher and certified trauma informed yoga instructor for children, teens, and adults.
My main spiritual gift is the gift of exhortation. This strength helps me to empower and encourage others to see themselves in a new light and become hopeful for the future. Together we can move your journey forward towards healing, overcoming barriers, and discarding negative messages you may have received along the way. I teach coping skills and strategies for dealing with stress and any setbacks that may occur along the way. I work with all age groups, and I would love the opportunity to work with you and encourage you in whatever season of life you are in!
In my free time, you can find me spending time with my family, outdoors hiking, camping and just enjoying God’s creation, baking with my kids, playing with my dog, cuddling up with a good book and sipping a cup of hot tea.
Isabel Bustamante
Meet Our Behavior Specialist and Teacher
Hello! My name is Isabel Bustamante. I bring to you a background in behavioral psychology, and education. I hold a B.S degree in counseling psychology from the University of Florida, and an M.E.D in Education.. I am a certified Life and Health Coach and hold certificates in Behavior Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Positive Psychology, and a soon-to-be Master’s in Applied Behavior Analysis.
With my 15+ years of experience as a teacher and a behavior specialist, I will provide you with proven tools for navigating stress, anxiety, personal relationships, and the uncertainty that comes with transitions in life .
I start sessions by getting to know you and your dreams, goals, and desired outcomes. We will work together to re-evaluate any limiting beliefs that haven’t been serving you well. Together we will develop ways to help you struggle less with the thoughts and emotions that have been holding you back from the things you most want. We will identify your goals and develop a plan to help you lead a more peaceful, productive, and fulfilling life while identifying and nurturing your innate and individual talents.
I believe that embracing change begins with self-awareness, a centered mind, and a healthy, balanced lifestyle. From that place, I have seen how beautiful things can unfold even when life feels hard. I help my clients cultivate their personal best in their relationships with themselves, their families, and in their individual expression of their true purpose. Learning about our inner wisdom and recognizing that a sense of purpose, self-confidence, and honed instincts are critical qualities at all levels of life.
I am sincerely looking forward to meeting you and working together!
Ruthie Wright
Meet our family and young adult MHCI specialist.
Hello there! My name is Ruthie Wright and I would be glad to work with you.
If you are reading this, you have taken the first step in seeking help, and I am so proud of you. Whether you are feeling lost, confused, hopeless, or scared, you are welcome here!
I am a Registered Mental Health Counseling Intern and I specialize in working with children, adolescents, and young adults. My approach starts by getting to know you: hopes, dreams, weaknesses, strengths, heartbreaks, triumphs? Who do you still hope to be?
Then, together, we make a plan for what is to come.
Sessions are formatted to what you want and what you need. We will explore the roots of your deepest hurts. We create steps to break off anxiety, shame, and hopelessness. We help you find balance in your life. We sit together, in the most painful aches and the most delightful joys. We find ways to build your friendships and relationships. We walk together as you find freedom, hope, and joy.
There are three things that I want you to know as you consider starting sessions:
1. You are not alone. I will be there for you and I will help you as you find others who will be too.
2. There is hope for you. You are not finished. You have so much life to live and I want to help you fan that into flame.
3. You can come in, exactly as you are. There is no need for shame or embarrassment. I am here to carry your burdens with you.
If this speaks to you, I would love to begin the journey with you!
