About
Who Is Rising Calm?
At Rising Calm, we don’t believe in quick fixes or surface-level advice.
We walk with individuals, couples, and families as they rise from anxiety, brokenness, and life’s deepest struggles.
​
We specialize in bringing calm, connection, and courage to every heart and home.
​What we offer is rare:
​
Rising Calm is a center for Christian counseling, spiritual care, emotional healing, and resilient living.
​We are a safe space to restore trust—even when things feel shattered.
We believe transformation happens when the WHOLE PERSON
is welcomed into care --- emotionally, spiritually, and relationally.
We are here to walk with you into wholeness, not through pressure or performance, but through presence, truth, and the restoring work of God.
​
Our mission is to help you experience wholeness—soul, mind, and relationships—so you don’t just survive… you rise.
Christian Stress, Anxiety, & Family Specialists
Gainesville, Jacksonville & Orlando, Florida
Rise up to who you were made to be
Elevated Experience
Feel seen, respected, and in our calm, thoughtfully designed space.
Trusted Team, Faithful Support
You can select which of our highly qualified professionals is best suited for your needs and goals.
Please call or email us to get started.
We will listen to your goals and even provide you with a complimentary 15-minute consult to build confidence and answer your questions before you begin.
Meet Our Team
Christian Professionals Helping Florida Families Find Peace from Anxiety and Stress
Eric Gilbert, MS, BCCC, BCPC, CHFC - Director
Locations: Jacksonville, St. Johns, & Virtual
Hi, I'm Eric Gilbert. I help adults, teens, and groups dealing with anxiety become calm, confident, and connected—without losing their faith or their edge. As a Board Certified Christian Counselor (BCCC) with a Master's in Marriage and Family Therapy (MS) and founder of Rising Calm Center (2019), I bring an uplifting, Christ-centered approach to stress and anxiety support—integrating biblical wisdom, nervous system science, and over 15 years of experience helping people thrive.
​
I know firsthand what it’s like to struggle with anxiety in social situations, school, work, and relationships. As a child, I barely spoke, which worried my parents deeply. When I did, it was usually whispered to my older brother—who had to speak for me. By school age, I had a quiet classroom presence but a fierce temper that sometimes got me into trouble.
​
Through counseling, my family and I discovered the real root of those behaviors: anxiety. And once we began learning how to calm the nervous system, everything began to change. I started to speak with confidence. I performed better under pressure. And I realized that anxiety didn’t have to control my life—it could become a launching pad for growth.
It wasn’t about forcing myself to act calm—it was about letting God meet me in the fear, speak to it, and reshape my inner world.
​
Over the years, I’ve continued developing what I now call the Rising Calm Process—a practical and faith-rooted method that’s helped me through childhood, marriage, leadership, and even launching a business with a team of professionals. What used to feel overwhelming has become an invitation to rise above and lead with purpose.
​
By God's grace, I’ve supported hundreds of clients in Christian counseling centers, schools (public and private), homes, offices, online sessions, and community programs—now serving through Rising Calm Center. I serve as a Pastoral Counselor commissioned through the National Association of Christian Ministers, and I provide Christian counseling, spiritual care, and coaching grounded in biblical principles.
While many seek therapy for mental health treatment, diagnosis, and medication, Rising Calm offers a Christian counseling and coaching approach grounded in faith, healing, and forward momentum.
​
My approach is deeply shaped by the work of Dallas Willard, Transformation Prayer Ministry, and others who believe that real transformation doesn’t come from surface-level behavior change—but from letting God into the deepest parts of our soul. It’s in those places—beneath the masks and survival strategies—that the Holy Spirit heals wounds, restores secure attachment, and reshapes us into the likeness of Christ from the inside out.
Rather than striving to “act better,” I help clients experience the love, truth, and presence of Jesus in ways that change who they are at the core.
Whether you're facing school stress, work deadlines, social anxiety, spiritual overwhelm, or relational conflict, I’ll guide you through proven steps to reset your mind and body, build confidence, and reclaim your voice.
I’d be honored to walk with you, your family, or your team on the path from fear to peace, from panic to purpose.
Dr. Verena Young
Meet our Anxiety & Stress Specialist
-
Sociologist
-
Educational Scientist
Locations: Gainesville, Orlando, & Virtual
Welcome, I’m Dr. Verena Young—a sociologist, educator, and trauma-informed mind-body practitioner dedicated to helping people rediscover peace, strength, and worth. I believe our worth is God-given and unchanging—not something we must prove or protect, but something we are invited to live from. My approach is compassionate, intuitive, and deeply rooted in evidence-based techniques. I work with individuals, children, and families from many diverse and unique backgrounds.
Many of us grew up learning—often without words—that love is conditional: that we must adapt, achieve, or quiet parts of ourselves to be accepted. Over time, those lessons shape how we experience safety, love, and connection. My work helps you gently release these patterns and remember your inherent worth—the steady truth that remains even when life feels uncertain or relationships shift.
Rather than forcing change, this approach honors your natural pace, making transformation feel safe and effortless. I create a space where you can release anxiety, rebuild confidence, break free from unhealthy habits, and awaken the calm and clarity already within you.
At the Rising Calm Center, I integrate breathwork, hypnosis, and somatic release practices through a trauma-informed lens, supporting personal transformation on the subconscious, emotional, and physiological levels. My sessions weave together childhood regression, parts work, shadow integration, and belief transformation with Neurogenic Yoga™ and TRE® (Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises) to down-regulate the nervous system, release stored tension, and promote deep emotional peace.
​
(Breathwork is used both to calm the mind and to gently release suppressed emotions, helping the body return to a state of balance and safety. Hypnosis allows access to the subconscious mind where limiting beliefs first formed, creating space for compassion and renewal. Neurogenic Yoga™ and TRE® complement this work by activating the body’s natural tremor mechanism—a gentle, instinctive process that helps discharge stress and trauma at their root.)
Over the last six years, I have had the privilege of working with hundreds of people in retreats, workshops, group programs, and one-on-one sessions, guiding them through deep transformations. I helped people in amazing transformations out of anxiety, panic attacks, low self-confidence, chronic pain, smoking addiction, insomnia, emotional eating, depression, PTSD, phobias, prolonged grief, and other limiting patterns.
Zach Johnson
Meet our couples and young adult MFTI specialist.
-
Authentic & Integrated Living
-
Men's Issues
Locations: Gainesville & Virtual
Hey, I’m Zach. I’m passionate about helping people through struggles with anxiety, depression, addiction, sexuality, emotional challenges, and relationships.
I especially enjoy working with couples and young adults. Having personally navigated many of these challenges, my experiences, along with my training, allow me to effectively support others in finding their way forward.
​
Trained in marriage and family therapy and coaching, I approach sessions as a blend of exploration, challenge, and play. I believe that working together isn’t just about resolving issues—it's about transforming the way you look at yourself and the world. I’ll help you to see yourself with more clarity, courage, and compassion. We’ll explore who you are, unmask the parts of you that may be hidden or guarded, and I’ll encourage you to bring your whole self into the world.
In our sessions, you’ll find that I bring my own personality, humor, and humanity to the work. I’m not shy about challenging clients or exposing my own struggles. I’ll encourage you to dig deep, look honestly at yourself, and even embrace discomfort when needed. This approach isn’t for everyone, but for those ready to engage, it can be transformative.
​
I create a space where honesty and growth can flourish, helping clients connect with themselves in a way that feels real and lasting. Whether we’re uncovering difficult patterns, working on relationships, discovering what you care about, or simply learning to live with more acceptance of ourselves and our lives, I’m here to guide you through the process with empathy, curiosity, and some playfulness.
​
Together, we’ll uncover who you are beneath the surface and chart a path toward the life you want to live.
Gwen Evans
Meet Our Christian Spiritual Care Specialist
-
Social Work–Trained
-
Helping Christians Grow in Identity, Wholeness, & Faith
Locations: Gainesville & Virtual
Hi, I’m Gwen—giving you a warm welcome to Rising Calm. I don’t believe it’s an accident that you’re here.
I primarily support individuals who feel stuck in negative thought or behavior patterns that no longer serve them—often experiencing emotional heaviness, quiet discouragement, or a sense of feeling lost. Many of the people I work with have a sincere faith in God and are doing their best, yet feel caught in cycles of overthinking or quiet inner conflict. They’re functioning—but not flourishing.
​
My heart is to help you experience real emotional healing by renewing your thought life, strengthening your identity in Christ, and stepping into the calm, confidence, and calling God has for you.
My degree and professional training is in social work (BSW), and I have years of experience serving individuals and families through foster care, hospitals, nursing homes, and youth ministry with positive mindset coaching.
Yet, some of the most meaningful growth in my own life came through a painful family relationship that continued to deteriorate—even while I was doing everything “right” on the outside. God gently revealed how my internal dialogue—my private thoughts and words—was shaping the situation.
When I learned to quiet destructive thought patterns and intentionally choose forgiveness, blessing, and truth, the shift was profound. Healing began—not only in that relationship, but in my self-image, marriage, and family life. That experience helps shape how I support others through life transitions, relational challenges, and seasons of emotional or spiritual fatigue.
Most recently, I’ve been part of helping establish a school of ministry here in Gainesville, where one of the key elements we teach our students is that everything starts with identity. When we truly receive God’s love for us, we become less swayed by fear, culture, or old inner critic—and more grounded, resilient, and free.
​
On a personal note, I’m Canadian-born, with a penchant for coffee with girlfriends and watching old movies with my Hubbie (and young adult children when they’re around) especially on rainy Sunday afternoons.
​
If you’re seeking Christ-centered coaching or faith-based support to help you move from heaviness into hope, I would be honored to walk alongside you. Sessions are available by appointment, and I welcome you to schedule a consultation to explore working together.
Anthony Ray
Family Resilience Specialist
-
Fatherhood, Leadership & Purpose Coach
-
Ordained Minister
Locations: Gainesville, Virtual, & Concierge Sessions at Your Home or Preferred Location
Hi, I’m Anthony. Much of my work is rooted in reshaping how fatherhood is seen and experienced—especially within Black families who have too often been misrepresented or overlooked. I’m on a mission to strengthen and spotlight real dads who refuse to quit: fathers doing the hard, unseen work of trying to love their families well.
​
Through my work and community leadership, I push back against stigmatizing portrayals and foster open honest conversations about identity, family, faith, mental health, and resilience. My heart is to normalize growth, vulnerability, and presence in fatherhood—because that’s what real leadership looks like.
​
I offer flexible support, including the concierge option to meet clients in their home or another safe, convenient location, because real life doesn’t always fit neatly into an office.
​
This work is deeply personal. I’ve lived through seasons of homelessness and family separation while still trying to show up every day for my child. I know what it’s like to feel pinned against the wall with no good options—trying to provide, protect, and stay present while silently unraveling. I’ve been married for 13 years and am a proud father of three amazing children. Those experiences shaped my compassion for fathers whose identity collapses under pressure, and for teens trying to form a sense of self in a world full of noise, confusion, and false expectations.
I’m an ordained minister, Lead Fatherhood Coach with Team Dad (WellFlorida), and host of the podcast “Dad, Can We Talk?”—a platform created to give fathers a voice and foster real conversations. I travel across 12+ counties throughout Florida, working directly with fathers and families through coaching, workshops, and community-based programs designed to strengthen families and build lasting support.
​
I primarily support:
-
Fathers who feel like they’re failing quietly and want to lead without fear, resentment, or emotional shutdown
-
Parents navigating stress, burnout, conflict, or major life transitions
-
Teens who need to feel deeply understood and supported as they make decisions that shape their future
I help families uncover the root causes—often lost identity, hope, or disconnection—so healing can be life-changing and long-lasting.
​
I’m here to listen without judgment, provide real talk, and support you toward the peace and purpose God has for your life. It’s a true honor to journey with you at Rising Calm Center.
Let's schedule a free consultation to talk through what you’re carrying and explore next steps.
Isabel Bustamante
Meet Our Children & Family Specialist, |ABA Teacher
|Educator
Locations: Gainesville, St. Augustine, & Virtual
Welcome! My name is Isabel. I am so happy that you are here making time for yourself and searching for the support that works best for YOU! I have loved being a part of the RCC
family for several years and trust that you will find it to be an extremely
comfortable, caring and client committed place to begin your journey towards a
better life and improved mental health.
My personal interest in behavioral psychology began early in life and prompted me to complete a psychology BS degree at the University of Florida, an M.Ed. in Education, and then a master's degree in Applied Behavior Analysis.
I also hold certificates in Behavior Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Positive
Psychology and Life Coaching.
​
I most often work with children ages five and up, as well as parents navigating the stress and busyness of modern family life. Many of the children I see are acting out—at school, at home, or both—often as a response to underlying stress, change, or disconnection. I help families understand what’s at the root cause of driving those behaviors so that healing can be life changing and long lasting. I love to see when a parent and child finally feel that closeness that they have so often longed for.
I work closely with couples, because at the heart of every healthy family is the strength of their relationship. Together, we explore the patterns and beliefs that may be keeping them stuck in conflict or distance, learning how to rebuild safety, communication, and shared purpose. To guide this process, I often use the Gottman Enhanced Relationship Checkup, an in-depth assessment that helps couples see where they are strong, where they’re struggling, and how to create lasting change.
With my 17+ years of experience as an educator and mental health specialist, I will share research-based tools and techniques for navigating stress, anxiety, relationships, and the uncertainties that come with life
transitions.
I often begin our sessions by taking a moment to breath and calm the nervous
systems down, understanding that it can be uncomfortable to talk with a complete
stranger about your personal life, I do my best to put you at ease. I will ask you
simple questions to try to learn about you, your dreams, goals, and your desired
outcomes.
Together, we will produce a plan forward that works best for you and
offer you concrete steps to help you begin to struggle less with any difficult
thoughts, feelings, or behaviors that have not been serving you well. We will
examine any limiting beliefs that have been holding you back from what you want
most in your life.
Our work together will serve to help you build a more peaceful,
productive, and fulfilling life while discovering and nurturing your innate and unique
strengths and talents.
I believe that real change begins with embracing 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- with themselves, in relationships, and with 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 so excited for the opportunity to work with you and support you on your
journey!
