Awareness | Faith | Recovery
Juanita Torres, CPC
Certified Life & Relationship Coach, Benzo Recovery Coach
About Me
Welcome to my website! I'm an ex astrologer, ex New Ager, benzodiazepine survivor, Christian, and certified Life Coach. I have a background in Psychology (B.S. in Psychology from UT Dallas), Life Coaching (Certified Professional Coach), crisis counseling, and writing.
A year ago, I left behind a professional astrology, tarot, and Reiki practice, and left the New Age Movement as a whole. After doing some research into the origins of the practices I was involved in, I could no longer reconcile them with the Christian faith I grew up in. I was also researching historical evidence for Christianity, and through this process was convinced that Christianity is true. I re-converted back to my faith, re-oriented my view on many things, and decided to make Christ the center of my private coaching practice.
In addition to Life & Relationship Coaching, I also offer Benzo (or other psychiatric medication) Recovery Coaching. Back in 2012, when I went through the most difficult challenge of my life, benzodiazepine withdrawal, I knew that I wanted to help others enduring the same struggle, once I was through it myself. There was a scripture I held to back then, 2 Cor 1:3-4: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."
I want coaching to be affordable to anyone who needs it, so I'm happy to offer a sliding scale rate to those with financial need. See "Services" down below for more info.
What is the difference between Christian Coaching & secular or New Age-based Coaching?
Christian coaching focuses on a relationship with Jesus Christ as the foundation of therapeutic practice; secular coaching tends to focus on the self, independent. (John 15:4-5)
We view God as the source of any strength, confidence, courage, or ability to grow and heal; secular coaching tends to focus on self-empowerment. (Psalm 28:7, Acts 1:8, Phil 4:13)
We focus on reliance on Jesus Christ and faith community; secular coaching tends to focus more on self-reliance. (Isaiah 40:31, Prov 3:5)
We surrender in faith to God's will and perfect timing; in New Age-based coaching, one might seek to know the future through divinatory, pagan practices. (Deut 17:2-3, Isaiah 47:13-15, Dan 2:27-28, Deut 18:10-12)
We recognize that, though the Holy Spirit dwells in us, as believing Christians, that we are not God, and cannot heal ourselves or manifest a created reality, apart from God; secular coaching might promote beliefs in one's own ability to attract or manifest one's own reality or destiny ("law of attraction," "manifestation"). (Exodus 20:3-4, Isaiah 45:5-12)
We focus on action over emotion. While we take the necessary steps to acknowledge and understand our emotions, we strive to be guided by wisdom, reason, scripture, and God's will; secular coaching might focus more heavily on emotion's guidance. (Prov 28:26, Jer 17:9, James 1:5)
We strive to focus on a life path devoted to service, within our capacity; secular coaching might focus more on self-focused self-fulfillment. (Mark 10:45, Eph 2:10, Matt 25:35-40)
We focus on how to live in a closer relationship with Jesus; secular or New Age coaching might focus on striving for enlightenment, ascension, or connection with a "higher self." (Gal 2:20, 1 John 2:3-6)
We focus on the truth of the gospel as the one truth; secular coaching might focus on an exploration of a subjective "my truth." (John 14:6, John 8:32)
With that said, I welcome clients of any background or belief system.
Services
All sessions conducted via Zoom. Contact me for scheduling.
Disclaimer: Coaching is not a replacement for licensed medical treatment. All information is for educational purposes only.
What is Benzo Recovery Coaching?
First, what it's not: Coaching is not a replacement or substitute for licensed mental health or medical treatment. I'm a Certified Professional Coach; I'm not a licensed medical doctor or therapist. All information and resources I provide are for educational purposes only.
As a Recovery Coach, I can offer support and mentorship through your withdrawal and recovery process through:
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Sharing my own personal experience of withdrawal/recovery, and listening to yours
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Teaching you CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) based and ACT (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy) based tools and practices for coping with anxiety
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Helping you work through self-limiting beliefs
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Offering Christian-based spiritual support
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Guiding you in developing a plan for holistic support (through diet, exercise, nature, social support, and other practices)
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Providing info and resources on benzo withdrawal, tapering, supplements, etc.
Christine
"I love working with Juanita. She is compassionate, empathetic and has helped me gain a better understanding of the relationship I have with myself. Most recently, she held the space for me as I allowed myself to go to an uncomfortable place in my mind, but I felt safe and supported with Juanita guiding me. She asks insightful questions that get me to think in new ways. I frequently have ‘a-ha’ moments in our sessions, after which, I feel more positive and motivated. Thank you, Juanita!"
Nikki
"I love working with Juanita! She is masterful at reflecting your concerns back to you to help you dig deeper. And in response Juanita magically knows the right questions to ask that help you get to your obstacles. Once there, she helps you find ways that work for you to overcome those obstacles so you can achieve your goal. She is patient. She attentively listens to what you have to say. I always feel seen and heard by her. I always look forward to our coaching sessions because I know I'll be moving forward in my goal journey with Juanita's guidance!"
Najim
"Juanita is a phenomenal coach who has the awareness and presence to really uncover what it is that I am seeking to gain from our sessions. She does a wonderful job of welcoming you in with gentle, yet effective, grounding exercises, and from there she is the perfect coach, walking alongside me as I navigate the issue or topic of the week. Her probing questions and genuine interest make me feel as if I am being "heard," helping me to travel deeper inside myself to come up with the insights and answers needed to move forward. I absolutely enjoy her coaching style and wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone looking for a competent, caring, and compassionate coach."
Sarah
"Juanita brings professionalism, a variety of skills, and profound knowledge to all of our coaching sessions. Through several different modalities, Juanita has adeptly guided me through challenging issues and provided a safe place for me to explore old patterns, shift my perspective, and seek my own resolutions. After a coaching session with Juanita, I feel energized, hopeful, and filled with joy. Thank you, Juanita!"
Contact Me
Reach out if you have any questions or to schedule a session