I am a Licensed Professional Counselor who earned my Master of Arts in Counseling at Covenant Theological Seminary in 2002.  Since then I have been working with older teen and adult individuals, couples, families, and missionaries.  I typically help people within the traditional 1 hour a week counseling model.  But I have also seen the benefit of extended sessions and counseling intensives. My past training and experience also includes Christian Conciliation work and I’ve helped many navigate relational conflict through conflict coaching and mediation.

I believe we are all walking wounded and counseling helps find reasons and remedies for why we are not experiencing what we long for in our relationships.  Stories of suffering from trauma, loss, transition, abuse, illness, and more, cause great emotional distress and affect every facet of our being.  They need to be told, validated and processed carefully and compassionately in the safety of a trusted relationship. I wholeheartedly endeavor to build trust that is conducive to a healing process in our counseling relationship. My hope, in providing that space for clients, is to help them gain understanding and empowering skills to reach their goals.  I’m passionate about inspiring hope for change.  I take a holistic and biblical approach to finding healing for the mind, body, spirit and heart. 

My practices are eclectic and draw from many evidence based theories of counseling including attachment theory, cognitive behavioral therapy, family systems theory, relational neuroscience, EMDR and more.

My husband, since 1981, and I live in St. Louis.  We have 4 children, 2 children-in-laws, 6 grandchildren, #7 arriving April 2025, and 2 granddogs.  Other things that add to the beauty and make me joyful are music, plants, cooking delicious food, working out, and my women’s bible study.

I can be reached at joaninester@stl-ccc.org