About Us

Message From Our Founder

What We Do

Welcome

The word of God declares that He comforts us in tribulation that we may also comfort others with the same measure of comfort that we have been comforted. That is the burning desire that we have in our hearts. God heals us and gives us a life beyond our pain and uses us radically where we were wounded the most. We pray that you find the healing that you are seeking.

Who We Are

The Balm of Gilead is a Christian Counseling, Education & Resource Ministry. We are a group of counseling professionals and ministry individuals whose lives have been radically changed by the healing power of God. We are dedicated to ministering to God's hurting children and have a burden and a passion to see the Living God of the universe break the chains of bondage and set the captives free one heart at a time through counseling and other resources and services.

Meet the Team

Cecilia Trent

1. Credentials:
Cecilia is the Director of Counseling, Education and Resource Services here at the Balm of Gilead. She is also a Board Certified Christian Counselor (BCCC),
Certified Marriage and Family Specialist (CMFS), State Certified Addiction Treatment Counselor (CATC), and a Registered Addiction Specialist (RAS). She holds a Master of Divinity in Pastoral Counseling (MDiv.),

2. What led you to want to counsel and help women?
When I got saved the Lord radically transformed my life and put eternity in my heart. Sadly, the abundant life that Jesus came to give seemed to elude me in my Christian walk. I let people places and things define and control me. And instead of running the race with endurance I seemed to limp along the way unable to experience the fullness of God's love and grace. It took the deepest valley of my life to get me to a place of utter and complete surrender in the midst of the pain and anguish. In that sweet place of brokenness I encountered my Jesus. He wiped my tears away, comforted me, and poured His love and grace on a heart yearning for the security and acceptance of a father's love. Today the Lord has given me a passion to help His wounded children be healed and set free, walk in victory and live the abundant life anchored in their identity as a beloved child of the living God in accordance with the truths that can only be found in the infallible Word of God. This is the calling and purpose He has placed on my life and I can't imagine doing anything else.

3. What are your hobbies or interests?
I am married to my best friend, James, have four beautiful children and arms full of grand babies. I enjoy being a grandma and every spare moment you will find me spending time with those precious babes. The years go by way too quickly and I want to savor every moment of their childhood. I also love spending time with family and friends, traveling , but mostly throwing my cozy pajamas on after a long day and snuggling with my hubby and furry babies. I am so blessed. "He will give you back the years the locusts have eaten away." Joel 2:25

Sarah Armstrong

1. Credentials:
Sarah is a Board Certified Christian Counselor (BCCC), Certified Christian Co-dependence Specialist (CCS), holds two certifications as a Christian Addictions Counselor (CDAAC), (CDAS), and is a State Certified Addictions Treatment Counselor (CATC). She is also a Class Group Leader.

2. What led you to want to counsel and help women?
After the powerful transformation Jesus did in my own life and largely through a biblical counselor, I knew I wanted to be used by God to give the same gift of freedom and healing that I was so blessed to receive. I was enslaved to all the wonders of this world and what it offered which separated me in every way from knowing Jesus and His great love for me. I let the circumstances, my possessions, and everyone else's opinions dictate my worth and tell me who I was. It took His divine hand hand to personally touch my heart and change everything. I now count it as such an honor to have walked so far on the other side, because it truly gives me a greater sense of compassion for the lost and weary, allowing me to speak hope, life, and encouragement in ways I would never have been able to before. When my heart was made whole, my eyes were opened to all of God's precious daughters and the healing He wants to do in their life, igniting a fire deep within my soul to do whatever I can to help. I cannot wait to see what He has in store for each and everyone He brings our way!

3. What are your hobbies or interests?
I love staying active, experimenting in the kitchen with 'God inspired' recipes and all natural ingredients, attending awesome Christian concerts, finding a good book, or just having a free night to cozy up and hunt for a good movie on Netflix. I also love to get together with good friends, laughing, exploring, and have a deep desire and passion to see the world and travel, which will hopefully lead to being involved in future mission trips one day. These days, it is all about the simple things in life and for that, I am truly grateful!

Patty Molina

1. Credentials:
Patty is a Board Certified Christian Counselor (BCCC), Certified Christian co-dependence Specialist (CCS), and Certified Drug and Alcohol Specialist (CDAS). She is also a Class Group Leader.

2. What led you to want to counsel and help women?
After walking with the Lord for 16 years and not truly understanding His amazing grace, the Lord healed me of all my fears and shame. I experienced His forgiveness, and the ability to walk in Freedom and Victory! I desire this same gift for the hurting and broken. I want God's children to be set free from strongholds and a life of bondage. Living in freedom and the abundant life is truly a gift from our Father. I am very grateful that I can be used as a vessel to help other precious ladies be set free. Our journey will be healing all the way home to heaven!

3. What are your hobbies or interests?
I enjoy spending my spare time with my family and friends. I've been Married for almost 20 years to my best friend, my husband Devin. We have 3 beautiful children and 2 grand babies. I love church, reading, music, karaoke, movies, puppies, vacationing, hanging out with girlfriends and laughter. Everyday is a gift and I praise my Jesus for it!

Katie Armstrong

1. Credentials:
Katie is a Board Certified Christian Counselor (BCCC), Certified Co-dependence Specialist (CCS), Certified Drug & Alcohol Specialist (CDAS). She is also a Class Instructor and Group Leader.

2. What led you to want to counsel and help women?
After being led through Christian Biblical counseling, myself, my eyes were opened to the common deceptions that are being socially accepted as the "abundant life" in both Christian and non-Christian groups today. With so much to distract us, many continue to walk in unrecognized pain with little-to-no understanding of what is actually keeping them from experiencing the intimacy of God. Whenever I see a heart that loves the Lord, but doesn't know how to receive His love in return -- and the depths of that love -- I'm moved to help, love, and share.

3. What are your hobbies or interests?
I really enjoy the outdoors, traveling, design, blogging, meeting up for coffee with friends, and Christian music concerts. I prayerfully seek to leave the country once a year for missions work and, around that, I like to keep things simple, doing my best to keep an active and healthy lifestyle.

Christa Walton Winn

1. Credentials:
Christa is our Balm of Gilead Blogger and Daily Devotional Writer. She is a EBCCC-1 (Entry Level Board Certified Christian Counselor), CCWLC (Certified Christian Women's Life Coach), and Registered Nurse.

2. What led you to want to counsel and help women?
Through Divine Intervention and by the Grace of God, I was able to unravel The Mystery of Christ; work through and heal from unresolved issues I harbored in my own heart. During this process, God revealed and prompted my desire to help my wounded sisters discover the Balm of Gilead and partner with The Healer of Hearts. It is my honor, desire and privilege to serve as a vessel in assisting God's precious daughters in their emotional and spiritual recovery and Holy Spirit-led healing journey in Jesus Christ.

3. What are your hobbies or interests?
In my personal time, I enjoy gardening, cooking, home design, reading, writing and any activity that places me on, in or near the sea with my family.

Terese Benzie

1. Credentials:
Terese is a Board Certified Biblical Counselor (BCBC)
Certified Christian Women’s Life Coach (CCWLC), Certified Co-dependence Specialist (CCS), and a Certified Drug and Addictions Specialist (CDAS). She is also a Class Group Leader

2. What led you to want to counsel and help women?
At almost 21 years of Salvation, God has daily shown me little nuggets of His truth through His Word and Revelation. "The Power" we can tap into to be transformed, I knew was endless. From this beginning, God used me in my brokenness to touch lives. After going through The Balm of Gilead Counseling, I knew I was ready to live fully for Him and allow Him to work through me to Counsel others.

3. What are your hobbies or interests?
In my spare time, I love to be with my husband and our Children, I love to make Jewelry, Travel, babysit my Daughter"s puppy, Enzo and dance...

Brooke Ballard

1. Credentials:
Brooke is a Board Certified Biblical Counselor (BCBC).
Certified Christian Women's Life Coach (CCWLC).
She holds an AA in Theology and is also a Workshop Group Leader.

2. What led you to want to counsel and help women?
I once felt the heavy weight of legalism & shame, generational sins but, most of all, not understanding that God was a relational God. When I gave my life to Christ, I immediately felt a sense of urgency to lead others to the reality of God & His love for them. I remember praying, “wait God, YOU’RE REAL?!” I think it should be our natural instinct to share. My desire is for Christ to be known, and to share his abundant freedom, grace, & significance because “We love because he first loved us.”‭‭ [1 John‬ ‭4:19‬].

3. What are your hobbies or interests?
I enjoy music & songwriting. I love traveling & experiencing different cultures. And I love drinking coffee! (Is coffee considered a hobby nowadays)?

Niki Chiles

1. Credentials
Niki is a Board Certified Biblical Counselor (BCBC).
Certified Christian Trauma Care Provider (CCTCP), Certified Co-dependence Specialist (CCS), Certified Drug & Alcohol Specialist (CDAS). Certified Christian Women’s Life Coach (CCWLC). She is also trained in marriage recovery after sexual betrayal.

2. What led you to want to counsel and help women?
It's a gift to help other women see the potential, strength, the gifting, and the love that God has deposited in them. With the same healing and comfort that God has given me, I pray to share that same comfort and shared hope with others.

3. What are your hobbies or interests?
I love to be outside and always moving. My favorite things to do are running long distance, sometime my hubby rides along on his bike, and being at the gym with others challenging myself and each other. My family travels a lot given my husband's ministry role in disaster relief. Soon we hope to set up a small farm, lord willing!

Rudy Swigart

1. Credentials

Rudy is our head counselor for men. He is an Ordained Pastor, Board-Certified Biblical Counselor (BCBC), Registered Alcohol and Drug Technician (RADT), Certified Codependence Specialist (CCS), holds a Master of Divinity (MDiv) and is a Trauma Healing Facilitator.

2. What led you to want to counsel and help men?

As young adults, men have the world before them as they enter into college and the workforce. Ultimately, the demands of life accumulate as men begin to enter into relationships or marriage, take on more responsibilities in their career, have children, etc. The demands on their time become more burdensome and the tasks and expectations before them become insurmountable.

Unfortunately, most men attempt to spin the plates of life through the psychological mindset of a young adult, not having ever determined to continue to grow in their mental health. They oftentimes will attach unhealthy coping mechanisms in order to deal with the stressors of life. This can lead them to outlets such as alcohol, porn, or other harmful behaviors to fill a void and provide a respite that only God can. Over time, these behaviors continue to feed into their mindset of guilt and shame, anxiety and fear, which are lie-based survival mechanisms cultivated by the enemy of our souls.

My desire to counsel and help men is to aid them in processing past traumas and begin a pathway towards maturity in Christ. Not only reading about the good news and the truth of Scripture but believing it and living it out as leaders in their home and workplace, displaying the fruits of the Spirit and enjoying peace like never before.

3. What are your hobbies or interests?

Hobbies and interests include spending time with family, traveling, exercising, fishing, and reading.