Maria Yanez, Rockwall Christian Counseling

About Maria Yanez

You are not alone. Asking for help does not mean you are weak; it is actually a sign of great strength. It can take a lot of courage to admit our struggles, but if you take that leap, I truly believe God will open your eyes to a community of people who want to support you – including me as your therapist. I offer a confidential, welcoming space where you can share and process your emotional and spiritual battles without judgment or bias. My mission is to help you understand the cause of your struggles while supporting you in your healing journey, always keeping grace at the forefront.

Finding Support in Times of Suffering

Finding Support in Times of Suffering

Maria Yanez, Kate Motaung2026-03-20T05:43:41+00:00March 20th, 2026|Featured, Individual Counseling, Spiritual Development, Women’s Issues|

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? – Psalm 22:1, NIV To the sufferer, these verses resonate with the deepest heartache one can experience. Whether it be a loss of a loved one, a betrayal, an illness, or one of the many pains of living in a broken world, this kind of pain can lead to one feeling isolated and alone, as if no one can truly understand the depths of the sorrow and pain. This type of pain can lead to feeling furthest from God, prompting the question, “Where are you?” Suffering in the Book of Job In times of suffering, when the feeling of isolation hits deepest, the book of Job can bring comfort. Job, described by God as “blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil” (Job 1:8), teaches the sufferer that tragedy doesn’t always stem from one’s own failure. Rather, even the righteous aren’t safe from the suffering of this sin-tainted world. However, this insight can also bring fear, because it means tragedy is unpredictable, which goes against the human desire for predictability and security. In attempts for security, the sufferer and even their close friends and family will make desperate attempts to make sense of the tragedy. Job laments and cries out to the Lord in various verses: Teach me, and I will be quiet; show me where I have been wrong. – Job 6:24, NIV Your hands shaped me and made me… Remember that you molded me like clay. Will you now turn me to dust again? – Job 10:8-12, NIV Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power? – Job 21:7, NIV In times of despair and chaos, it’s only [...]

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How to Stop Worrying: Effective Steps to Overcome Worry

How to Stop Worrying: Effective Steps to Overcome Worry

Maria Yanez, Kate Motaung2026-02-05T05:45:19+00:00February 5th, 2026|Anxiety, Featured, Individual Counseling|

For some, worrying feels as natural as breathing, and being told to stop worrying feels like an impossible ask. The way to stop worrying is not by simply gritting your teeth and telling yourself to stop. It takes time and effort, but there are effective tools you can use to help you stop worrying and reclaim peace. Why do people worry? One of the first things to address as you seek to understand and overcome worry is to figure out why people worry. Jesus repeatedly tells His disciples not to worry, dedicating time and space to reassure them of the Father’s care and concern for His people (Matthew 6:25-34). Even among God’s people, worry is a reality. We may not worry about the same things, or to the same extent, but we all have moments when worry consumes us. Worry can be seen as a natural emotional response one has to certain life situations. Worrying is when your mind and heart go around in circles over a particular issue, trying to make sense of things. Worry is not the same thing as brainstorming or problem-solving. Worry is repetitive, involving dwelling on a situation or possible outcomes, without taking action to change things. People tend to worry when they experience uncertainty or when they feel concern about the future and possible outcomes of actions. People also worry when they face real or perceived threats to their well-being. Worry engages the mind even when there’s nothing more that can be done. For instance, worrying over a test that’s already been taken, or decisions that are out of our hands. A key reason why we worry is that we have an innate desire to control the situations we find ourselves in. Worry feels like a way to tame the uncontrollable, to put [...]

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How Neurodivergent People Navigate Workplace Challenges with Faith

How Neurodivergent People Navigate Workplace Challenges with Faith

Maria Yanez, Kate Motaung2026-01-02T07:18:07+00:00January 2nd, 2026|ADHD/ADD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Featured, Individual Counseling, Professional Development|

Today’s workplace presents a complex maze of expectations that can feel overwhelming for anyone. Neurodivergent people often find it’s like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. They experience tension between adapting to conventional work environments and navigating the way God designed their mind. This tension, in turn, creates an internal battle that extends beyond daily performance standards. There is a deeper cultural message regarding success and value, reflected in this struggle. This issue goes beyond workplace accommodations or learning to mask any differences. It shines a light on the depth of how neurodivergent people navigate a world that wasn’t designed with their minds in consideration. Within this challenge, there is an opportunity to discover how God’s intentional design can flourish, regardless of the environment and its resistance to difference. This journey will require practical strategies and a deep understanding of personal worth that will go beyond workplace validation. It will also require intentional examination into the true abilities of the neurodivergent person. I will give thanks to You, because I am awesomely and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well. – Psalm 139:14, NASB Understanding the Workplace Disconnect for Neurodivergent People Most traditional workplaces operate on assumptions that don’t align with the processing of information, time management, or social expectations for neurodivergent minds. Office environments that are open, consistent meetings, and unspoken societal rules that are expected create a view where success depends on being what is considered normal. It is not focused on competence or contribution. This disconnect results in a daily exhaustion that other colleagues would not witness or understand. The pressure to conform leads to an impossible situation where strength becomes the ability to suppress natural thinking patterns. This may present itself in situations, such as [...]

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The Importance of Godly Female Friendships

The Importance of Godly Female Friendships

Maria Yanez, Kate Motaung2025-11-25T07:19:48+00:00November 25th, 2025|Featured, Individual Counseling, Relationship Issues, Women’s Issues|

If you’re a woman, you’ve probably grown up watching examples of tightly bonded female friendships on television. These fictitious bonded pairs make having a bestie look appealing. You relax on your sofa watching Monica and Rachel unequivocally support each other, even through bizarre circumstances, and read the story of Anne Shirley and Diana Barry, whose bond spanned a lifetime. You’ve probably longed for a friendship like this, but finding a friend who will be with you through thick and thin, in good times and bad, isn’t as easy as it is on a television screen or in the pages of a book. As Christians, we shouldn’t be looking to these secular examples of friendship anyway, right? We should be looking for something different from our friendships than helping move a sofa up some stairs or forgiving someone when they accidentally get you drunk off currant wine. But as members of society, we have been conditioned to think that this cultural definition of friendship is the goal. We’ve been told that these examples are the ultimate showcase of true friendship. And while these examples of friendships are funny and heartwarming, a true godly friendship not only warms your heart but draws you closer to the keeper of your heart, God. Ruth and Naomi (Ruth 1-4) In the story of Ruth and Naomi, Ruth didn’t just stick it out with Naomi because it was convenient. No, she left behind everything familiar (homeland, security, and her culture) to walk with Naomi into the unknown. That’s not small talk over a frappe, but is self-sacrificing, ride or die loyalty that was rooted in faith in God. Their friendship was not just an emotional bond, but love in action. Ruth humbly gleaned the fields to provide for Naomi, showing her devotion to her through [...]

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Coping with Divorce with the Help of Christian Counseling

Coping with Divorce with the Help of Christian Counseling

Maria Yanez, Kate Motaung2025-10-16T05:56:02+00:00October 16th, 2025|Featured, Individual Counseling, Relationship Issues|

Few people say “I do” with the idea that it is a temporary commitment. Our world does a great job of selling us a highly romanticized view of love and marriage, but not often do we see the more challenging reality of what marriage entails, leaving many unprepared for this lifelong commitment. In his book, Sacred Marriage, Gary Thomas points to this reality, stating, “...marriage reminds us of the daily reality of living as sinful human beings in a radically broken world. We aspire after love but far too often descend into hate and apathy.” And unfortunately, many madly in love end in divorce. Divorce is particularly hated among Christian crowds who are passionately against the idea of breaking a commitment, especially one before God and one that has been consummated. Despite all the sticky entanglements involved, people are still coping with divorce. Or in some cases, not coping well with it. It’s ideal and biblical to remain married. The commitment of marriage is a sacred, enduring bond between two people designed to reflect God’s love and covenant with His people. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. – Ephesians 5:25 In the best circumstances, marriage is a beautiful union, meant to last a lifetime, just like you vowed on that special day. The Bible speaks clearly to the importance of faithfulness, love, and perseverance in marriage. It instructs husbands and wives to support, honor, and cherish each other through all circumstances (even in-laws, late-night feedings, and a stack of bills). Jesus Himself reminds us in Matthew 19:6 that “What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” That said, the road to a successful, lifelong marriage is not always smooth. You’re human, and so is your spouse (you probably already [...]

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Effective Ways of Dealing with Loneliness

Effective Ways of Dealing with Loneliness

Maria Yanez, Kate Motaung2025-09-13T06:56:01+00:00September 15th, 2025|Featured, Individual Counseling, Personal Development|

Our nature as beings made in God’s image means that we have within us a deep desire and need to be connected to others, as modeled in the relationship nature of the Holy Trinity. We yearn for relationships and a sense of connectedness to God and others, but we don’t always feel this when we need it. The American professor, advocate for world peace, political journalist, and author Norman Cousins is quoted as saying, “The eternal quest of the individual human being is to shatter his loneliness.” Loneliness is a problem that affects people from all walks of life, though some are more prone to it than others. In 2023, the US Attorney General went as far as calling loneliness a public health epidemic, and it’s not hard to understand why, as more research shows its connection to mental health issues. Where God created us to be seen, known, and understood, loneliness is the exact opposite. Loneliness is that sense of emotional isolation and disconnection; it’s painful and unpleasant, and there are healthy as well as unhealthy ways to try and address it. The Problem with Loneliness We all feel lonely at points in our lives. Perhaps you’ve felt it on that first day at school, or other subsequent first days as the years rolled by. Loneliness can set in when a person lacks social connections or relationships. The strange thing about loneliness is that it can set in even when one has those connections or relationships, giving rise to the sentiment of feeling all alone in a crowded room. Loneliness is complex, but at the root, it’s about feeling emotionally disconnected from other people. That’s why it can set in whether you have social connections or not. You can be in relationship with other people, but if you [...]

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