Aimée McKinney
“The work of restoration cannot begin until a problem is fully faced.” — Dan Allender
As human beings, we all have areas in our lives in need of restoration: stories that hold hurt and
suffering, past and present relationships, places where we feel stuck and long for change. Our
past experiences and relationships shape our values and beliefs and impact how we see
ourselves, our world, and how we navigate our current circumstances. Sometimes, it is overwhelming to think of facing these things alone, and change can seem impossible or hopeless. I believe that the process of showing up honestly and allowing ourselves to be known and accepted within the counseling relationship can provide the foundation to move towards more freedom, healing, and wholeness in our relationship with our self and others. As a counselor, I desire to establish a safe, caring and non-judgmental relationship with clients, working collaboratively to explore thoughts and feelings, shed light on stories that are painful or feel stuck, and gain clarity and hope for moving forward. I have an integrative, psychodynamic, attachment-oriented approach to counseling, am fascinated by neuroscience, and enjoy working within a variety of modalities to help clients unpack their stories, and develop coping strategies. Our bodies store the emotions and responses that are attached to our traumatic memories, and when we are able to re-experience these stories in a secure relational context, our dysfunctional neural pathways can be restructured, creating lasting change. This gives me so much hope!
I have experience working with anxiety and depression, issues related to sex and sexuality, parenting, marriage issues, relational and childhood trauma, abuse, cross-cultural and life transitions, grief and loss including infertility and infant loss, spirituality, and the challenges of full-time ministry. I enjoy working with individuals (including adolescents), couples, and families and am certified in the Prepare-Enrich premarital and marriage assessment.
I was born in Northern Ireland, raised in France as a missionary kid, and have lived in the Dominican Republic, Spain, and England before moving to Orlando 5 years ago. I received a Master of Arts in Education and Spanish from the University of Cambridge and a Master of Arts in Counseling from Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando. I have been married to Mark, who is in full-time ministry, for 10 years, and together we have a 4-year-old daughter and a 5-month-old son. In my free time, I love to bake, craft with my daughter, go on family adventures, hang out in local coffee shops, and host friends for dinner and board games.
Please contact Aimée directly at 407-951-8829 ext 707 or aimeemckinneycounseling@gmail.com