Caring Counseling Ministries

10/16/2026

Cris Corzine-McCloskey earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Central Florida and her Master’s degree in Social Work from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She has served at Caring Counseling Ministries since 2008 and brings experience across nearly every area of counseling, from marriage and family work to addiction, trauma, and everyday life struggles.

Cris is not your average Christian counselor — and she never pretends to be.

Before becoming a therapist and nonprofit executive, Cris lived on the other side of the systems she now leads. A former drug addict who has been sober for over twenty years and who served time in prison, she knows what it feels like to lose everything and have no way out — except grace. Her recovery is not a story of self-improvement, but of being rescued by Jesus when she could not rescue herself.

Today, Cris is the Executive Director of Caring Counseling Ministries, a nonprofit agency rooted in the belief that no one is beyond redemption. CCM serves those who don’t fit neatly into the world — people struggling with addiction, trauma, anxiety, OCD, poverty, and deep shame — because those are exactly the people Christ has always gone after.

Clinically, Cris specializes in anxiety disorders, OCD, attachment wounds, eating disorders, and trauma. Her approach blends evidence-based care such as CBT and exposure therapy with faith-sensitive counseling that honors both psychological truth and spiritual reality, including space for doubt, anger, and honest wrestling with God.

She is also the creator of Gracie the Wonder Dog, a children’s book series inspired by the same grace that saved her — stories that gently remind children they are loved, protected, and never too broken to be held by God.

Because of her own journey, Cris believes there is no such thing as a hopeless case. She welcomes people from every background and walk of life, offering a counseling space marked by dignity, safety, and respect — including those who have felt rejected or harmed by religious spaces.

Cris works with individuals, couples, and families, with a special heart for marriage counseling. She believes healing begins with knowing who we are in Christ and how deeply we are loved. When she’s not counseling, she’s usually with her husband and their joyful pack of unruly dogs.

The scripture that best captures her story is Romans 5:20–21 (The Message):
“Sin didn’t, and doesn’t, have a chance in competition with the aggressive forgiveness we call grace… Grace… invites us into life — a life that goes on and on and on, world without end.”

10/11/2026

What if the thing you've been worrying about could become the thing...

10/10/2026

10/08/2026

Meet out Therapist Dr. Rachel Dawkins!

Dr. Rachel Dawkins is an outstanding trauma therapist who works with individuals, couples, families, and adolescents. She is especially skilled in helping clients navigate complex trauma, relationship patterns, and family dynamics, offering a grounded, steady presence during some of life’s most difficult seasons.

Rachel is direct, tough-minded, and refreshingly uninterested in sugar-coating the truth. She is sassy, smart, and a little cheeky, using humor and straight talk to cut through nonsense and help people see what’s actually keeping them stuck.

Around CCM, she’s often called our “Christian Dr. Phil”—the one who will tell you what you need to hear, not just what feels good. Rachel believes honesty is kindness, accountability matters, and real growth usually starts where comfort ends. Clients who work well with her value her clarity, confidence, and refusal to collude with stuck patterns.

Rachel’s approach was shaped by lived experience long before it was shaped by formal education. She left an abusive marriage with two small children, no financial support, and no college education. Her ex-husband was clear in his beliefs—that women didn’t need an education and belonged in the home. Rachel chose a different path. She rebuilt her life from the ground up—raising her children, working her way out of housing insecurity, and putting herself through school until she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from SIU, her Master’s degree from Arizona State University, and ultimately her Doctorate in Social Work from Capella University. Turns out, being told “you can’t” can be a powerful motivator—especially when paired with intelligence, faith, and relentless perseverance.

Clinically, Rachel specializes in trauma, personality disorders, dissociative disorders, substance use, and complex family and relationship dynamics. She is trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and EMDR and brings strong clinical judgment alongside lived wisdom into the therapy room. She also has a deep heart for individuals who are often overlooked or written off, including those impacted by homelessness, incarceration, and military service.

Rachel believes people are capable of change—but not without honesty and effort. Her work is practical, collaborative, and grounded, helping clients stabilize what’s urgent while addressing the deeper patterns that shape how they think, feel, and relate. Her faith is steady and lived, not performative.

Outside of work, Rachel enjoys time with her family and is known for her quick wit and unmistakable presence. She is not everyone’s cup of tea—she’s more like strong coffee: bold, energizing, and not for the faint of heart. But for clients who want clarity, challenge, and a therapist who will meet them with truth and respect, Rachel offers something powerful and rare.

When you are ready to make an appointment, call us at (618) 997-2129. 📞

10/06/2026

On Amazon Music

10/05/2026

I am enjoying a lovely morning. I’m sitting on my porch with the sun shining, mild temperatures, and leaves doing incredible things. These moments fill my soul and remind me that my cup truly runne…

10/04/2026

What you're going through right now doesn't get to define what your...