Licensed Counselor & Story Facilitator 

Gabriel L.M. Crawford is a husband, a father of four wild red-haired children, and a licensed mental health counselor in the state of Washington. He is the founder of St. George Counseling, a faith-based clinic that enhances mental health care through physical fitness and the outdoors for combat veterans, service-members, first-responders, and the local Catholic and Christian community in Kitsap County. He is an armchair philosopher and theologian with a furious gratitude for the redemptive work of Jesus in his life and family. He loves kettlebells and olympic weightlifting, mountaineering, motorcycles, carpentry, light-roasted pour over coffee, sushi, pizza, and snow, sleet, and shine: maybe all these loves is his ADHD or, perhaps, he is just a passionate lover.

Gabriel is a convert to Christianity through a vibrant Presbyterian youth ministry in Pittsburgh, Pa. He studied theology and the scriptures at Geneva College and then his Master’s of Divinity at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were settling in, Gabriel enlisted in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard in 2004, joining the military police corps. Eight years later, he converted to Roman Catholicism, lived a hidden life of devotion inspired by St. Charles de Foucauld, attempted to help form an oratory of St. Philip Neri in San Francisco, and spent one year in the diocesan seminary studying philosophy at Duquesne University. Discerning a call to marriage and the courageous invitation to deeply engage his own childhood trauma and abuse, Gabriel finally entered into his vocation as a husband, father, and counselor. He received his Master’s in Counseling Psychology from The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology with a concentration in Trauma & Abuse through The Allender Center.

Why Story Work?

Life is a “vale of tears,” and suffering is inevitable, and we often treat our wounds as if they really aren’t that serious. When we treat our heartache as not that serious, our pain becomes sediment in the bottom of our hearts, impacting every aspect of our lives and our relationships. Unaddressed suffering is a callus on our love and hinders our becoming saints. Story work is a bold and creative endeavor in which we bring our stories of harm to a group of wise peacemakers. Story work is a process of healing; a renewed encounter with our heartache; a holy work in which others can read well our hidden stories; and a tending opportunity for the glory of God to shine forth in the healing of our wounds. It is the unfolding of the story of God in the continued story of our lives.

 You can reach Gabriel at: gabriel@saintgeorgecounseling.org

“There is a need for paths of peace to heal open wounds. There is also a need for peacemakers, men and women prepared to work boldly and creatively to initiate processes of healing and renewed encounter” (Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti, 2020)

“Remembering who you are and entering the suffering of your past is holy work. It is how we can redeem the heartache and find a measure of healing this side of the garden… Our trauma stories can heal us if we read them well. Your true calling and ultimately God’s glory can be revealed through your healing” (Allender & Loerzell, Redeeming Heartache, 2021)