I’m excited to be able to work with SaveOne and being able to use my personal and professional experiences to help people heal from the impact of abortion and/or sexual assault.

I grew up in a loving Christian home and am grateful for parents who always did their best to teach me the truth of God’s word. However, I still struggled with perfectionism and depression. My parents were very strict about going to church and following rules. I often felt like I would never be good enough and I did not understand grace. Until I was a teenager, I didn’t fully understand who Jesus was or what His sacrifice on the cross meant. At the age of 13, I tried to kill myself due to thinking that the world would be better off without me and thinking “if heaven is so great, I just want to hurry up and get there.” As blood gushed into the bathtub and I became weak, I regretted what I did and screamed for help, but no one was home. I cried out to God saying, “God, if you’re real, help me!” Instantly my wrist stopped bleeding and scabbed over. It was a miracle! Then, I remembered my mom’s words that “scabs are like God’s Band-Aids”. I ran to my room, grabbed my Bible, read about how God had a plan for my life (Jeremiah 29:11-13), accepted that Jesus’ sacrifice was for me and prayed the prayer of salvation, this time truly meaning it for the first time. I’ve been passionate about God ever since!

In high school, I was very involved with our youth group, our youth praise and worship team, our drama team, and various leadership teams. I was also involved with several Christian clubs at school and went on a few mission trips. I shared my testimony several times and word got around school that apparently I was a good person to talk to if people were struggling. I had peers asking me for help with struggles like self-harm, depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. I didn’t know how best to help them, so I spent a lot of time in the school counselor’s office asking her what to do which led to my desire to learn more about counseling and ministry.

I was called into ministry at a young age, but didn’t know which direction to go. I went to a Christian leadership internship for a year after high school to work with a ministry and seek God’s will for my life. After this I wanted to go to seminary, but God said “not yet” led me to pursue a career in the mental health field first. In 2011, I obtained my Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU). In 2013, I obtained my Master of Science in Community Counseling degree from SWOSU, so that I could become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). I started working for a community mental health center in 2011 and worked with clients in crisis in the agency’s inpatient setting before transferring to outpatient services as a Case Manager and Behavioral Health Rehabilitation Specialist. In 2013, I was promoted to a therapist and began my LPC supervision hours. In 2015, I received my LPC license and then in 2017 I became a LPC supervisor who helps train and mentor new therapists. My husband and I eventually went to Bible school and got our minister credentials together in 2020 from the Oklahoma School of Ministry. We have served our local church for many years in various ministries including leading life groups, leading Bible studies, helping with the youth, and serving on the praise and worship team. We have three amazing children and do our best to raise them in a loving, godly home.

As a LPC, I’ve worked with several clients who have suffered from depression, anxiety, suicidality, schizophrenia, bipolar, addictions and trauma. However, the path to becoming a LPC and minister was not always easy. Eventually, I realized that I mostly enjoyed working with clients who had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), not just because of my specialized training for treating PTSD, but also because of my personal experiences of overcoming the impact of trauma.

When I was 21, I was at a barbecue when I started to feel ill. I was told I could lie down in one of the bedrooms, so I did. The next thing I remember is waking up naked next to a guy-- not knowing what had happened the night before. To this day, I don’t know exactly what happened, but suspect I might have been drugged. Then a month later, I found out that I was pregnant. Since I was a virgin who wanted to remain abstinent until marriage, I knew I must’ve been raped that night. I went through a very dark time and for the first time ever, I understood why women would consider having an abortion. I knew I had been called into ministry and work in the mental health field, but throughout my pregnancy I thought that becoming an unwed mother would make my calling vanish into thin air.

I first learned about abortion when I was in Washington DC as part of a special program where high school students were honored to meet with our senators and congressmen, learn about US government and politics, and tour significant historical sites. When I heard other teens debating amongst themselves the politics of abortion, I instinctively knew that I personally could never have an abortion and adamantly proclaimed to them, “Even if I was raped, I’d never have an abortion.” Then here I was a few years later in that exact situation having to eat my words.

Thankfully, I did not have an abortion but chose to keep my son. However, I can’t count the number of times that I prayed for God to make me have a miscarriage. At least then it would’ve been “God’s will” and not my choice, right? I carried a lot of shame and guilt for that. How could I have ever wanted my son to not be born? At times, I had even questions if that’s why I ended up having 3 pregnancy losses later in life. I had also considered giving my son up for adoption, but now I fully believe that God gave me my son to save me from the psychological ramifications of the trauma I experienced. I am so grateful that God blessed me with him (and later blessed us with two beautiful daughters). My son is now in high school and serves on our church’s youth praise and worship team playing guitar. He has the kindest heart and is always inviting his peers to church and ministering to kids at school. I cannot imagine my life without him. It’s exciting how God is now using our story to help others who have been affected by abortion and/or sexual assault/abuse. He knows his story now and is passionate about using his testimony to share the truth about abortion.

Since 2006 when my son was born, I’ve had a heart for unwed mothers and wanted to somehow get involved, but wasn’t sure how. I didn’t want to be a part of something that was going to use shame, guilt, or hatred as a way to condemn people that considered abortion, as I know our God is a God of love and compassion. When I first heard about SaveOne in 2021, I knew I had to get involved somehow. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the right time though. For the next two years, our family experienced more traumatic events including our two-year-old great nephew getting murdered, losing my mother-in-law and suffering a stillbirth.

I was 20 weeks pregnant when my husband and I went to the ultrasound where we were excited to learn our baby’s gender. However, instead of excitement, we learned that our baby’s heart had stopped beating and I was going to have to be induced into labor. On May 31, 2022, Rachel Marie Taylor was born as a stillbirth. I had 2 other miscarriages prior to this, but this one was different. It was amazing to be able to hold her and see her little face, fully formed arms, legs, hands, toes… Seeing how developed she was at this stage made my heart yearn even more to somehow get involved with SaveOne. Although I know this was not an abortion, this experience gave me even more insight into what women that have had abortions must have experienced and I wanted to help them heal.

The day before Rachel’s funeral was the day that Roe v Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court. Of course, social media was blowing up with all kinds of posts that made me feel like the world was screaming at me that my grief was invalid because she was “just a fetus” according to some. This hurt deeply, yet is also a driving force for the desire God birthed in me to work with SaveOne. I want to show God’s love, grace, and healing power to those who have been abortion wounded and/or survived sexual assault like I did. I love how SaveOne helps people to recover and heal and then these overcomers pay it forward by becoming “truthtellers” who can help others in similar situations.

I’m truly honored to have this opportunity to be able to use my testimonies and my professional experience as a LPC and minister to be able to help those in need, as well as mentoring and providing resources for chapter leaders, churches, and pregnancy centers so that they have the resources they need to successfully help people heal.

“They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony…” -Revelation 12:11

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” -Psalms 34:18