Hineni (Hee-nay-nee)— a simple yet deeply beautiful Hebrew word meaning “Here I am God, fully available to do whatever you want me to do”. It’s a “yes” offered before we know the question.

A few years ago, I walked through one of the hardest seasons of my life. It was about four and a half years of what felt like wave after wave of grief, unexpected transitions, and painful moments both professionally and personally. There were many days I found myself asking God, “what are you doing”?

It was during this time I experienced God as my sustainer and my justifier, and I learned the true depth of the word Hineni. I had given God my yes long before, but when you feel like you have nothing else to give anyone and your mental health is struggling, another “yes” feels beyond overwhelming. Most days felt like a fight for faith to say “God, I believe you are still good and you are still for me”, even when I didn’t understand or feel it.

As a clinical social worker (that’s just a fancy way to say I’m trained in all things social work and therapy), I know the tools to process hard things, yet there were real stuck places. My brain and body were experiencing very real reactions to my circumstances. My Hineni in this season became a yes to healing. That looked like time with Jesus and time in therapy! Slowly, clarity returned. My brain and body began to appropriately feel again instead of shutting down in numbness or anxiety. I could engage life rather than just survive. Spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental healing met me through prayer and therapy. Jesus showed up in ways I can’t fully explain, but it required my willingness to lean in and let Him heal me.

Hineni Coaching Services is birthed out of that journey, out of a passion to invite Jesus into our hardest places and a deep-rooted belief mental health education should be accessible in the Church. Hineni Coaching Services isn’t therapy or a replacement for it, instead it exists to bring mental health education, practical resources, and connection with others to the Body of Christ.

I truly believe that as the “big C” Church heals, we love better and we see more of Christ. He wants us to know Him. He wants us to heal. He invites us to draw close, to surrender, and to find joy with Him.

Healing is risky. It’s vulnerable and uncomfortable, but the Hineni life starts with us.

It isn’t easy, but I promise it's worth it, because He is worth every part of our story.

In Faith,

Vanessa Almodovar Founder and CEO