Our Team
Mallory
Founder/Director
Mallory is the founder and director of Serenity Retreats. She is a homeschooling mama of four lively kiddos. She loves adventuring in God’s incredible creation, quality time with family and friends and creating fun memories. After overcoming trauma in her own life and walking with other women as they endure hardships and life challenges the Lord began to show Mallory His purpose for her pain. He gave her a deep passion for the hearts of women and a desire to see them healed from the pains they endured and walking in the freedom of a healed life.
Mallory has many years of education and experience in the human services field. Prior to Serenity Retreats and homeschooling her children, Mallory worked at Georgia Baptist Children’s Home where she walked alongside children and teenagers suffering from multiple traumatic experiences that drastically altered their lives. Even prior to her own challenges, Mallory was able to connect with these young people in their journey and lead them toward their own healing.
Mallory now uses the lessons she has learned on her own journey to healing and works to equip others with the tools to live a life of serenity. Mallory believes “we don’t get to choose whether or not bad things happen to us. But we have the choice and strength within ourselves, with the Lord’s help, to heal and walk in the freedom of a changed life. A life not in bondage to our circumstances.” The gift of healing creates a path to freedom so our lives and our families can prosper. It is with this mission over her own life that Mallory worked diligently to start Serenity Retreats. Serenity Retreats exists so that women have a place of comfort and peace to seek and find their own healing in their lives.
Alexa
I have been in private practice as a Professional Counselor for the past 10 years, receiving my Master’s in Counseling from Regent University. My husband and I have started ten Wellness Centers across the US, and are on the road to start several more! I have a huge heart to see people set free from bondage spiritually, emotionally, and physically! My expertise is in Women’s Ministry, trauma counseling, depression, anxiety, and providing a holistic approach from a Biblical Perspective!
I look forward to meeting you, working with you, and helping you reach your goals in increasing your personal health and wellness!
Alissa
Ana
Maggie
Maggie has completed graduate-level counseling courses a Fuller Seminary. She has also had the privilege of working as a Juvenile Child Care Counselor at a juvenile group home in Sacramento, CA with teenagers who had histories of drug and alcohol addictions, gang violence, abusive relationships, and breaking the law. She was able to form relationships with these teenagers who were extremely resistant, hardened, and seemingly unable to receive love. Through counseling with them, Maggie thankfully saw significant improvement. Maggie also has experience counseling with women in unwanted pregnancies, encouraging them with God’s word as well as with resources to help them thrive as mothers. Currently, she enjoys visiting residents in a local nursing home with her children, encouraging them with hymns and Bible stories, and comforting them as they grow older.
Maggie has found that walking through dark times by herself and with others is extremely painful and difficult, but the fellowship she has enjoyed with the Lord and others during through those times is immensely sweet. Through her own struggles and the struggles of others, who she has formed relationships with and counseled, she has always seen God’s faithfulness to provide and present himself as worthy of all our worship. Maggie holds firm to the truth that as believers in Christ Jesus, we are not promised an easy life, but we are promised a new heart and a joy that surpasses understanding. One of her favorite stanzas is from the poem, “Light Shining Out of Darkness,” by William Cowper:
“Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take,
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.”
Maggie believes these four lines sum up the motivation for enduring hardships and pursuing peace with God. She trusts that, through hardships, God is working for us and not against us, for our eternal good and His glory. She is excited to form relationships with other women and share these truths with them at Serenity Retreats.
Nicki
Over the last 20 years her professions of nursing, lactation consulting, full time missionary, and church ministry director have continually put her in positions to counsel, encourage, and journey with women. She treasures the hard work of healing because she truly believes that deep cries out to deep. In those spaces powerful work is done by the Lord and greater intimacy with Him is formed. She knows that from both personal and professional experience. Nicki’s passion is to meet women where they are and help minister God’s truth into their lives creating space for healing, restoration, and hope.
Nicki experiences great wholeness in nature, loves to cook and eat, dabbles in creating whether painting, digital media, photography, guitar, piano, although very much a novice in all areas. At any given time she is usually reading 3-5 books slowly.
She always looks forward to being with our retreat attendees.
Noel
Noel is passionate about seeing individuals live out their calling and lives that God designed for them. Noel believes, “if you never heal from what hurt you, you will bleed on those who did not cut you! Healing from one’s hurts is imperative to living healthy, happy lives with rich, fulfilling relationships.”
Noel is a licensed associate professional counselor in the state of Georgia and focuses her work around trauma therapy. Coming from a primarily cognitive behavioral mindset, Noel believes taking thoughts captive and controlling one’s mind helps to change one’s own behavior. Noel is happy to be on the Serenity Team and help individuals find the freedom from the things that have kept them captive.