Mental Health Coach & Licensed Pastoral Minister
About Me
A coach shaped by real life, real faith, and a genuine calling to walk alongside others through their hardest seasons.
Ann McGaver
M.A., BCMHC — Counselor & Coach
Crisis to Comfort · Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Credentials & Practice
My Story
A Calling Shaped by Life
My name is Ann McGaver, and I became a counselor/coach because God made a way for me to pursue a childhood desire. He gave me the strength and perseverance to complete my college education. But education isn't everything. I don't come from a place of theory alone, but from real-life experience, hard seasons, and personal growth that now allow me to support others with empathy and hope.
I have walked through seasons that tested my faith, my resilience, and my sense of direction, and those experiences shaped my calling to help others find hope and healing. I was raised in a family shaped by the challenges of my father's paranoid schizophrenia, which deeply influenced my early life. I know what it is like to live with fear, anxiety, depression, and sadness.
In my adult life, I have faced loss through multiple miscarriages, the challenges of blended family dynamics, financial strain, medical hardships, the pain of divorce, and additional troubling issues within close family relationships. These experiences were painful and often isolating, but they gave me a deep compassion for those who feel overwhelmed, misunderstood, unloved, or unsure how to move forward.
I am also the mother of 13 children and have spent more than three decades homeschooling while managing the daily responsibilities of parenting, marriage, work, and life transitions. I understand the pressures of raising children through every stage while balancing emotional, spiritual, and practical responsibilities. I know what it feels like to pour yourself out for others while quietly carrying your own struggles, questions, and exhaustion.
There were moments during this journey when I truly understood what it feels like to live in survival mode, to carry grief and stress that don't simply fade with time, and to long for peace in the midst of life's demands. I also know that healing and growth are possible, even after periods of hardship, loss, and emotional strain.
As a Christ-centered mental health coach and Licensed Pastoral Minister based in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, I offer a safe, compassionate, and judgment-free space for individuals, couples, and families navigating difficult seasons. My approach is grounded in professional training, biblical truth, and real-world wisdom. I am passionate about helping people process pain, strengthen relationships, rebuild hope, and move forward with purpose.
You don't need to have everything figured out to begin. If you are carrying the weight of past or present struggles — whether related to family life, parenting, marriage, mental health, loss, addiction, or overwhelming life demands — I would be honored to walk alongside you.
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
— Romans 12:2 (NKJV)
How I Work
My Approach
Who I Work With
I work with children, individuals, couples, and families to support them in navigating life's challenges, strengthening relationships, and gaining clarity and purpose. I specialize in couples/marital counseling, communication and relational difficulties, emotional and situational stagnation, processing past experiences, and fostering forgiveness for all ages — children, teens, and adults.
Blended Families & Life Transitions
I address the unique dynamics of blended families, provide support during significant life transitions, and help clients develop structured, achievable steps toward personal, relational, and life goals. I understand from personal experience how complex and emotionally demanding these seasons can be.
Practical Skills & Healthy Thinking
My approach helps people understand how their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are connected. I teach practical skills to handle challenges more effectively, focusing on building healthier thinking patterns and problem-solving habits that can improve mood, confidence, and everyday coping.
Faith-Integrated Healing
This approach blends faith, practical guidance, and encouragement to help clients find healing, growth, and renewed hope. I believe God uses our struggles to shape purpose and strength, and I am passionate about walking alongside you as you move forward — one faithful step at a time.
The Scripture Behind This Work
Three Pillars
Pillar One · The Name
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."
— 2 Corinthians 1:3–4 (NKJV)
This is where the name Crisis to Comfort comes from. God comforts us in our troubles so that we can turn and comfort others. Every season I've walked through — the hard ones, the isolating ones — God met me there. This work is a way of passing that comfort on.
Pillar Two · The Methodology
"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ."
— 2 Corinthians 10:4–5 (NKJV)
We think roughly 6,200 thoughts a day. Research suggests up to 75% of those are negative, and up to 90% are repetitive. Many are lies or half-truths we've absorbed about ourselves, about others, or about life itself. Over time those thoughts become strongholds, and strongholds shape identity.
The battlefield is in the mind. My work examines what you actually believe about yourself, about the people around you, and about the way life works — and where those beliefs came from. Then we take the lies captive, pull down the strongholds, and replace them with what's true. That's not a metaphor. That's the session.
Pillar Three · The Transformation
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
— Romans 12:2 (NKJV)
Once the lies are named and pulled down, the mind can be renewed. Not by effort alone, but by inviting God into the process. That's where lasting change actually happens — in the daily renewing of how you think, and in the life that flows out of it.
Areas of Focus
What I Help With
Do I Have to Be a Christian?
No. Clients from all backgrounds are welcome. Faith is incorporated respectfully and at your comfort level. Counseling and coaching is always client-centered, compassionate, and supportive, regardless of where you are on your spiritual journey.
My Services Are Tailored Specifically for You
You Don't Have to Walk Alone
When life feels overwhelming, my services are designed to provide the guidance you seek. Whether you're navigating through a storm or simply need a gentle push in the right direction, I am here for you.
My faith-based counsel doesn't just help you cope — it helps you thrive. Being rooted in Christian principles, my approach is compassionate and centered on restoring your peace and purpose. Allow me to walk alongside you. Reach higher, dream bigger, and live courageously.