ABOUT ROCHELLE

Greetings from Rochelle

Hi, I’m Rochelle Bridges and I want to welcome you to Friendswood Family Counseling. Located in Friendswood, Texas and serving the Clear Lake area, Friendswood Family Counseling exists to bring hope, healing and wholeness to one individual, one couple and one family at a time.

Let me tell you how I came to be a Marriage and Family Therapist.

I spent the first part of my adult life investing time and energy into my husband and our four children as a stay-at-home mom. This was immensely gratifying and often exhausting work. I’m proud to have been married to my husband, David, for almost 37 years and enjoy spending time with our young adults and grandchildren. Being a wife, mother, and now grandma gave me a lot of experience in handling the joys and sorrows that face all families.

Hi, I’m Rochelle Bridges and I want to welcome you to Friendswood Family Counseling. Located in Friendswood, Texas and serving the Clear Lake area, Friendswood Family Counseling exists to bring hope, healing and wholeness to one individual, one couple and one family at a time.

Let me tell you how I came to be a Marriage and Family Therapist.

I spent the first part of my adult life investing time and energy into my husband and our four children as a stay-at-home mom. This was immensely gratifying and often exhausting work. I’m proud to have been married to my husband, David, for almost 37 years and enjoy spending time with our young adults and grandchildren. Being a wife, mother, and now grandma gave me a lot of experience in handling the joys and sorrows that face all families.

Back in 2007, however, I was at a crossroads. My oldest child was preparing to leave home for college and I knew my days of mothering were changing drastically. Too soon the nest would be empty. And I felt that I still had so much more to give to others.

On top of that, my husband became the senior pastor at a local church. We met many individuals, couples and families that were working through some very difficult challenges. As a pastor’s wife and friend, I desired to help them in practical ways, but I felt inadequate and unprepared to do so.

At the same time, I spent several years working a sales job and got bored with it.

In December of that year, I traveled to Kansas for Christmas following a horrific ice storm. Trees littered the hills along the roadside, some uprooted, some dead. One in particular caught my eye. It was a lifeless-looking tree which felt symbolic of both the upcoming change in my role as a mother and the deep dissatisfaction I was experiencing in sales.

I needed to make a significant change in my life. But what? How? I was both afraid (some days terrified) and excited.

In December of that year, I traveled to Kansas for Christmas following a horrific ice storm. Trees littered the hills along the roadside, some uprooted, some dead. One in particular caught my eye. It was a lifeless-looking tree which felt symbolic of both the upcoming change in my role as a mother and the deep dissatisfaction I was experiencing in sales.

I needed to make a significant change in my life. But what? How? I was both afraid (some days terrified) and excited.

In 2008, I stepped out of my comfort zone and enrolled in the highly competitive Marriage and Family Therapy Program at the University of Houston – Clear Lake. So began a journey that resulted in my earning an MA in Marriage and Family Therapy, plus numerous additional certifications and accreditations.

Now I have the honor of listening to the narratives of courageous clients who are often facing difficult times in their own lives. My clients are brave and inspire me as they navigate their challenges with dignity, strength and hope.

I love what I do and would love to get to know you!

Education & Certifications

  • 2008: Enrolled in the University of Houston – Clear Lake, which has a highly competitive and deeply respected Marriage and Family Therapy Program.  I trained in the counseling center on campus for two semesters, then spent another year and a half training at the Family Enrichment Clinic in Houston. 
  • 2012: Obtained an MA in Marriage and Family Therapy.  My practicum and internship experiences reinvigorated me and gave birth to Friendswood Family Counseling.
  • 2014: Became a Certified Daring Way Facilitator after attending Brené Brown’s Daring Way training.  Dr. Brown’s work is foundational in my approach to working with clients dealing with vulnerability and shame.
  • 2017: Completed Dr. Jonice Webb’s recovery training program for helping individuals suffering from Childhood Emotional Neglect (CEN).
  • 2018: Became an iEQ9 Integrated Enneagram Accredited Practitioner.  The Enneagram is an assessment tool that helps individuals learn about their blind spots, strengths and weaknesses in ways that will improve the quality of their relations with themselves and with others. With the iEQ9 accreditation, I am able to give a thorough Enneagram personality assessment with a comprehensive 22-page report and a coaching companion for your personal growth planning.
  • 2022: I completed a rigorous Enneagram Certification from the Chestnut Paes Academy. This training makes it possible for me to coach individuals and couples using their Enneagram Types to lead to transformational growth and change.

Professional Memberships

  • American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), Clinical Fellow Member.
  • Texas Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (TAMFT), Clinical Fellow Member.

Affiliations