Today we’d like to introduce you to Christopher Burns, LCSW, CSAT.
Hi Christopher, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I still can’t believe where I am in my life now. I am a husband to a beautiful and wonderful wife, Christy, and I have four amazing, brilliant, and healthy children. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist, and I am the Healing Minister at theCross Church in Mount Dora. How did I get here? I attribute everything and give all the glory to God. Jesus restored and healed me and He is at the center of my recovery.
I earned my Master’s degree in Social Work from The University of Central Florida. While in school, I worked closely with UCF students struggling with substance abuse and addiction. I helped create, develop, and launch the Sober Knights and the Collegiate Recovery Community where I served as the CRC Coordinator from 2014-2017. From 2017 to the present, I have worked at the highest levels of behavioral health care, specializing in both addiction and mental health.
I have been involved in church leadership since 2011. I served as the reGROUP Worship and Training Coordinator at Summit Church from 2011-2015 where I taught recovery curriculum, trained leaders to facilitate recovery groups, and led the congregation in worship. From August of 2012 to April of 2015, I helped plant two churches and from 2015 until 2020, I served as the Communications Director for theCross Church in Mount Dora, Florida. I have also served on the Board of Directors for Hand In Hand, a Christian, Faith-Based in-house recovery community, from 2018 to 2020.
I founded my counseling practice, Rewrite Recovery counseling, LLC in 2020 to create an intimate space for Christian men to begin their healing journey as they write new chapters in their lives from the damage of sex addiction.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I was born and raised in San Jose, California, and moved to Florida in 2001 with some bandmates and friends. I was working odd jobs, tried starting a concrete business, and even bought a house. But in reality, I was in a fledging band and I honestly had no real direction in my life. That all ended with a suicide attempt by the beach that landed me in the hospital. I lost my house and all of my friends. I again attempted to be a singer/songwriter solo musician in Orlando, but God had different plans for me.
I had met and married my wife at that time, but I was still trying to build my “little kingdom”, filled with ego and pride. I truly believe that living that life would have led to my continued lifestyle of active addiction, and ultimately death. I should have lost everything — my wife, my family… but that’s not the way the story ended. I was shown grace and love by my wife and I received help. I remember waking up in a Residential Treatment Center in Texas thinking my life was over, but it was actually just beginning.
It is my personal recovery story that influences my heart for those trapped inside their addiction. I am passionate about recovery and the life that it provides. It’s a good life.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I have my private practice and my role at the church.
I started Rewrite Recovery Counseling, LLC to do individual sessions, group therapy, and intensive workshops. The workshops are tailored specifically for Christian men looking for hope and healing from sex addiction. These workshops are sensitive to the spiritual trauma many sex addicts have experienced, and I specialize in treating that pain. I also currently offer Telehealth individual sessions. https://www.rewrite-recovery.com.
At theCross, I am the Healing Minister, where I oversee our Restoration Nights (https://thecross.family/restoration-nights), DivorceCare, GriefShare, Stephen Ministry, our Life Mentors program, and our prayer team. You can find out more about the Healing Ministry at theCross here: https://thecross.family/heal.
NOTE: I don’t see anyone in our congregation clinically as a therapist, I refer out to my network of therapists.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
My favorite thing in the world is being a husband and a father. Of all the hats I wear, that is my main calling. (And I love coaching baseball).
My kids are London (11), McKinley (9), Garrison (8), and Levi (2).
Fun Fact: My old music is still up on Spotify and iTunes. https://open.spotify.com/artist/5Y4UgzW3nctuObOuyhPBvs?si=AuOxe6PHS9iyJlSFmh8Dyw.
I might record music again, but it will be worship music.
Pricing:
- Currently $150 for 50 mins. Clinical Hour for Private Pay (Zoom – Telehealth).
- https://www.rewrite-recovery.com/services.
Contact Info:
- Email: chris@rewrite-recovery.com
- Website: https://www.rewrite-recovery.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rewriterecoverycounseling
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/RewriteRecovery
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOccu4cuBufe2dUKyV6SM9Q
- Other: https://thecross.family/heal
