Counseling Built on Compassion, Faith, and Affordability
Abundant Life Exists Because Healing Should Be Accessible to All
Abundant Life Affordable Counseling was created to close a real gap. Quality mental health care has long been out of reach for too many people, not because it does not exist, but because the cost creates a barrier before the work even begins. This practice was built to change that.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we keep our fees significantly below the market rate. Affordability is not a workaround here. It is the mission.
Counseling is delivered by Marriage and Family Therapist Trainees and Registered Associates who are advancing toward licensure, each one working under the direct, individualized supervision of Kathleen Shanahan, MA, LMFT, CAMFT Certified Clinical Supervisor. This model is what makes meaningful care possible at a meaningful cost. Clients receive skilled, personalized support because of this structure, not in spite of it.
We believe every person seeking healing deserves to be met with competence, respect, and care. That conviction runs through everything we do.
Every Person Who Walks Through Our Doors Matters
The word Kathleen comes back to most is compassion. Not compassion as a clinical concept, but as a way of showing up. When a client arrives hungry, there are snacks. Someone coming in with back pain is offered a heating pad. For children who need to settle in before their session starts, the room is ready. These are not small things. They are the texture of care done well.
This practice was designed from the ground up with the client's healing in mind. The goal, from the first phone call to the last session, is for every person to feel stable, comfortable, and truly seen. Not processed. Not categorized. Cared for.
What we offer is individualized care in the fullest sense. Treatment plans are tailored to the person in front of us, not a diagnosis. Clinicians bring their full attention, and no one is treated as just another case.
Being a smaller practice is our advantage. Kathleen personally supervises every clinician, which means every client's care is known at the highest level of the practice. Inquiries get answered the same day, often between sessions. The details that make a room feel like someone thought of you before you arrived, the snacks, the heating pad, something for the kids, are not extras here. They are part of how this practice was designed.
Kathleen Shanahan, MA, LMFT
Kathleen Shanahan, MA, LMFT
License: LMFT #125453
CAMFT Certified Clinical Supervisor
Founder, Managing Director, and CEO
Certifications
- Theraplay Intermediate Trained
- FST Certified, Family Systems Trauma Institute, 2023
- Grief Recovery Method Certified
- Training
- EMDR (EMDR Institute)
- Insurance Accepted
- Aetna and Blue Shield of California (in-network for psychotherapy)
- Coming Soon
- Medi-Cal, Kaiser
- Location
- Santa Ana, CA
Kathleen Shanahan is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and the founder and Managing Director of Abundant Life Affordable Counseling. With years of clinical experience and a foundation built on faith, compassion, and ethical practice, she created this organization so that quality mental health care could reach anyone who needs it, regardless of their financial situation.
As a CAMFT Certified Clinical Supervisor, Kathleen provides direct, individualized supervision to every MFT Trainee and Registered Associate on the team. Each clinician is guided with care, held to a strong ethical standard, and equipped to serve clients with skill and attentiveness. Her own training spans EMDR through the EMDR Institute, Theraplay (Theraplay Intermediate Trained), Family Systems Trauma (FST Certified, Family Systems Trauma Institute, 2023), and the Grief Recovery Method. That depth of expertise shapes how she leads and how she supervises.
At the heart of everything she does is a belief that healing begins when a person feels truly met, without judgment, without pretense, with the full presence of someone who cares. That belief is behind every decision at Abundant Life, from the model that makes care affordable to the culture that makes every client feel known.
“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
The Clinical Team at Abundant Life Affordable Counseling
Aubrey Redinger
- Associate Professional Clinical Counselor (#21113)
- Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (#159404)
Supervised by Kathleen Shanahan, LMFT (#125453)
Aubrey's approach is warm, grounded, and deeply relational. She works with couples, families, children, and leaders who are ready to grow, and she meets each of them with practical wisdom and genuine presence. As a founding member of the Townsend Institute, she trained directly with Dr. John Townsend in an approach that blends clinical insight with emotional and relational health. Her specialized trainings include premarital counseling (certified SYMBIS facilitator), couples therapy using Gottman Method principles, perinatal mental health (certified by Postpartum Support International and Bringing Baby Home, Gottman Institute), and childhood mental health through NOCD and the Institute of Child Psychology.
Tanya Watwood
- Marriage and Family Therapist Trainee
Completing her Master of Science in Counseling Psychology at Hope International University · Supervised by Kathleen Shanahan, LMFT (#125453)
Tanya works with individuals, couples, youth, and families with a grounded and compassionate presence. Her training in the How We Love model informs a particular interest in helping married couples understand how early attachment experiences shape the way they connect and navigate conflict. She provides culturally sensitive care that honors each client's unique background, identity, and lived experience, and she welcomes Christian faith as part of the therapeutic process when desired.
Kenny Romig
- Marriage and Family Therapist Trainee
Enrolled in Hope International University's Master of Science in Counseling program · Supervised by Kathleen Shanahan, LMFT (#125453)
Kenny sees compassionate connection as the foundation of meaningful healing. He works alongside individuals, couples, families, and children across all ages and stages, drawing on evidence-based approaches and a collaborative mindset. His training includes Applied Behavior Analysis, with a focus on supporting children working through emotional regulation and behavioral challenges. Kenny also welcomes faith and spiritual reflection as part of the process for clients who desire it.
Our Board of Directors
Kathleen Shanahan, MA, LMFT, CAMFT Certified Clinical Supervisor
Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer
Christina Kennedy, MA, LMFT
Chairman
Eric Arroyo
Chief Financial Officer
Shauna Hester, PsyD, HR Generalist, SHRM-California Law HR Specialist
Vice President
Summer Tang
Secretary
Our Practice Is Rooted in Christian Values. Everyone Is Welcome Here
Faith is at the center of who we are. Abundant Life Affordable Counseling was built on Christian values, and that foundation shapes the care we provide, the culture of this practice, and the commitment we bring to every person we serve.
At the start of treatment, your clinician will ask how you would like faith to be part of your experience. Some clients want scripture, prayer, and spiritual reflection woven actively into their sessions. Others prefer to welcome it only when it feels relevant, or to keep it out of the room entirely. Whatever you choose, that preference is respected from the very first conversation.
Because our foundation is specifically Christian, we are not positioned to provide integrated faith work in other religious traditions. But every person who walks through our doors, whatever their faith or background, is met with the same compassion, professionalism, and care.
People of all faiths, backgrounds, and walks of life are welcome here.