The Garden Within: Where the War with Your Emotions Ends and Your Most Powerful Life Begins

The Garden Within is a Christian faith-based exploration of emotional well-being, drawing upon biblical principles and therapeutic insights to guide readers toward inner healing. As a trauma therapist, life coach, and minister, Phillips merges psychology with spirituality, emphasizing how emotional and spiritual health interconnect. Her background shapes her perspective: She holds a PhD in counselor education and supervision and built a career focusing on mental health and emotional well-being, particularly in Christian communities.

Phillips’s qualifications position her as an authoritative voice on emotional healing, particularly for readers seeking a faith-based approach to psychological well-being. She integrates clinical expertise and neurobiological principles with Christian doctrine, often drawing on scriptural metaphors, such as the idea of the heart as a garden that requires care and cultivation. This aligns with her broader work, which encourages believers to embrace emotional wellness as a spiritual discipline rather than a sign of weakness.

While Phillips’s work is widely praised in Christian and self-help circles, some critiques arise from the intersection of Christian faith and psychology. The integration of religious teachings with mental health practices sometimes leads to concerns about scientific rigor. Additionally, some may question whether this approach fully accommodates those outside the Christian tradition.