Circle of Healing: A Women’s Grief Retreat

Retreat Facilitators

• More details about Christina (Tina) M. Guerra

  Christina (Tina) M. Guerra

  Christina (Tina) M. Guerra is a poet, spiritual director, retreat facilitator, widow, mother, and grandmother whose ministry is deeply rooted in accompaniment, grief, and spiritual transformation. She is the author of "Don’t Bother Me I’m Dying: A Journey Through Sorrow and Joy with Hope" and cofounder of CoCreating Harmony and Mobilizing Peacemakers (CCHaMPs), which offers spiritual workshops for women throughout the Archdiocese. After 30 years of service with the State of Texas, Tina transitioned into spiritual direction and grief ministry, serving in a variety of roles including Soul-Friend with Haven for Hope, hospital lay chaplain, hospice chaplain, retreat facilitator, and spiritual director. Her formation includes studies with Oblate Grotto & Direction Ministries and The Center for Spiritual Growth and the Contemplative Life in San Antonio. She is also a 2014 Associate of the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation in Washington, D.C., and a former Elder with Oblate School of Theology’s Forest Dwelling Program. Tina's calling to accompany others through grief became deeply personal as she walked alongside her husband during his terminal illness and death in 2012. In the solitude that followed, she began tracing her own grief journey back through childhood, recognizing patterns of loss and the ways God's presence had quietly accompanied her throughout her life. That reflection became foundational to her work with those navigating grief today. Drawing from her personal journey, spiritual formation, and years of accompanying others through loss, Tina creates compassionate spaces where grief can be named, stories can be honored, and the possibility of healing and new life can gently emerge.

• More details about Yvonne P. Garcia, LPC

  Yvonne P. Garcia, LPC

  Yvonne P. Garcia is a Licensed Professional Counselor and retired firefighter/paramedic whose work is deeply rooted in trauma, grief, resilience, and emotional wellness. With more than 24 years of service in the fire service, primarily in emergency medical services, Yvonne brings a unique understanding of how loss, stress, and difficult life experiences can affect the whole person. Throughout her fire service career, Yvonne was actively involved in Peer Support, Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM), and Medical Special Operations. In 2008, she became a founding team member of the Women's Shields of Christ ACTS Retreats and remains actively involved in this ministry serving the first responder community. Her experiences accompanying others through trauma and crisis inspired her to pursue a master's degree in counseling, which she earned in 2013. In 2017, Yvonne established a private counseling practice specializing in stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, and grief. She has also served as a trauma counselor in residential treatment, working with veterans and first responders navigating addiction, mental health challenges, and the lasting effects of trauma. Yvonne currently serves as Resiliency Director for Bexar County ESD7 Fire Rescue, where she developed a proactive wellness program centered on personal growth, resilience, and self-awareness. Her work reflects a deep commitment to helping others recognize what they carry, develop healthier ways of navigating life's challenges, and move toward greater wholeness—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Through her compassionate and grounded approach, Yvonne helps create spaces where individuals can feel safe, supported, and gently accompanied as they navigate grief, loss, and healing.