Jars of Clay, A Sanctuary

Jars of Clay, A Sanctuary If you’ve been strong for everyone else but feel lost inside — you’re not alone. Hi there! My name is Monique Phillip, and I am the owner of Jars of Clay, LLC.

We help women heal from deep emotional wounds, reclaim their identity, and feel safe in their own skin again through compassionate & effective trauma therapy via telehealth. I’m a culturally responsive Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Colorado, and specialize in Trauma Model Therapy and Crisis Intervention. I provide a therapeutic approach that is warm, empathic, and non-judgmental.

My style is collaborative and solution–focused. I tend to artfully weave elements of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, as well as experiential and existential approaches into treatment. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of Houston and a Master’s Degree in Professional Counseling from Liberty University. I’ve been in the behavioral health field for over a decade, and previously worked with women of all ages in residential treatment, on probation and within the homeless community who all struggled with mental health, substance use and criminogenic issues. It has truly been the most challenging and fulfilling work I’ve ever done. Stirring up hope and helping women realize their inner power is a great passion of mine, which is what inspired me to open this practice.

05/12/2026

You want things in your life to improve? Prioritize your stability!

05/10/2026

Happy Mother's Day, y'all! I hope you feel loved all day long. ❤️

You ever have a moment of realization that you keep walking into the same situations over and over again?You ask yoursel...
04/28/2026

You ever have a moment of realization that you keep walking into the same situations over and over again?

You ask yourself, “Why does this keep happening to me?”

It doesn’t make sense. You think for a minute that you might be cursed.

No matter what you do or how much time has passed, there it is again.

Same kind of relationships. Same conflicts. A sneaking suspicion that you are inadvertently turning into your mother.

Groundhog’s day.

Here’s a bit of a revelation. Sometimes repetition is training. Another opportunity to pursue and utilize wisdom. (You gotta admit that sometimes we can be hard headed.)

It could be that . . . the reason you keep circling the same lesson is because God is actually trying to strengthen something in you?

Wrote about it in my new Substack blog. If it resonates, check me out.

You wanna know what one of the hardest parts about healing is?Realizing that the parts of you that kept you safe…are als...
03/31/2026

You wanna know what one of the hardest parts about healing is?

Realizing that the parts of you that kept you safe…

are also the ones keeping you stuck.

Read that again.

Somewhere along the way…
survival started to feel like your personality.

Honestly, the core of you is still buried underneath hurt and fear.

Truth is, there is a way to come back to your real self—
without pretending, performing, or proving anything to anyone else.

And it starts with a mirror. If you're tired of calling survival "strength", check the new blog in the bio.

NEW BLOG POST OUT! Not every season calls for hustle. Sometimes the purpose is in the pause. 🌿Read my latest thoughts on...
03/17/2026

NEW BLOG POST OUT! Not every season calls for hustle. Sometimes the purpose is in the pause. 🌿

Read my latest thoughts on Substack — link in bio.

03/10/2026

I understand the feeling of being trapped by a web of the fear of being rejected, having anxiety over somebody's unrealistic expectations, or codependency that causes you to abandon yourself.

You're thinking, “I don’t know how much longer I can do this” or “How did I get here?”

Maybe you’re just a shell of yourself inside what used to be a great relationship.

Let me say this with my full chest - You DO NOT have to keep doing the same thing over and over again!

Trauma from your past does not have to define your future. You are not STUCK with it!

It can be hard to turn your attention to yourself, but self-awareness is so powerful.

Control over yourself will always trump the manipulation of others.

You can learn how to tolerate what you are feeling, rather than giving that power to someone else.

Challenge yourself to heal and grow, so you can truly give someone real love, instead of desperation.

Psalm 147:3 says, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” God’s restoration is available for every emotional wound, and you can learn to carry it into your relationships.

If you wanna learn more, paste this link into your browser for information on my Ultimate Relationship Reconnection Bundle.

https://gems-from-clay-jars.mn.co/landing/plans/1954520

Let me walk you out of this trap!

To the woman who is always the strong one…The one who figures it out.Holds it together.Carries it courageously.You can s...
03/03/2026

To the woman who is always the strong one…

The one who figures it out.
Holds it together.
Carries it courageously.

You can stop living braced for impact all the time.

There is a softening that has been happening in me for some time now — not weakness or quitting — but a holy unraveling of the pressure to have the answers, the backup plan, the steady face for everyone else.

And it feels like exhale.

My newest blog post is live on Substack. It’s tender. It’s honest. It’s for the woman who is tired of being the pillar and is ready to be held by God instead.

Gems from a Clay Jar is reader-supported. You can subscribe for free, or become a paid subscriber to support this work and walk deeper with me.

Come read.
Link in bio. 🤍

02/24/2026

That rollercoaster of connection can be addictive.

When they’re cold, patience turns into desperation. You see that they are caught up with more “important” things.

You try to distract yourself for a while, but end up checking their phone, trying to make yourself more attractive, or maybe cooking an elaborate dinner waiting for a look or a comment that shows you they’ve noticed.

When they’re hot, all of the neurons fire up in your brain. All of the emotional intensity you’ve been holding while being ignored finally gets to be unleashed.

You feel alive again! It’s so gratifying, and maybe for quick second, you think you’ve finally cracked the code to being seen.

Whether it’s good or negative attention, you don’t care. It’s the connection you’ve been waiting for.
And then in flash, just as quickly as it came . . . it’s gone.

You’re alone . . . again.

You realize there is nothing you can do to change it and you feel bad about yourself for it.

You don’t even realize that it’s not normal. That cycle is rooted in your old wounds and the unmet needs you’ve had for years.

It’s not real passion. It’s a game of immaturity that is playing you into accepting pieces.

That is not the type of relationship God ever planned for you. You deserve love that doesn’t leave you spinning in confusion — love that’s steady and life-giving.

“Don’t stir up nor awaken love until the appropriate time.” (Song of Solomon 2:7)

Rather than chasing someone by trying to do all the things to make them whole, make sure that you are fully healed, so that you can see everything clearly, making wise decisions, rather than loving out of fear and getting caught up in the game.

Wanna talk more about it? Join our free relationship forums over in the Gems in Clay Jars Community.

Copy & paste the link - https://gems-from-clay-jars.mn.co/plans/1954509

New Blog Post Alert: I’ve spent more time in God’s wilderness than I’d like to admit.That place where you feel lonely, s...
02/17/2026

New Blog Post Alert: I’ve spent more time in God’s wilderness than I’d like to admit.

That place where you feel lonely, stuck, and like you’re doing everything “right”… but nothing is moving. Where you can’t strategize your way out. Where you realize you have absolutely no control.

Lately, I’ve been re-reading Exodus, and I am always reminded of phases of life that are so much like the story of the Israelites.

The stubbornness. The detours. The feeling of being backed into a corner. The daily dependence. The battles that somehow strengthen you instead of destroy you.

So I wrote about it. If you’re in a wilderness period of life—or you’ve ever wondered why God allows the long road—this one is for you.

Link in the bio!

Life has been LOUD lately.Not just busy… loud.Mentally loud. Spiritually loud. Emotionally loud.The kind of loud that ma...
02/04/2026

Life has been LOUD lately.

Not just busy… loud.
Mentally loud. Spiritually loud. Emotionally loud.

The kind of loud that makes you want to throw your phone into a lake and live off cornbread and well water. 😩😂

And I realized something…
I’m craving “no man’s land.”
Quiet. Simple. Slower.

Not because I’m running from life…
but because I’m tired of living like chaos is normal.

The world be worldin’… and I’m choosing to enter His rest anyway. 🤍

If you’ve been feeling that same rebellion rising in you… you’re definitely not alone.

📖 I wrote more about it on the blog — link in bio. Go read.

02/03/2026

If you focus on being a good steward of what He has already given you, will He not give you more? That includes your health and caring for your body.

Those who are faithful with little will be faithful with much. (Luke 16:10)

You need to be functioning well in order to be effective, productive and "fruitful". Then, you'll be able to not only sustain what He has given you, but grow it. ❤️

Address

7222 Commerce Center Drive #220
Colorado Springs, CO
80919

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