Hope Counseling Ministry began in 1990 when Leverne Pfile, a Marriage and Family Therapist, began to work with the pastor of Downey Avenue Christian Church to provide skilled pastoral counseling* to members of that congregation. Not long after that, several other Irvington churches joined in supporting the ministry, and Hope Counseling became a community effort.

Hope Counseling Ministry is located on the lovely grounds of Irvington Friends Meeting at 831A North Edmondson on the eastside of Indianapolis. Our building, once the parsonage of the Friends Meeting, provides a welcoming space with a waiting room, individual offices, space for groups, and a play therapy room. Sheltered by a curtain of evergreen trees and surrounded by meadows and woods, Hope Counseling provides a peaceful space in which to grow and heal.

Hope is now comprised of three independent therapists who share the values of pastoral counseling:

Ellen Hodge, MAPCC, LMHC, received her MA in Pastoral Care and Counseling (magna cum laude) from Christian Theological Seminary, where she trained in pastoral psychotherapy*. She is particularly gifted in helping adult clients face the pain of childhood abuse and other trauma. Other special interests are play therapy for children, recovery from grief, the struggle with self-image and overeating, sand tray work with adults or children, couples facing challenges, and pre-adolescents and their families. She does especially skilled and sensitive work with clients who want to explore themselves and their issues deeply.

Ellen is a member of Quakers in Pastoral Care & Counseling, which she serves as clerk (chair) of the national steering committee. She adheres to the ethical standards of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors.

Penny Zimmerman, MAPCC, LMHC, also received her MA in pastoral psychotherapy at Christian Theological Seminary. She has a passion for therapy as a healing art. She works with individuals, couples, families, and children. Her training in addictions allows her ably to address those issues in therapy with clients who want to work on recovery. She is also a skilled play therapist.

Leverne Pfile, LMHC, MS, received her Marriage and Family Therapy training at Butler University. She completed a pastoral counseling residency at Buchanan Pastoral Counseling Center in Indianapolis before founding Hope Counseling Ministry.

* Pastoral Counseling (also called Pastoral Psychotherapy) was developed by ministers who recognized that some people’s psychological, emotional, and spiritual needs were not being met either by secular therapy or by the counseling traditionally offered by clergy. Education for Pastoral Counseling combines rigorous clinical training with spiritual values. We offer professional therapy in which clients can address their life issues in the context of their own faith. Clients need not be a member of any particular faith (indeed, need not be religious at all) in order to see a pastoral counselor. Rather, Hope therapists respect each client's beliefs and spirituality.