• Pastoral counseling for individuals, couples, and families
• Play therapy for children ages 3 and older
• Sand tray therapy for clients of all ages
• Speakers for meetings, seminars, worship
• Leadership for retreats and workshops

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 (in fact, need not be religious at all) in order to see a pastoral counselor. Rather, Hope therapists respect each client's beliefs and spirituality.

Play therapy was developed to meet the special needs of children. When young, children have not yet developed the vocabulary and communication skills that enable them to make good use of talk-based therapy. At Hope Counseling, we have a room dedicated just to play therapy. Using carefully selected toys and art supplies, children aged 3 and older can express their feelings and tell their stories through the language of play. This form of therapy can be very helpful for children who are having difficulty adjusting to change (whether to a new home, new school or school year, new family members, or divorce), or a hard time coming to terms with a serious life event in the family (like death, illness, or accident). It is also used very effectively with children who have been abused.

Sand tray work is a type of play therapy that some adults find especially engaging and helpful. In a sand tray session, clients begin by looking at all the available small figures (animals, people, buildings, landscape items and much more) and choosing the ones that evoke an emotional response (whether positive or negative) that day. Then the client arranges the objects in the sand tray to make a little world. The therapist works with the client to interpret the scene, much as a person might go over a dream in order to understand what it may be saying.

Speaking and Leadership:  Call Ellen Hodge, MAPCC, LMHC, at 317/356-4037 to discuss topics and make arrangements for

• presentations to classes and groups
• retreat leadership
• sermons
• workshops

For services especially for pastors and congregations, click on Pastors and Churches.