Our Story

Heartway was founded on a simple but profound realization: those who dedicate their lives to serving others often neglect their own emotional and mental health. We've witnessed firsthand the toll that ministry work can take on individuals and families, and we knew there had to be a better way.

Our journey began over 15 years ago when our founders, themselves former missionaries, recognized the desperate need for specialized counseling services that truly understood the unique challenges of ministry life. What started as informal support groups grew into a comprehensive counseling practice dedicated exclusively to pastors, missionaries, and their families.

Our Team

Our counselors are licensed professionals with advanced degrees in counseling, psychology, and social work. More importantly, many have lived experience in ministry or missionary work, giving them unique insight into the challenges you face. We combine professional expertise with personal understanding to provide care that is both clinically sound and culturally sensitive.

Our Values

Compassion First: We believe in meeting people where they are with empathy and understanding, free from judgment.

Faith-Integrated Care: We honor your faith journey and integrate biblical wisdom with evidence-based therapeutic practices.

Cultural Competence: With experience across 40+ countries, we understand cross-cultural dynamics and the complexities of missionary life.

Confidentiality: Your privacy is sacred. We maintain strict confidentiality and provide a safe space for honest conversation.

Why Choose Heartway?

Unlike general counseling services, we specialize exclusively in serving those in ministry. We understand the unique pressures of living in a fishbowl, managing congregational expectations, dealing with limited resources, navigating organizational politics, and maintaining healthy boundaries while being available to others.

Our counselors have walked in your shoes. We know what it's like to face burnout, struggle with calling, navigate difficult transitions, and balance family life with ministry demands. This lived experience, combined with professional training, allows us to provide care that truly resonates.

Faith-Integrated Therapy

We believe that faith and mental health are not separate domains but deeply interconnected aspects of human experience. Our approach honors your spiritual beliefs while incorporating evidence-based therapeutic techniques. We integrate prayer, scripture, and spiritual practices with proven counseling methods like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), trauma-informed care, and family systems theory.

Culturally Sensitive Care

Having served clients from over 40 countries, we understand that culture shapes how we experience and express emotional distress. Our counselors are trained in cross-cultural counseling and many have lived abroad themselves. We recognize that Western therapeutic approaches don't always translate directly, and we adapt our methods to honor your cultural context while maintaining clinical effectiveness.

Trauma-Informed Practice

Many in ministry work have experienced significant trauma—whether from field-related incidents, ministry conflict, or personal crisis. We use trauma-informed approaches that recognize the impact of trauma on the brain and body, prioritize safety and empowerment, and avoid re-traumatization through our methods.

Holistic Wellness

We don't just address symptoms; we look at the whole person. Our approach considers physical health, emotional well-being, relational dynamics, spiritual life, and environmental factors. We help you develop sustainable practices for long-term wellness, not just crisis management.

Confidentiality & Ethics

We maintain strict professional boundaries and ethical standards. Your sessions are completely confidential (within legal limits), and we will never share information with your organization, church, or mission board without your explicit written consent. You can speak freely without fear of professional or ministry consequences.

Ongoing Support

Healing isn't linear, and we're committed to walking with you for the long haul. Whether you need weekly sessions during a crisis or monthly check-ins for ongoing support, we tailor our approach to your needs. We also provide resources, tools, and practices you can use between sessions.

Schedule Your First Session

Taking the first step toward counseling can feel daunting, but we've made it as simple as possible. Fill out the form below, and we'll be in touch within 24 hours to schedule your initial consultation.

Other Ways to Reach Us

Email: support@heartwaycare.org

Phone: Available upon request for scheduled sessions

Hours: We offer flexible scheduling including evenings and weekends to accommodate your ministry schedule and time zone.

What to Expect

After submitting this form, you can expect:

1. Initial Response: We'll email you within 24 hours to acknowledge your request.

2. Consultation Call: We'll schedule a brief 15-minute phone consultation to discuss your needs and answer questions.

3. First Session: If we're a good fit, we'll schedule your first full counseling session at a time that works for you.

4. Ongoing Care: We'll work together to create a personalized care plan that addresses your specific needs.

What is Individual Counseling?

Individual counseling provides a confidential, one-on-one space to explore your personal challenges, process difficult emotions, and develop strategies for growth and healing. Unlike group settings or informal support, these sessions are entirely focused on you and your specific needs.

Who Is This For?

Individual counseling is ideal if you're experiencing anxiety or depression, struggling with your calling or identity in ministry, processing past trauma or difficult experiences, navigating personal life transitions, dealing with stress and overwhelm, or simply needing a safe space to be honest about your struggles.

What We Address

In individual counseling, we can work on a wide range of issues including emotional regulation and mental health, self-care and boundary setting, identity and calling questions, past trauma and wounds, relationship challenges, grief and loss, spiritual struggles or doubts, and developing healthy coping strategies.

Our Approach

Every person's journey is unique, so we tailor our approach to your specific needs. We might use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for anxiety and depression, trauma-informed approaches for processing difficult experiences, mindfulness and stress reduction techniques, spiritual formation practices, or solution-focused therapy for specific challenges.

What to Expect

Sessions are typically 50-60 minutes and can be conducted via secure video call to accommodate your location and schedule. We'll start by understanding your goals and creating a personalized treatment plan. The frequency of sessions depends on your needs—some clients benefit from weekly sessions, while others prefer bi-weekly or monthly check-ins.

Investment

We offer sliding scale fees to make counseling accessible to those in ministry. Contact us to discuss pricing and payment options. We also accept some insurance plans and can provide documentation for reimbursement.

Supporting Ministry Families

Ministry life places unique pressures on marriages and families. Our specialized counseling helps you navigate these challenges while strengthening your relationships.

We address communication issues, work-life balance in ministry, parenting challenges, intimacy and connection, conflict resolution, and family transitions.

Life Transitions in Ministry

Transitions—whether field changes, reentry, retirement, or career shifts—can be deeply challenging. We provide specialized support to help you navigate these pivotal moments.

We help with reentry and cultural adjustment, career transitions, retirement planning, field changes, and identity shifts beyond ministry roles.

Addressing Ministry Burnout

Burnout and compassion fatigue are epidemic among ministry workers. We provide evidence-based strategies to help you recover and build sustainable practices.

We address exhaustion and depletion, emotional numbness, loss of passion, boundary issues, and developing sustainable self-care practices.

Crisis Support

When crisis hits, you need immediate, professional support. We provide urgent counseling for trauma, loss, conflict, and unexpected life events.

We offer rapid response scheduling, trauma-informed care, safety planning, and stabilization support during acute crises.

Parenting in Ministry

Raising children in ministry comes with unique challenges. We provide guidance, encouragement, and practical strategies for navigating these complexities.

We address TCK/MK challenges, balancing ministry and family, helping kids navigate transitions, and building resilient, healthy families.