Everlasting Hope
Dear Faithful Friends of Journey,
As we come to the close of 2025, we are reminded that our hope is not fleeting or fragile—it is everlasting. The prophet Isaiah declares, “The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth… those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.” In a world marked by weariness and unrest, we rejoice in the steadfast hope of Christ—the One who restores the brokenhearted, renews weary souls, and anchors His people in peace.
A Ministry of Hope in Counseling
As our counselors sit across from children, couples, pastors, and families, they bear witness to how the living hope of Christ transforms pain into purpose and despair into peace. This year, we have seen God use this ministry to bring renewal to hearts and homes across the Shenandoah Valley.
2025 was a year of strengthening and expansion in our counseling ministry. By God’s grace, Journey counselors provided 2,650 sessions for individuals, couples, and families—meeting rising needs related to anxiety, depression, trauma, marriage, grief, and ministry burnout.
Highlights from this year include:
Welcoming two new counselors: Bryce Powell (Counseling Intern) and Jessica Buckwalter (Resident in Counseling).
Beginning to offer EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), an evidence-based trauma therapy that helps clients process distressing experiences and move toward emotional healing.
Partnering with over 30 local churches, schools, and ministries to provide referrals, crisis support, and consultation for pastors and ministry leaders.
Extending Hope in Outreach
This year, Journey’s ministry of hope extended far beyond the counseling room as our counselors invested in schools, churches, and community organizations throughout the Valley.
Through our partnerships, Journey counselors served across churches, ministries, and schools—encouraging Christ-centered emotional health at Crosslink COmmunity Church’s Women’s Ministry Panel and Family Discipleship Conference, providing trauma-informed training for AVA Care’s patient-services staff, and equipping students and ministry leaders at Blue Ridge Christian School and Cru’s Student Leadership Training with tools for resilience, faith, and emotional awareness.
Clinical Director, Ally Padilla, leading ‘Walking with Your Teen Through Anxiety & Depression: A Biblical & Practical Guide.’
One of our most impactful offerings, Walking with Your Teen Through Anxiety & Depression: A Biblical & Practical Guide, helped parents recognize signs of distress, respond with empathy, and discern when and how to seek help. In every setting—whether in churches, classrooms, or ministry spaces—Journey remains committed to extending the everlasting hope of the Gospel beyond our walls and into the lives of those we serve.
Sharing Hope with Those Who Need It Most
As we enter 2026, rising economic pressures are deeply affecting many of our clients—through job loss, medical expenses, single-income households, increased cost of living, and the daily realities of supporting their children’s mental health or carrying the weight of ministry with limited financial margin. For many, the decision to pursue counseling comes with real sacrifice.
This year, Journey has already utilized over $12,000 from our Client Assistance Fund, allowing individuals and families facing financial hardship to continue receiving biblically based and clinically excellent care. Through the generosity of ministry partners like you, more than 160 counseling sessions have been provided to those navigating grief, rebuilding marriages, seeking emotional stability, or longing for Gospel-centered support in vulnerable seasons—yet the need continues to grow.
For many, the Client Assistance Fund is the difference between receiving the care they need or going without. Would you consider helping us bridge this gap through a year-end gift?
$900 provides 12 counseling sessions—a full season of consistent support for someone navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, or crisis.
$450 provides 6 sessions, allowing a client to begin their healing journey with dignity, stability, and hope.
$225 provides 3 sessions, giving someone the opportunity to take their first meaningful steps toward healing and Christ-centered care.
Our goal is to raise $12,000 to support the Client Assistance Fund. Your generosity goes directly to those who cannot afford counseling but are seeking Christ-centered help during a vulnerable and overwhelming time.
Your partnership makes it possible for Journey to say “yes” when someone reaches out for help—and to extend the everlasting hope of Christ to those who need it most.
With gratitude,
Ally Padilla, Clinical Director
Michael Miller, Board Chair
