HOPE Counseling clinic adds more play rooms, programs

In 2009, Julie Wolf launched her practice out of a storage room in the First United Methodist Church of Winter Garden. She decorated the space with furniture purchased from local thrift stores and got to work, laying the foundation for what would soon morph into her own psychology clinic years later.

Despite its humble beginnings, HOPE Counseling Clinic opened the doors to its official location four years ago after demand for Wolf’s counseling increased. 

Demand has been growing ever since, but Wolf does not mind.

“I love people, and I’m always intrigued by people’s stories,” Wolf said. “People ask me all the time, ‘Isn’t it hard to listen to all those sad stories and all their struggles all day?’ And I think, for me, I know that people are struggling, anyway. Life is hard, regardless of whether they’re talking to me about it or not. So I feel like I can be a little part of the healing process for them by sharing things I’ve learned that might help them.”

Wolf never envisioned owning her own private clinic, but she has allowed it to grow, taking it as a sign of God’s will. And so, when the tenants across the hall from her clinic moved out, she viewed it as an opportunity to expand and add rooms tailored for sessions with children.

The clinic’s seven mental-health counselors have, until recently, focused mostly on adults and couples, but the colorful new rooms will permit the counselors to enhance their therapeutic techniques for children dealing with grief, depression, anxiety, abuse, bullying, family and self-esteem issues. 

The new rooms were sorely needed, given the growing influx of kids with whom they work. Before, the counselors pulled out a few toys from a basket when working with children, but now, they have whole rooms filled with toys intended to encourage kids to express their feelings nonverbally — a psychological technique that uses creative arts and playtime to comprehend what might be troubling a child. 

One such room has a teepee with tiger plushies to help children feel secure and safe while they discuss sensitive subjects. A second room holds an abundance of toy figurines that aid counselors in their quest to comprehend a child’s perception of events and people in their lives. A third room has a table with paintbrushes and other art supplies.

Wolf also plans to expand her clinic’s services by adding more programs specifically catered to children starting in January. One such program called Stepping Stones is designed for kids on the mild end of the autism spectrum who are not quite ready for school. It teaches them general classroom etiquette, as well as how to follow directions and interact with classmates. A second program is a group therapy structured to help adopted teens cope with issues related to their family situation.

Wolf expects the new rooms will help kids feel welcome, safe and comfortable and hopes her clinic will continue to help people feel hope regarding their personal situations.

“The only reason why people stop anything is because they lose hope it can get better,” Wolf said of the deeper meaning behind her clinic’s name. “And that’s why they give up. That’s why they commit suicide. That’s why they get a divorce and whatever. So I’ve really become convinced that hope is absolutely the fundamental ingredient for healing to take place, because if you don’t have hope, you’re literally not even going to try. So when people come in here, I want them to believe that it actually can get better.”

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Contact Gabby Baquero at [email protected].