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Therapeutic Counseling

COVID19 UPDATE: Current and new counseling clients are being served via phone or video with some in-person options prioritized for children and adults with needed accommodations. We know this is a distressing time, especially for survivors of trauma. Please reach out for support from friends, family, or professionals. Here you will find information regarding what we are experiencing and suggestions for coping.

Whether it is a few days after the abuse or years after—whether the assault happened locally or outside of our service area—we are here to help. We offer free, confidential counseling services to survivors of sexual violence and everyone else in the community who has been affected, including survivors’ acquaintances, friends, family and partners. Our goal is to assist clients in healing from issues that stem from the trauma of sexual violence, helping them to cope with the immediate crisis and regain a sense of control and trust.

Our counselors use a variety of trauma-informed, evidenced-based therapeutic approaches including: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, Narrative Therapy, and bilateral stimulation (i.e. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing).

External Referral Form for use by community partners and professionals. Please email the completed form to bgtherapist@hopeharbor.net or fax 270.782.5042. To make a referral for yourself or a child under your guardianship, you can call us 24/7 at 270.846.1100 or email bgtherapist@hopeharbor.net

Types of Counseling Services

Crisis Counseling

Helping the survivor meet immediate needs, crisis counseling requires little paperwork and no appointment necessary. This option strives to stabilize reactions to trauma, prioritize and concerns, and provide information and referral services related to a recent assault or trigger. For immediate support, please call 270.846.1100

Individual Counseling

Provides an open, supportive, and confidential environment to address the issues following sexual violence. Regardless when the assault or abuse occurred, counseling is an option. This is a longer-term option compared to crisis counseling and is individualized to meet needs.

Couples Counseling

Helps non-offending partners heal from the lasting physical and psychological effects of sexual violence.

Family Counseling

Targets relationships and the overall functioning of the family unit for non-offending family members.

Support Groups/Group Counseling

Helps build trust and camaraderie among survivors as participants collectively explore the causes of their issues. Our support groups are open to all genders, at least 18 years old, and anyone who identifies as a survivor of sexual violence. Our support group meets every Monday via Zoom at 6pm CST/7pm EST for approximately an hour and 15 minutes.

Topics we are covering in June and July of 2021 are: self-compassion (6/7), journaling (6/14), being alone (6/21), celebrating growth (6/28), not feeling happy when we are “suppose to” (7/5), responding to change (7/12), self-care vs self-caring (7/19), and navigating unsupportive spaces (7/26).

Please complete the following form to receive more information from our Director of Community Engagement, Alayna Milby. If you do not get a reply within two business days, please check your spam. If you still do not have a reply, please call 270.846.1100

Hope Harbor has licensed mental health professionals ready to provide you with specialized therapy services. The main office is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky. We also have offices in Glasgow, Franklin, and Russellville for regional therapy services.

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Additional Holistic Support

Trauma-Sensitive Yoga

In 2020, Hope Harbor began offering trauma-sensitive weekly yoga classes that is catered to survivors of sexual trauma. Trauma-sensitive yoga uses hatha-style yoga poses and breath work to create a positive relationship with your body. Our yoga classes are in a safe-space for survivors where there are no physical assists. Our yoga classes offer suggestions, not expectations, for poses. Your experience is your own; come prepared to do whatever feels right to you. Whether that means skipping some poses or staying in child’s pose for the full time, listen your needs. For more information about trauma-sensitive yoga and it’s benefits, visit the Trauma Center’s website.  These classes offer modifications within the yoga poses that are accessible to all: beginners and experienced. In compliance with COVID19 prevention guidelines, we are not offering in-person classes at this time. We have free videos available on our YouTube channel. Whenever we are able to practice safely together again, classes will be offered every Tuesday from 5:30-6:30pm at the Bowling Green office for clients, staff, and volunteers of Hope Harbor. Due to limited space, we are only inviting clients of Hope Harbor, the staff, and volunteers to practice with us at this time.

About the teacher:

Alayna has been working with Hope Harbor since 2014, beginning as a volunteer and transitioning to staff in 2015. Through her training with Hope Harbor and working with survivors of sexual violence, she wanted to expand the services offered to clients. Practicing yoga since 2009, Alayna has personally benefited from yoga and in 2019, took the opportunity to grow her impact by completing a Registered Yoga Teacher Training. Completing her trauma-sensitive training in September 2020, her goal is to offer weekly classes at Hope Harbor with the eventual goal to offer one-on-one sessions with Hope Harbor clients.

Hope Harvest: A Therapeutic Garden

At the Bowling Green office, Hope Harvest: A Therapeutic Garden has been growing food and offering a safe space for clients, staff, and volunteers of Hope Harbor since 2016. Hope Harvest is a chemical-free garden where fruits, vegetables, and herbs are grown without the use of pesticides or any other sprays. Volunteers and clients are welcome to assist with maintenance of the garden, enjoy the natural environment, and have the opportunity to take home produce. When entering the Bowling Green office, the sidewalk connecting the parking lot to the front door travels through Hope Harvest.

Helpful Facts

• All of our services are free of charge

• All of our services are private and confidential

• Therapy services are specialized and focus specifically on treatment of sexual abuse/assault

• Therapy services are provided for those who are willing to engage in treatment

How to Initiate Services

Contact our agency at (270) 782-5014 during business hours, Monday-Friday, 8 am-5 pm· A staff person will take some basic information from you and our service coordinator will schedule a one- to- one and a half hour intake/orientation session.

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During this session, you can expect the following:

1. A tour of the agency
2. Information on therapy services, including an orientation folder providing additional help
3. To discuss and sign consent forms for treatment
4. To complete a trauma assessment

For parents and caregivers of children, it may be necessary to provide a copy of the most recent custody paperwork.

The Next Step

Once the initial intake session is completed, you will be assigned a therapist during the weekly clinical meeting which is currently conducted on Tuesday morning. Within the next few days after the meeting, you can expect a scheduling phone call to begin your therapy.

For Community Partners

1. Below is the link to a PDF of our External Referral Form. Please complete this form with the client and have them sign at the bottom giving consent to share their information with Hope Harbor. Submit the form via email to bgtherapist@hopeharbor.net or fax 270-782-5042 and a representative from Hope Harbor will follow up to schedule an intake appointment.

External Referral Form

What to Expect during Therapy

Our therapists practice trauma-informed therapy which is client-centered as well as individualized. Some types of therapy utilized at Hope Harbor are EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing), cognitive behavioral therapy as well as mindfulness techniques.

You, along with your therapist, will develop a treatment plan based on your unique needs which may include weekly or bi-weekly sessions.

Our therapeutic goal is to empower clients to utilize the resources they already possess.