SUSIE WALDEN

Susie Walden is the Managing Partner for Journey to Hope and is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the Commonwealth of Virginia and a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC) with the National Board of Certified Counselors. She graduated with a Masters degree in Professional Counseling/Marital and Family Therapy from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. Susie also has a BA in Psychology and Religious Studies from the University of West Florida.  Susie is currently expanding her studies post Liberty in the PhD Marital and Family Therapy Program at Northcentral University, concentrating on the latest trends in couples counseling and family interventions. Susie completed all of the coursework for the doctoral program in the PhD Professional Counseling track at Liberty University. Her doctoral dissertation focuses on Decision Based Forgiveness. Susie has completed a Doctoral Level Certification in Trauma therapy, representing 12 semester hours at the doctoral level, focusing on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Combat Related Stress, Sexual Trauma, Domestic Violence and Disaster Mental Health. Susie has completed Levels I, II and III of Gottman Couples Training as well as their courses on Trauma and Affair Recovery as well as Couples and Addiction Recovery. Susie is working towards Certification as a Gottman therapist/trainer.

Susie is an ordained minister and her experience includes serving as a Youth and Children's Pastor for twelve years in Hawaii, Florida and Georgia. Susie joined the staff of Stafford Crossing Community Church in Fredericksburg, VA as a Counselor in their Care and Counseling ministry in 2007. and then left in January 2011 to begin Journey to Hope Counseling. January 31, 2022 marked the 11th anniversary of Journey to Hope.

Susie is married to Andy, and they have two sons, Matthew and Drew, two wonderful daughters-in-
law, Jessie and Becca, and one incredible granddaughter, Mackenzie. Susie and Andy are adoptive parents 'of the heart' to exchange students from all over the world. Susie and Andy also have a family of Golden Retrievers that are part of the family: Gabe, Romeo, and Romeo’s daughter, Bella, and our newest Golden, Gracie. We sadly lost the matriarch of our Golden family, so things are a little different without our sweet Izzie. There are times when Susie will use her Goldens in therapy with clients. Gabe is a regular part of the counseling experience at Journey to Hope and he is available for greeting, emotional support and unconditional love. Gracie is in training and we have high hopes for Gracie at Journey to Hope.

Susie has traveled to India three times, doing both individual and group counseling at the centers there as well as training and teaching workshops and just sharing the love of Christ wherever she travels. Susie also endorses the work of Teen Challenge of Fredericksburg, and the Beauty for Ashes Women and Childrens Home, and believes that Journey to Hope must always have a focus on those trying to break the cycles of addiction, lifestyle habits and hangups. Susie is also passionate about ministry to 'the least of these' in our world, and serves faithfully each month feeding the homeless in our community various outreaches in the downtown Fredericksburg area. 

Susie's Life Verse:

Beauty for Ashes "He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord's favor has come,and with it, the day of God's anger against their enemies. To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair." Isaiah 61:1-3

Message from Susie:

There are things that we face in this life that are just too big; that overwhelm us or derail our journey, and it is in those times that I pray that God could join us for a season to journey together and work towards healing brokenness, towards recovery, towards finding hope again in each new day.

LYNDSAY ITOH

Lyndsay Itoh is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC). Lyndsay completed her residency with Journey to Hope and has joined us as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). Lyndsay completed her Masters of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Services at Colorado Christian University. Lyndsay has been counseling at Journey to Hope since August of 2018. She also has a Masters of Science in Experimental Psychology, with an emphasis on attachment, from Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, GA and completed her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Willamette University in Salem, OR.

Lyndsay’s background includes working in the field of domestic violence as a victim advocate as well as program administrator for the volunteer program of the San Diego Family Justice Center, which provides more than 25 on-site services to survivors of domestic violence. Lyndsay has also worked within the prison system as an intern for a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program, Turning Point, in Portland, OR. At Journey to Hope, Lyndsay has been working with children, adolescents, and their families, as well as practicing individual therapy with all ages.

Lyndsay and her husband reside in Stafford, Virginia with their three children, Elizabeth, Ashlyn, and Logan. She and her family joined Stafford Crossing Community Church in 2012 and have enjoyed becoming part of the Stafford Crossing family through involvement in Kids Crossing and hosting a bible study group. Lyndsay has spent most of her career in the counseling field and is grateful and honored to take the next step into the role she’s felt God’s calling to as a professional counselor.