Who We Are
Shield of Hope Counseling is a faith-based, trauma-informed counseling practice that serves the Northshore in person and the state of Louisiana online. As a faith-based practice, the counselors at Shield of Hope prioritize integrating the Christian faith into their counseling offices. The Christian faith informs their decisions and their approach with each client. Each of the counselors at Shield of Hope Counseling have had trauma-informed training, which impacts how they view and treat the people that they serve.
What is Shield of Hope
The name Shield of Hope comes from two places. Throughout the Bible, God is described as the One whom we put our hope in to shield and protect us. “But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high” Psalm 3:3 and “You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word” Psalm 119:114. In Peter Levine’s book Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma, he states “Many traumatized people use their shield-equivalent of sensation, or the ‘felt sense,’ to master trauma. The felt sense encompasses the clarity, instinctual power, and fluidity necessary to transform trauma.” People have the power to heal their trauma as they use the ability to feel safe in the counseling setting to shield their vulnerable healing and give them hope for their future.
Meet the Team
Meet our Team!
The counselors of Shield of Hope Counseling are all faith-based counselors. They each have their own expertise, and you can read more about each of them below. We would love the opportunity to walk with you through whatever challenges you are currently facing.
Ellen Michel
- Owner and Director
- Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Counseling from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
- Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Louisiana
- Trust-Based Relational Intervention Practitioner, which enables Ellen to work with families from hard places to heal attachment trauma through safe and secure relationships
- Trained in EMDR, a model of therapy used to treat trauma and extreme emotions
- Certified Clinical Trauma Professional
- Making Sense of Your Worth facilitator
- Ellen enjoys working with adults that have experienced trauma, attachment issues, spiritual issues, boundaries, or codependency.
ellen@shieldofhopecounseling.com
Whitney Young
- Clinical Director
- Master of Education in Counselor Education from Southeastern Louisiana University.
- Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Louisiana (LPC #6419)
- Certified Perinatal Mental Health Professional, specializing in pregnancy and postpartum issues (PSI 6017).
- Trained in EMDR, a model of therapy used to treat trauma and extreme emotions.
- National Certified Counselor (NCC# 629425)
- Whitney enjoys working with those suffering from trauma, stay at home or working moms, those suffering from anxiety, self-esteem issues, or depression, pregnant and postpartum women, young adult and college students, and other counselors.
- Virtual only counselor
whitney@shieldofhopecounseling.com
Rebecca Lay
- Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Counseling from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
- Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Louisiana
- Trained in EMDR, a model of therapy used to treat trauma and extreme emotions
- Member of American Association of Christian Counselors
- Rebecca enjoys working with individuals that have experienced trauma, who suffer from grief, or are walking through addiction.
rebecca@shieldofhopecounseling.com
Taylor Reitz
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker
- Master’s degree in Social Work from Univeristy of Southern Mississippi
- Trained in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Enjoys working with high school and college aged individuals with depression, anxiety, trauma, family conflict, peer conflict, or self esteem related issues
- Uses a variety of techniques, tailored to the client’s individual needs and desired therapy outcomes
taylor@shieldofhopecounseling.com
Tiffany Graham
- Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy from Liberty University
- Provisionally Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Louisiana (PLPC #7195)
- Prepare/Enrich Certified Facilitator
- Member of American Counselors Association (ACA)
- Tiffany enjoys working with adolescents and adults who struggle with depression, anxiety, life transitions, stress, spiritual issues, trauma, and those who serve/work in ministry
- In person counseling appointments available
tiffany@shieldofhopecounseling.com
D’Janero Christian
- Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Capella University
- Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of Louisiana
- Provisional Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (PLMFT) in the state of Louisiana
- Certified Grief Professional (CGP)
- D’Janero runs our groups at Shield of Hope Counseling and enjoys working with families, couples, adolescents, and adults.
d’janero@shieldofhopecounseling.com
Ciara Weary
- Master’s of Science Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Capella University
- Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of Louisiana
- Provisional Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (PLMFT) in the state of Louisiana
- Ciara enjoys working with adolescents, young adults, adults, and families that are struggling with anxiety, self-esteem issues, and family conflict.
ciara@shieldofhopecounseling.com
Javunte Andrews
- Master of Science in Counseling from Southeastern Louisiana University
- Provisional License Professional Counselor in the state of Louisiana (#PLC9941)
- A member of the Louisiana Counselor Association (LCA), American School Counselors Association (ASCA), and National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)
- National Certified Counselor (#1725970)
- Javunte enjoys working with children, adolescents, and young adults suffering from grief, divorce, anxiety, trauma, peer conflict, self-esteem-related issues, family conflict, and life transitions.
- In-person counseling appointments are available
javunte@shieldofhopecounseling.com
Therapies We Use
- Attachment-based Counseling
- Christian Counseling
- Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Family Systems
- Internal Family Systems (IFS)
- Mindfulness
- Person-Centered
- Trauma Informed
- Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI)
- Twelve Step Approach
- Anxiety
- Attachment Issues
- Bipolar
- Codependency
- Depression
- Foster & Adoptive Families
- Grief
- Life Transitions
- Pregnant/Postpartum Women
- Self Esteem
- Sexual Abuse
- Spiritual Issues
- Substance Abuse
- Trauma and PTSD
- Women's Issues
Finances and Insurance
Finances
- Cost per Session: $100 - $135
- Sliding Scale: Yes
- Pay By: Cash, Check, or Card
accepted insurance plans
- Aetna
- BlueCross and BlueShield
- Humana
- Tricare
- UMR
- UnitedHealthcare
What to Expect
When you arrive at the office for your first session, you will wait in our waiting room until your counselor comes to bring you back to their office. They will often begin by going over the paperwork that you filled out on the online portal prior to your appointment. Then, they will get to know you a little better by understanding what brings you into counseling. You will often discuss your goals for therapy, so have in mind what you hope to gain from the counseling process. The goal of the first session is to begin building trust and understanding between the counselor and the client.
