You’re struggling with anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, or trauma. You want professional help, but you also want a therapist who understands that your faith isn’t separate from your mental health, it’s central to who you are.
You’ve tried therapy before, but something was missing. The clinical techniques helped, but you longed for someone who could speak to the spiritual dimensions of your struggle. Who could acknowledge that sometimes your deepest questions aren’t just psychological, they’re matters of the soul.
You don’t want therapy that ignores your faith or dismisses it as irrelevant. You want healing that addresses your whole being: body, mind, soul, and spirit.
At Take Heart Counseling, we integrate professional Christian counseling with therapeutic work alongside horses. This isn’t traditional office-based therapy, it’s an experiential approach where horses become active partners in your spiritual and emotional healing journey.
Horses are incredibly intuitive creatures that God created with gentleness, wisdom, and honest responsiveness. They provide immediate, non-judgmental feedback that mirrors emotional and spiritual truths. Working with them outdoors at our peaceful ranch allows you to experience faith concepts not just intellectually, but in your body, emotions, and spirit.
All activities happen on the ground at our 52-acre ranch in Wernersville, PA. No horse experience is necessary, and riding is completely optional. Our licensed therapists guide every session, integrating clinical expertise with biblical truth.
What if you could receive evidence-based therapy that honors your relationship with God? What if healing addressed not just your symptoms, but the spiritual hunger, purpose questions, and faith struggles you’re experiencing?
At Take Heart Counseling, we integrate professional Christian counseling with trauma-focused equine-assisted psychotherapy to help clients in Berks, Lancaster, Chester, and Lebanon counties find mental, emotional, and spiritual wholeness. Our slogan “hope. healing. horses.” reflects our passion for combining faith, clinical professionalism, and the healing power of the horse-human bond.
We understand that spirituality is a core component of humanity. Studies show that faith is a crucial part of healing and long-term well-being. Faith and a relationship with Jesus is the foundation for our team and our work, but we’re not “religious.” We meet you exactly where you are on your spiritual journey.
Whether you’re navigating doubt, seeking to deepen your faith, or longing to understand God’s purpose through your pain, we walk alongside you with compassion and clinical expertise.
You might benefit from faith-integrated therapy if you’re experiencing:
Our licensed therapists are credentialed mental health professionals first and foremost. Each therapist is licensed or pre-licensed in Pennsylvania, holds a minimum of a Master’s degree, and is certified in trauma-focused equine-assisted psychotherapy through the Natural Lifemanship Institute.
But they’re also people whose lives have been changed by God and by horses. They understand the integration of faith and mental health because they’ve experienced it personally. They bring both clinical excellence and spiritual depth to every session.
Our team creates a safe, compassionate space where you can explore difficult questions, process painful experiences, and discover God’s healing presence in your life. We never push spiritual content where it doesn’t fit, and we always respect your pace and preferences.
We integrate evidence-based therapeutic techniques with faith-based, meaningful discussions. This means you receive the clinical tools proven to help with anxiety, depression, trauma, and relationship challenges, while also exploring the spiritual dimensions of your healing.
We incorporate somatic movement, emotional regulation, cognitive and behavioral strategies, and biblical principles. In doing so, we address the root of any issue from a holistic perspective that honors your whole being.
God gave us everything we need in nature, but modern life has disconnected us from His creation. At our peaceful 52-acre ranch, you’ll rediscover what it means to slow down, be present, and encounter God’s goodness through His creation.
The horses become part of your healing journey. Their honest, non-judgmental presence mirrors God’s unconditional acceptance. Working with them outdoors allows you to experience faith concepts not just intellectually, but in your body, emotions, and spirit.
Many clients describe the ranch as a “thin place” where heaven and earth feel close. It’s hard to deny the peace you feel here is something truly special.
We are hurt in relationship, but we also heal in relationship. As humans, when our connection to ourselves, others, or God is out of balance, we struggle.
Our approach helps you restore balance in all three areas. Through therapeutic work with the horses, you’ll develop healthier relationship with yourself. Through authentic connection with your therapist and the horses, you’ll practice relating to others in new ways. And through meaningful spiritual exploration, you’ll deepen your connection with God.
We believe all people are created with purpose and intention by a loving God. You are not a mistake. You are not defined by your failures, struggles, diagnosis, or trauma. You are not defined by what someone has done to you.
Your story may have been written by others’ poor choices or difficult circumstances so far, but you get to write the rest of the story. Our goal is to walk alongside you to empower you to become all that God created you to be and to live your life to the fullest.
We use proven therapeutic approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), attachment-based therapy, and mindfulness practices.
These clinical methods work alongside biblical truth, not against it. We help you understand how God designed your brain to heal, how Scripture speaks to your specific struggles, and how faith practices support mental health recovery.
You receive the best of both worlds: professional mental health treatment and spiritual guidance rooted in God’s Word.
We regularly work with people of other faith backgrounds or those who don’t believe at all. Everyone is welcome at Take Heart. We are all on a spiritual journey, and we don’t have to be at the same place to work together.
Our background is Christian and our work is grounded in our faith, but we meet you where YOU are. You get to decide how much or how little to include spiritual topics in your therapy sessions. We never push religion where it’s not wanted.
Some clients come specifically for Christian counseling. Others come for our clinical expertise and equine therapy, with faith discussions happening organically as they’re ready. Both approaches work beautifully.
Individual Therapy: Work one-on-one with a therapist who integrates faith and clinical expertise to address anxiety, depression, trauma, identity questions, purpose and calling, spiritual doubts, and life transitions.
Couples & Marriage Counseling: Strengthen your relationship through biblical principles, attachment-based therapy, and equine-assisted activities that help you work as a team and honor God’s design for marriage.
Family Therapy: Heal family patterns and develop healthier dynamics rooted in grace, forgiveness, and authentic connection. Work together with the horses to practice new ways of relating.
Pastoral Care & Ministry Support: Specialized counseling for pastors, ministry leaders, and helping professionals experiencing burnout, compassion fatigue, or spiritual dryness. We understand the unique pressures of serving others.
Retreats & Workshops: Equine-guided retreats designed for church groups, leadership teams, women’s groups, and ministry organizations seeking experiential spiritual growth and team building.
Our Clinical Team is made up of Counselors first and foremost. Skilled in a variety of therapeutic modalities, our Clinicians are all licensed or pre-licensed in Pennsylvania, and have a minimum of a Master’s degree in their field. Each of our therapists are certified in trauma-focused equine assisted psychotherapy through the Natural Lifemanship Institute. Compassionate care, trauma-competent professionals, all whose lives have been changed by horses as well – our team is truly unique.
Do I have to be a Christian to come to Take Heart?
No. While faith and a relationship with Jesus is the foundation for our team, we welcome everyone regardless of spiritual background. You decide how much faith integration feels right for your therapy.
Will you push religion on me?
Never. We meet you where you are and respect your spiritual journey. If you want to explore faith questions, we’re here for that. If you prefer to focus on clinical work, that’s perfectly fine too.
What if I’m struggling with doubts about God?
Doubt is a normal part of faith. We create a safe space where you can express questions, anger at God, spiritual confusion, or uncertainty without judgment. Many people’s faith grows stronger through honest wrestling.
How do horses relate to Christian counseling?
God created horses with incredible intuition, gentleness, and wisdom. Working with them provides powerful metaphors for spiritual truths like trust, surrender, rest, and authentic relationship. Many clients experience God’s presence uniquely through these animals.
Do I need horse experience?
No. You don’t need any experience with horses. Our horses are gentle partners, and our team ensures your safety and comfort throughout.
Can you help with specific faith struggles?
Yes. Whether you’re dealing with guilt and shame, questions about God’s goodness in suffering, identity in Christ, purpose and calling, spiritual warfare, or integration of faith and mental health, we can address these concerns.
What makes Christian counseling different from regular therapy?
Christian counseling addresses spiritual dimensions alongside psychological ones. We integrate Scripture, prayer (when appropriate), and biblical perspectives with evidence-based clinical techniques. Healing addresses your whole person, including your soul and spirit.
Do you offer pastoral counseling?
Our therapists are licensed mental health professionals, not ordained clergy. However, we specialize in supporting pastors, ministry leaders, and church staff with the unique challenges of ministry life including burnout, compassion fatigue, and spiritual health.
You deserve healing that honors every part of who you are, including your faith. Whether you’re seeking to deepen your relationship with God, struggling with spiritual questions, or simply want therapy that doesn’t dismiss your beliefs, Take Heart Counseling is here for you.
Our professional Christian counseling combined with equine-assisted therapy provides a unique path to wholeness for clients across Berks, Lancaster, Chester, and Lebanon counties. At our peaceful ranch, you’ll find hope, healing, and horses, all working together for your restoration.
The peace you feel here is something truly special. It’s where God meets you in your struggle and walks with you toward freedom.
Call Take Heart Counseling at (717) 917-7137 or contact us today to schedule your free 15-minute consultation. You are worth it. You were created with purpose. Let’s discover it together.
Wherever you are at on your journey, we are here for you. Our human and equine team will walk alongside you so you can find hope, healing, and wholeness in your life. You are worth it. Reach out to us today.
