Who We Are

High Hopes Counseling Foundation is a non-profit counseling and consulting agency that provides mental and behavioral health services, support, and advocacy to children and their families, regardless of their ability to pay.

Along with mental and behavioral health support for low-income clients, we provide volunteer and training opportunities for masters-level student trainees, and paid comprehensive training and supervision for post graduate, associate marriage and family therapists, professional counselors, and behavior therapists.

Our Mission

We work to increase awareness and reduce stigma surrounding mental health diagnoses through counseling, education, advocacy, and information dissemination.

Our Culture

At High Hopes Counseling, we value empathy, integrity, and accessibility.

We encourage individuals to take charge of their mental health and provide them the tools to do so. Our volunteer university students, associate therapists, and trained staff will teach clients different mindfulness and self-awareness techniques. This includes:

  • recognizing emotional triggers
  • applying self-regulation techniques
  • practicing mindful breathing exercises and meditations
  • identifying strengths, achievements, and values
  • setting short and long-term goals

We’ll be by your side as you learn about yourself, and discover your innate ability to change and grow. We believe nutrition, mindfulness, exercise, self-care, and community are essential components to increase overall emotional well-being in anyone.

Our Story

The idea for High Hopes Counseling Foundation originated when I struggled to find affordable, quality mental and behavioral health care. I grew up in a low-socioeconomic household with family members who faced mental health struggles. Due to lack of parental awareness, financial barriers, and the stigma surrounding mental health treatment in the 1970s, I had to learn how to manage my own mental health needs.

As an adult, I received six free therapy sessions at the Fullerton College Health Center. After these visits, I was referred to FACES, a nonprofit offering low-cost counseling services. I was grateful to find support, especially with the socioeconomic barriers I faced at the time. My experience at FACES impacted me greatly. Not only did I gain insights about mental health, I learned so much about myself. Many of the coping strategies and mindfulness practices I learned there stick with me to this day. I’d later find myself daydreaming about becoming a therapist and starting my own clinic to give back to the community.

…

As the years went on, I began to see how difficult it can be to find collaborative mental health care. While raising my own family, I pieced together care for myself and my children by meeting with a long list of professionals—medical doctors, mental health therapists, speech and language therapists, psychiatrists, school counselors, special education teachers, optometrists, and radiologists. Getting the care you need shouldn’t be stressful. 

I wanted to make the road to get support easier and more accessible. I wanted to create a path where others could access consistent, affordable, and high-quality care without the barriers I had to face.

In 2020, my dream became a reality! 

At High Hopes Counseling, we’re proud to say that we’ve supported many children and adults in their mental wellness journey. We’ve put on numerous group sessions and gotten involved heavily in our local community.