THE PROBLEM OF ISOLATION AND THE POWER OF GROUPS
An all too common problem for hurting parents is isolation. Our guilt, shame, and embarrassment cause us to withdraw. Our tears are so close to the surface we don’t want to talk about our sons or daughters with others.
It’s our strong belief that we’re not created to live life alone but in community. Life with all its joys and sorrows is to be experienced with others. Mutual encouragement and shared trials help to lighten our load and increase our strength for the journey. This is where the power of support groups can help when the pain is too deep.
HOPE FOR HURTING PARENTS GROUP LOCATIONS
Active Groups by State and City
Contact the person listed by email to find out specific information about their group.
Arizona
- Apache Junction – Brenda Gray Ferland, brendaferland@gmail.com
Arkansas
- Little Rock – Larry and Lynn Lindahl, lylindahl@familylife.com
California
- Monrovia – Mary Riker, maryrkr@msn.com
Colorado
- Erie – Val Bush, valbush@mac.com (moms only)
- Lafayette – Val Bush, valbush@mac.com
Florida
- Brookville – Bill and Ann Spratt, sprattfamily@gmail.com
- Clermont – Catherine Cornell-Dunn, charmedcat924@gmail.com
- Cocoa – Elizabeth Schaffner, eschaffner81@gmail.com
- Ft. Myers – The Faith Center, Pam Antonucci, pam@thefaithcenter.com
- Lady Lake – North Lake Presbyterian Church, Tony and Betti Cuomo, betjan2003@yahoo.com
- Leesburg – Juanita LeBarron, jlebarron@comcast.net
- Lutz – Diane Barber, dianebarber@mac.com and Julie Miller, jmiller@bayhope.com
- Orlando
- East – Tom and Dena Yohe, hope@hopeforhurtingparents.com
- Winter Garden – Lisa Philippone, lphilippone@gmail.com (mom’s only)
- The Villages – New Covenant United Methodist Church, Ellen Pollock, epollock@newcovenantumc-fl.org
Georgia
- Atlanta – Fair and John Brocard, fairbrocard@gmail.com
- Canton – Jeff Sandlin, jsandlin@its.jnj.com
Illinois
- Mansfield – Candy Loyd, candy.loyd@gmail.com
- Naperville – Calvary Church, Rosa Velia, hope4parents@outlook.com
Indiana
- Indianapolis – Jane Carlisle, jcarlisle215@gmail.com and Karen Neal, neal4715@att.net
- Evansville – Karen Saddler-Presley, karenpresley1233@gmail.com
Michigan
- Mount Clemens – Dan and Marianne Hitz, marianne_hitz@hotmail.com
Minnesota
- Mankato
- Beth Denhof, bethdenhof@msn.com
- Karen Herwig, karenherwig@outlook.com and Amy Deike, amdeike@gmail.com
- Mountain Lake – Lori Golinghorst, lorig9916@gmail.com
- Winona – Keith and Deanne Nelson, deannenelson@yahoo.com
Missouri
- Chesterfield – Jennie Smith, jenniehhpstl@gmail.com
Nebraska
- North Platte – Gerard Flores, gerardflores@gmail.com and Casey Kurre, mcmann.casey@gmail.com
New York
- Binghamton – Janet Plock, jplock@stny.rr.com Janet is available for phone appointments.
North Carolina
- Rural Hall – Sharon Hayes, hvac.kingmechanical@gmail.com
North Dakota
- Grand Forks – Peggy Zavoral, ppzavoral@wiktel.com
Oregon
- Medford – Michele Ashpole, smashpole89@gmail.com
- Milwaukie – Chris White, chrisw42906@gmail.com
Pennsylvania
- Reading – Jessie Santiago, jessiecarlos33@gmail.com
South Carolina
- Pendleton – Melissa Whitmire, BornAgain1001@aol.com
- Simpsonville – Brookwood Church, joshua.masters@brookwoodchurch.org
South Dakota
- Tea – Jan and Scott Jaacks, janicejaacks@gmail.com
Tennessee
- Memphis – The Life Church, Travis Moody, tmoody@thelifechurch.com
Texas
- Carrollton – Bent Tree Bible Fellowship, Debbie Walden, dwalden972@aol.com
- College Station – Jennifer Minckler, jennifer.minckler17@gmail.com
- Madisonville – First Baptist Church, Liz Stover, lizstover16@gmail.com
- Magnolia – Sherry Burkhard, sherry@mosaicsofmercy.com
Virginia
- Bristol – Antioch Baptist Church, Susan Richardson, Hope4HurtingParents@yahoo.com
Washington
- Oak Harbor – Ann and Don Jaques, Dnajaques@comcast.net
- Shoreline – Jenn Summa, jjsumma@msn.com
International
- Kenya, Nairobi – Millicent Mucheneh, njemucheneh@yahoo.com
- South Africa, East London, Eastern Cape – Buyiswa Goniwe, cindygoniwe@gmail.com
- Singapore – Doris Leong, dorisleong29@gmail.com
If you are fortunate enough to be near one, please try it. If not, consider Celebrate Recovery, Al-Anon, Nar-Anon, NAMI Family to Family or start a group yourself.
START A GROUP
Do you long to be part of a group just for parents that cover a broad range of issues, while also allowing for your Christian perspective, scripture, and prayer?
We’ve been facilitating this kind of group in our home for over eight years and it’s where Hope for Hurting Parents support groups began. When parents began asking about groups in their location and there weren’t any, we decided to write a guide to help them start one.
You can download a free sample of the introduction and first session on Grief and Loss. If you decide to start a group, order the complete Facilitator Guide and Parent Notebooks by clicking on the images below. You could order just the Facilitator Guide and give parents in your group the link to order their own Parent Notebook.
YOU AS A FACILITATOR
You might be thinking, “I’m such a mess how can I lead a group?” We’ve taken the emphasis off leading and placed it on facilitating. Your role is not as a teacher or instructor, rather, you’re simply a facilitator sharing content, asking a few open-ended questions, then guiding the discussion. You aren’t expected to know everything or have your act together. We’re all fellow strugglers on the same heartbreaking path. Authenticity and a willingness to be vulnerable with your trials 
is your best asset.
We recognize that what we do and how we do it – the frequency our group meets and where – may not fit every situation. Feel free to structure your group as you see best. Our goal is to have more support groups all over the country. There are many parents in need, with few resources available.
It’s not our intention to create high content-driven groups. Rather, these groups are safe, confidential, loving communities for hurting parents to find the encouragement, resources, acceptance, comfort, and hope they need.
Our goal is to give parents the opportunity to share honestly about their feelings with others who understand, won’t think less of them, or give pat answers.
THE HOPE FOR HURTING PARENTS FACILITATOR GUIDE
A few of the 22 topics are: grief and loss, worry and anxiety, enabling, fear, communication, and anger. You may use them in any order you choose. There’s enough material for a whole year if you met twice a month, once in November and December due to the holidays. You can determine how often you want to meet.
You can download a free sample that includes everything you need to get started, plus one session on Grief and Loss. To request your FREE sample of our Facilitator Guide click the button and fill out the information. After you’ve reviewed the material you can order the complete Facilitator Guide and Parent Notebooks by clicking on the images below. Or you can order just the Facilitator Guide and give parents in your group the link to order their own Parent Notebook.
TESTIMONIES ABOUT HOPE FOR HURTING PARENTS SUPPORT GROUPS
PARENTS
“I really needed this tonight. Being with others who understand and don’t judge me is so freeing. My heart feels so much lighter. I really need the topic of detachment, too. I have a lot to work on, but now I feel I can do it.”
“I really appreciated the topic being printed and handed out. I had something tangible I could hang on to and look at again and again during times of crisis, offering scripture and hope. Most of all the group supported me with their prayers, which helped me to regain my focus on God’s strength instead of my own. I now realize my son’s situation is not hopeless.”
“We cannot thank you enough for your ministry. Over the past year, as we worked through the various stages of facing our son’s choices, you have been there alongside us. Your ministry and group have been a real safe haven for us to catch our breaths.”
GROUP FACILITATORS
“The content is very rich and filled with wisdom. We have all felt that the material is very insightful and useful for us in our journey. There are many times we have shared how ‘right on’ the material is in helping us navigate this uncharted territory.”
The topics are so relevant in your guide. I think every parent experiencing these types of 
situations can relate to the topics at some point in their journey with their adult child. Facilitating a Hope for Hurting Parents group is very meaningful to me. God keeps leading me to others who are hurting. God used my situation to give me more compassion and encourage others in similar situations.”
One woman in my group commented, ‘Everyone needs a group like Hope for Hurting Parents.’ She is right. I have talked to women in other states and other parts of Florida who have never heard it and are interested in having one. There is a need for groups like these to love, support, pray, and encourage one another through our struggles.”
MINISTRY LEADERS
“A Hope for Hurting Parents group provides immeasurable support, guidance, hope, and care to those who attend. I have watched and witnessed the profound effect a Hope for Hurting Parents group provides to the hurting parents of our church community. Berry Johnston – Pastor C.A.R.E. Ministries Discovery Church, Orlando, FL
“I have had the privilege of getting to know Tom and Dena Yohe, and their ministry, Hope for Hurting Parents. The Yohes have a tremendous testimony and are faithful witnesses to the healing power of Christ. We at New Covenant United Methodist Church have two Hope for Hurting Parents groups now, and we seek their wise counsel and advice as we move through this process. I cannot think of better representatives for the Kingdom than the Yohes that we can journey alongside.” Ellen Pollock – Associate Director – Care Ministries, New Covenant United Methodist Church, The Villages, FL
“Tom and Dena Yohe have lived through the ups and downs, and the hurts and joys of life with a prodigal. All they have learned is now helping so many others through their wonderful ministry Hope for Hurting Parents. They not only have wise encouragement, but also powerful prayers.” Judy Douglass – Writer, Encourager, Founder of Prayer for Prodigals, Cru
“The beauty of what happens in a Hope for Hurting Parents support group has been so inspiring to us at Village View Church. The group is a safe place for participants to take their hurt, let it out, then leave with the hope they need to make it through another day with the strength of Jesus Christ guiding every step.” Deb Williams – Former Staff of Recovery and Support Ministries, Village View Community Church, Summerfield, FL
“I would like to recommend Tom and Dena Yohe’s ministry, Hope for Hurting Parents. In the words of one of the parents attending the group, “I love these two people. They have helped me so much to understand my role as a parent. I felt like I was really helped. It really is important that I attend the sessions'” Pastor Marty Shea – Senior Pastor, Village View Community Church, Summerfield, FL
COUNSELORS
“As a parent of two sons who struggle with mental health concerns, I personally know the value of a caring, knowledgeable support network. This group provides that and more. The discussions are open and honest; the information shared is practical and understandable; the relationships formed are invaluable. I highly recommend the group to my clients who are parents seeking to love their child well in the difficult times.” Mike Wilcox – M.A., M.A., Licensed Mental Health Counselor
“Tom and Dena are passionate and devoted to their cause and can personally identify with parents that have struggled raising and dealing with difficult children. They also help those families with adult children that are still problematic as well. I love what they are doing and want to continue to see their ministry grown so they can help as many families possible that are hurting.” Debbie Haughton – Licensed Mental Health Counselor
“No one should suffer alone. This support group was designed to come alongside of hurting parents. It is SAFE and parents can come with their authentic selves to receive love and support without judgement. I know of no other group like it. I personally have felt buoyed up and prayed for during some of my most difficult parenting days and continue to find those who supported me a continued support today. It is a gift to carry one another’s burdens and share in their pain side by side. It is an experience of Jesus being present to heal the brokenhearted.” Nancy A. Johnson – EdD, LMHC
“These support groups provide a safe place to feel, share and encourage one another as hurting parents who are on a journey through parenting challenges with adolescent or adult children. The groups are warm, intimate and confidential. The facilitators guide parents, with hope, through their many resources. I often refer hurting parents to HHP as it is a crucial piece of the healing process. I’m excited to see this group multiply and bless others!” Tanya Alvarado – MA, LMHC
Order the complete Facilitator Guide and Parent Notebooks by clicking on the images above then register your support group to stay connected with Hope for Hurting Parents and have access to additional help for your group.
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