Hershberger Counseling, at 354 Marshall St., Coldwater, was recently welcomed with a ribbon cutting from the Coldwater Area Chamber of Commerce. But Lorie Hershberger, MA, licensed professional counselor, isn’t exactly new in town.
In 2016, Hershberger opened his practice at the current location with Christine Hill-Melton, a psychologist, who has since retired.
Hershberger considered moving, then decided to purchase the building. His customers knew the place. She loved the building. It just seemed perfect.
And it’s almost perfect except that there are two office spaces available that she would like to rent. The walls are soundproofed to ensure privacy and although it would accommodate another therapist, it would also be welcoming for any professional in need of office space.
As for Hershberger’s journey to becoming a councilor and now in Coldwater, it’s been a journey.
Literally a trip across the country, following a corporate journey, both for her and for her husband, Paul Hershberger.
“In my other life, I was a registered nurse,” Hershberger said.
While working as a registered nurse at Belmont Hospital in Philadelphia in the women’s eating disorder treatment unit, the therapist gave her a stack of books and said, “You are a therapist, not a nurse.
Hershberger said, “I wanted to be a therapist since I was in seventh grade, but I just didn’t.”
When the therapist was unable to facilitate sessions, she handed over the group to Hershberger.
One thing led to another, and in another state, where she graduated from Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia in 1998. Along the way, she gained experience in addiction counselling.
Their next move was to Texas where she gained experience with teenage addictions before opening her own practice.
Around this time, Hershberger began learning from Pia Mellody, a nationally acclaimed “therapeutic genius.”
“Pia really changed me and what I do,” Hershberger said.
With this vast experience, she is now settled in Coldwater.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Reporter: Hershberger Counseling opens on Marshall Street in Coldwater
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