Born from the Ashes – the Anchored in Hope Story

​The following was written by Krista McCulloch, Owner, Anchored in Hope Counseling.

​When I was asked to write the story of how Anchored in Hope Counseling was born, I thought…how do I put this into words?  How do I give justice to the beautiful, complex journey that led me to open Anchored in Hope Counseling?

Anchored in Hope Counseling was born from the ashes, quite literally.

In 2018 I had a devastating total loss house fire.  God delivered me home at the exact precise moment I needed to be there to save my family. I was not supposed to be home. I was working my contingent job and felt sick to the point I needed to be picked up from work and driven home by my mother in-law. I left work an hour and half early and when I walked in the door there was no sign anything was wrong with the house. I immediately woke up my husband who was asleep in my sons room. I was crying as I told him “somethings wrong, I felt so sick your mom had to come get me from work early.” As he went to get me pajamas, the smoke alarms went off and we saw smoke coming out of the ceiling. Each of us ran, grabbed a kid and flew out the house. My husband ran right back in thinking it was a small fire. The room my son was just sleeping in seconds ago had flames shooting down from the ceiling. It was so bad he had to run immediately back out.  The firefighters worked to put out the fire for many hours. It was a total loss. I kept thinking…I was not supposed to be here, and God delivered me home.

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​Over the next few weeks, I decided that I could no longer live my life in fear. I needed to make a change.

For many years I had worked in mental health agencies where I felt I couldn’t serve people the way they deserved to be served. There was too much red tape, too much emphasis on money, productivity expectations, image…somehow the client care always seemed to get lost in the mix.  I craved the ability to just serve clients the way they deserved to be treated; to have the time to honor people’s journeys and meet them where they were. So at seemingly the worst possible time, I decided that I would open a practice.

Even when many others thought I was crazy to open a business right after a house fire, I had the help of a friend who pushed me when I needed to be pushed and stood by my side, as well as a husband who said “ok let’s do it!”

How many times have I felt that quiet urge or voice telling me to act but fear let me shut it out? Facing that total loss of my home reminded me to LIVE. Reminded me that it’s not about succeeding or failing, it’s about answering that call.

Saying yes to serve amidst the chaos…amidst all the louder reasons not to.

There were challenges. Lots and lots of challenges. There still are, but If someone asked me if I would do it all over again…the fire, the loss, the fear, opening a business – my answer would still be YES. I have learned so much about myself through it all.

You see loss or death changes us completely. We are never the same. There is pain, there is anger, there is grief, there is guilt, there is sadness, there is questioning. But then there’s hope, and from that hope comes transformation. Transformation into something stronger, and more resilient then you ever thought possible.

Why do I share this vulnerable message? Because there’s hope amongst the fire. I am not any more special than anyone reading this. No matter what fire you are facing today, know that there is hope for you. That fire you are facing will transform you, and you will come out stronger.

I won’t tell you it won’t hurt, be hard, or even feel impossible, but I can tell you the journey is worth it. You are so worth it. You are worthy and equipped for everything that God has intended for you. The journey may not look pretty and you may feel broken, but cling onto hope and answer your calling.

What do I want Anchored in Hope to look like? I want us to be an anchor of hope for the hurting.  I want us to hold space for people when they need it, and I want us to be a place that reminds people they are seen, heard, and worthy. This is my hope, mission, and my calling.

Krista McCulloch
Owner, Anchored in Hope Counseling

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