Alisha Hughes, a clinical mental health counselor at Pillars of Wellness Inc., works to provide personalized counseling to help clients navigate mental health challenges. Hughes’ experiences in education, counseling, and motherhood have molded her mission to promote healing within mental healthcare.
“What originally inspired me was having my own mental health issues and knowing that I needed help,” said Hughes. “What I needed was somebody who understood my diagnosis and could offer a wraparound approach. I needed a counselor.”
Hughes, a native of Lansing, Michigan, has always felt a call to pursue counseling. Hughes began her clinical journey after obtaining her bachelor of arts in elementary education and teaching at Olivet Nazarene University in 2003. From there, she moved to Valparaiso with her husband, where she started her family and first began her career pastoring children at Valparaiso Nazarene Church.
Hughes would later pursue her master’s degree in mental health counseling at Indiana Wesleyan University from 2019 to 2022. As part of her internship before graduating and obtaining her license, Hughes chose to pursue work at Valparaiso Nazarene Church and Valparaiso Community Schools.
“I learned a lot from my awesome supervisor, Amy Tharp, and from my time at Valparaiso Nazarene Church’s Counseling Center,” said Hughes. “I was blessed enough to get into Pillars of Wellness for the final part of my internship. I really wanted to work there and was so happy to slide into a position. I feel like I am where I am supposed to be right now.”
Pillars of Wellness, Inc. is a Midwest-based mental health organization. Hughes’ counseling services are primarily offered at their Valparaiso location. Pillars of Wellness is also based in Merrillville, Hobart, Chicago, and via an online telehealth program. The clinicians have different areas of expertise to cater to clients’ specific needs and preferences.
“We have a very unique program at Pillars,” said Hughes. “What I offer as a counselor is going to be different from somebody else. I come from a background of being in a church since I was born, so I am able to offer an integration of faith into my client’s counseling experiences, whereas another counselor could offer a very different category of experience or share a cultural background.”
Pillars of Wellness has over 80 therapists who work with clients to help address their mental, emotional, and relational needs. For Hughes, she tends to work with clients from 10 a.m. to 6-7 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday to meet a healthy work-life balance.
“It is an honor for me to get to sit with somebody and pull them out of a dark spot,” said Hughes. “I want people to know that counselors are rooting for their clients and are happy to join them as they try to sort through how to get to a better place.”
Outside of Hughes’ work as a counselor, she is also a very proud mother of four children, ranging from ages three to 18. Hughes declares Valparaiso to be a great place to raise her children due to its excellent schools, sports, and recreational activities.
“My husband and I felt like our kids were going to have a good education here,” said Hughes. “There are plenty of things to do and so many ways to connect with people. Valparaiso seems to excel in all areas and is consistently improving. The city continues to build new things and create better roads. Our kids love the parks and the ice skating rink.”
Between balancing parenting and counseling, Hughes loves to spend time with her friends, whether it is grabbing a coffee together or going out to eat. She also has a great affinity for motherhood and support groups. Hughes recently joined a localized Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS), a program for empowering mothers with children from infancy through preschool.
“I am grateful for the MOPS program,” said Hughes. “The group is my favorite thing to do with my 3-year-old. I feel like I am a much better mom. I love tapping into the support and inspiring ideas of other mothers.”
Prior to her career at Pillars of Wellness, Hughes extended her love of motherhood into her Meal Planning Mommies blog. Initially a fun project done with two colleagues, the blog served as a creative outlet for recipes, meal planning, and parenting tips. Though the project’ hiatus has lasted a few years, Hughes’ passion for educating others on the joys of motherhood remains strong.
For more information about local mental health resources, groups, and workshops, visit pillarstherapy.com/. For mothers looking for faith-based support, visit mops.org/. Lastly, to learn about the evolution of Hughes’ blog, click here.