Courtney Hauser, Spiritual Entrepreneur… and then some

LIFT (Leaders in Faith Together) is a regional ministry of Building Hope in the City focused on developing the capacity of Cleveland’s faith leaders. In 2022, LIFT welcomed five local entrepreneurs looking to launch non-profits based on each of their unique talents and with a goal of broadening their potential reach.

Courtney Hauser is a thriving leader from our first year, and in every sense of the word she embodies this leadership and her faith in Jesus through her work every day. She opened

Healing Care Counseling which connects the experience of therapy with faith and shows clients how the two are so deeply connected. Courtney explains, “A lot of people do not know how to incorporate their faith in their trauma.” Which is what she hopes each counselor at Healing Care can demonstrate those they work with each week.

“When you talk to me or work with me, you get Jesus,” Courtney says as she begins talking about her connection to God and her faith. She continues, “I don’t have to pull out a bible, but the way I present myself, it’s just natural that you’ll get Jesus pretty quickly.”

At a young age, a cousin of Courtney’s brought her to church for the first time. She saw almost immediately that Jesus offered her a level of love that she had not experienced. “I made up my mind very young that I wanted to live for Jesus and have that life for myself,” she stated. “Jesus has been at the center of everything and literally handpicks the people that He sends me right when I need a mentor or a resource.”

She found a way to connect Jesus to her work when she began counseling—bringing faith and a relationship with God into her sessions. God was leading her to start Healing Care Counseling – a space where the therapists bring lived-experience and a love of Jesus into sessions and into their work. She began this counseling center within the offices of a local church, bringing in Christians of color as the counselors who work alongside her.

Since they opened the doors, Healing Care Counseling has welcomed over 500 clients to receive counseling and life coaching. It is an incredible example of the way God works to put the right people and opportunities on Courtney’s path to success. Courtney saw such blessings through Healing Care and wanted to take steps to continue exploring the reach of her faith.

When Courtney’s husband, Mario, felt a call to start a church plant, Courtney knew this was another opportunity for God to show up with the right people and the right opportunities. As their past has shown them, they knew God would point them in the right direction. This church plant started with small gatherings of worship within the Hauser home, and as more started expressing interest, the church plant grew into what is now known as “The Village.”

On Thursdays, “The Village” meets at the Healing Care Counseling office space and families come as a whole unit to worship and learn. Courtney and Mario have cultivated a safe place to strengthen a relationship with God, ask questions and experience a healthy spiritual community.

“A lot of these people have had really bad experiences in church but are still looking for God in their lives,” says Courtney, and her hope is to show through this community that God’s healing is available to everyone.

Courtney and Mario both have experience as youth pastors, so the kids of “The Village” have become an important part of this community. As the adults worship with Mario, the children spend time in the conference room with Courtney, exploring Jesus and His Word in a way that is better understood by children -- through videos, games and lessons.

Courtney and Mario’s dream for the Church plant is for “people to know that healing and hope is available no matter where you are in your walk with God.” The Village’s mission is to help people seek Jesus, find community and serve others. As this small congregation grows, she shows she is doing just that… and then some.

We are so proud of the growth in Courtney’s business and how she shares her faith. We look forward to the future of “The Village” and its impact on local communities as they serve like Christ. Want to know more about Healing Care Counseling or The Village? Contact Courtney at courtney@healingcarecounseling.com.