Ranch of Hope Counseling Center - Westcliffe, Colorado

Seth Carnes

My time at Ranch of Hope was exactly what I needed. God used Dave, his wise counsel, encouragement and spiritual guidance to help me process, accept, repent, and take steps to heal. I’m a work in progress, but this place was a catalyst of hope and change in my life. I would highly recommend Ranch of Hope if you’re stuck, desperate or in need of guidance, encouragement, support or hope.

And their dog Bear will keep you company as well. ? ?

sam breuscher

The most beautiful, peaceful place you could ask for to receive Holy Spirit led counseling. Here, I found more freedom than I thought was even possible in my life! I really cannot say enough good things about the location, and the staff are the most kind, sweet, and helpful people you could ever meet. 10/10 would recommend to ANYONE looking to receive healing and freedom in their life!

Daniel Rivera

The top 3 best decisions I’ve made in my life.
1. Accept Christ into my life
2. Marry my wife
3. Go to Ranch of Hope

I made the choice to come here when my life and my marriage was in crisis, and I was desperate for change and understanding of who I was in Christ. The love I felt from Dave and his wife Hope was so genuine, and Dave walked with me during my journey as if we were friends since childhood. The insight given on my past, and current circumstances, along with the tools and practical steps shown to continue my journey towards healing was truly Holy Spirit filled. I will never forget my time at the Ranch. If you hit a crossroads, and are desperate for change and answers as I was, I promise you will not regret going to Ranch of Hope. The accommodations of lovely, and the atmosphere is loving and safe. As Dave says, he lives in the Rockies, but doesn’t have any stones to throw. Thank you, Dave and Hope, and all of their loving, caring, and genuine staff.

Scott Plyler

The last year and a half of my life has been incredibly difficult as I’m continuing to grieve the loss of my beloved wife of 31 years after a battle with Stage 4 cancer, and the loss of my dear mother just 6 months later. I’ve been to group grief counseling, which was truly wonderful and helpful, but I knew I needed some more intensive help. I discovered Ranch of Hope while doing an Internet search, and it looked like it fit the bill for what I was looking for. Not only did it fit that bill, it eclipsed my expectations! The counseling was intense, but it was absolutely Holy Spirit lead, and it was done in an atmosphere of safety and genuine love for me. The new tools I gathered, and the new skills to practice using them, continue to be a vital part of my healing process as I continue to move forward with my grief journey. I HIGHLY recommend Ranch of Hope if you find yourself in need of godly counseling. Dave and Hope have created a warm and inviting space—physically (the accommodations are wonderful!), emotionally, and spiritually. You WILL BE blessed, you WILL encounter Holy Spirit, and you WILL depart with new Biblical tools and skills to live a more healthy and victorious life in Christ!

F. Kras

There is torn emotions with Ranch of Hope. Mariah and the initial counseling week at Ranch of Hope was a huge part of my own healing and growing closer to God. However at the end of the week, my husband met with Brandon (Mariah’s husband) and signed up for him to be his accountability/life coach. I don’t know what went on during those sessions besides Brandon just being a paid friend. When my phone call sessions were transferred to Brandon as well, I met with him a few times and felt like I was constantly repeating myself and/or he was doing other activities during the call where I didn’t have his undivided attention. I discussed marital concerns with him which he was very dismissive about and mentioned he built a relationship with my husband saying he felt like he was telling the truth. Turns out, I was right in my fears and Brandon had no idea. So much for being a Christian accountability partner/life coach. I felt hurt, humiliated, and taken advantage of not only in my own marriage, but with Brandon not taking issues seriously. I would recommend Mariah, but don’t fall for the ongoing sessions with Brandon.

Mona Yarnell

From the moment I first spoke to Hope on the phone to inquire about Ranch of Hope, I knew God was going to send me to the best place for me. Hope was so loving and kind and explained everything, she then proceeded to pray with me over the phone. Mariah was my counselor, and she was so kind, loving and Jesus-centered. She was firm when I needed it, but always in a gentle way. During my entire experience I always felt that God and His Holy Spirit along with Jesus holding my hand we're always present. I came to the ranch to overcome unforgiveness, bitterness and other negative feelings. Mariah listened intently to my story and gave me a lot of tools to help me overcome all of this negativity. After a lot of tears, talking and homework I feel much lighter and I feel hope where there was none before. I am so grateful to the Lord for leading me to this absolutely beautiful place of serenity and beauty. I look forward to the Lord's continuing healing of my heart and soul.

Brittany Schaeffer

My husband and I were incredibly blessed to stay at the Ranch Of Hope last October. We live in Pennsylvania and have 3 daughters together. We had been together for 8 years and we were broken. We had lived in the pit of hell for too long and we were both in denial of our part in the problem. I was looking for a counseling retreat for Myself when I stumbled upon Ranch of Hope on Google. I was somewhat reluctant because it all sounded too good to be true. However, after our first day, I knew immediately I had to share this experience with the world. All this time, I couldn’t come up with the words to write. I could never do it justice, but God can.

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)

The Peace of God
God’s Peace envelopes this place & it begins with the setting. I swear Colorado itself is God showing us a glimpse of Heaven. Entering WestCliffe is like driving into the set of Dr. Quinn, Medicine woman.

At first, we didn’t know what to expect. This place is RURAL and we’re from the suburbs right outside of Philly. But as we drove our Rented Jeep (highly recommend) through the rocky county roads and into the Ranch of Hope, we quickly realized that this was everything we needed and more than we could dream.

Sidenote: Many of the pictures I posted are the surrounding areas and one is from the top of Pike’s Peak. We loved the solitude of Westcliffe & bonded over the long drives to the town square and other parts of Colorado. We found SO much healing just basking in the Glory of all that surrounded us.

When we began counseling with Mariah, we immediately noticed God’s peace in her. In just five days, we learned how to find THAT peace in God, ourselves and each other. A peace that…

Transcends ALL Understanding

This is getting long, so I’ll try to be brief. There’s not much I can say about what I don’t understand anyway. I just need everyone to go to Ranch of Hope at least once in your life. All of us need renewal at some point and you will find it at Ranch of Hope. I believe God has ordained this ministry and He is using it for our good and His glory! In counseling we were consistently reminded to:

“Guard Your Hearts and Minds”
And how we are called to do this for our children. The biblical instruction and counseling we received from Mariah has been embedded in our lives forever. God worked through Mariah and in us. we forgave each other & ourselves for all that had hurt us. & We were given tools to live with God at the head of our family. We are not perfect and we do falter, but we know how far we’ve come and Who carried us to where we are now:

Christ Jesus!

I pray God uses this review to bring everyone who reads it to the Ranch of Hope. The story of how badly we were broken before Ranch of Hope is too much to delve into here. I will tell you that we had brought our nightmares to life.

My husband considered himself agnostic and so I never would’ve thought he’d do something like this with me. Believe! God is the Waymaker!

James Pelt

My time at Ranch Of Hope sparked insight and inspiration. The counseling I received from David was Christ centered, scripturally based, and like processing life with a dear friend. Tough issues were challenged with a gentle but firm resolve to see healing and growth applied in practical ways going forward. Other members of my staff have received council here and experienced the same encouraging results!