Frontside Counseling

Facing life’s challenges head on.

“The expectation that we can be immersed in suffering and loss daily and not be touched by it is as unrealistic as expecting to be able to walk through water without getting wet.”

- Rachel Remen

about Jason Helmlinger, m.a.

Board of Directors: National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

Member: American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC)

Member: Green Cross Academy of Traumatology (GCAT)

Jason Helmlinger started his career in law enforcement in 1995, gaining a multitude of experience. He served in several units including uniformed patrol, SWAT, and the Organized Crime Section. He was a firearms instructor and peer support leader but spent most of his time in the Investigative Section, investigating sexual assaults and violent crimes. In the midst of his law enforcement career he became an ordained pastor. His time in law enforcement and ministry not only fulfilled his desire for helping people, but also gave him new insight as to why the mental health of people who help people is so important. Jason’s second career focuses not only on that, but a range of other areas of wellness. He specializes in first responders, couples, families, and those who have been affected by crisis and trauma. 

Jason has an MA in Professional Pastoral Counseling: Crisis Response & Trauma Counseling from Liberty University. Jason is also trained in Solution Focused Pastoral Counseling (SFPC) as well as Couple Therapy (Hope Focused Approach) and is qualified for individual and group session counseling. Jason also has a Master Certification in Mental Health Coaching from Light University, a continued education program. Jason is also trained in EMDR and is a Compassion Fatigue Practitioner from the Green Cross Academy of Traumatology, and a Certified Prepare/Enrich Facilitator (the #1 premarital and marriage assessment for over 35 years). He has been an ordained pastor since 2009.

Jason has been married to his wife, Mandy, for 26 years and has 4 children and a daughter-in-law. In his spare time you can find him officiating weddings, surfing or engaging in rigorous workouts. Whether you need a counselor, officiant, or surf coach , Jason has a desire to help and see people flourish. 

Services

  • Trauma counseling is essentially the healing process which assists you to deal with symptoms that you are stuck with after a traumatic event. The goal is essentially to resource you with the skills to cope with the traumatic event and to enable you to heal so as to restore yourself to a state of being in which you are able to thrive in life rather than simply surviving.

  • The traumatic impacts of sexual assault can last for an extended period of time after an event. The primary goal is to help survivors of sexual trauma cope with their experiences, heal from emotional and psychological wounds, and work towards recovery and wellness.

  • Solution-Focused Pastoral Counseling shifts the emphasis from the problem to the strengths, vision, and practical solutions that lie within the counselee. An effective short-term approach for getting people back on track.

  • The Hope Focused approach works to build hope for couples using positive interventions, a short-term strategic approach that is tailored to the relationship needs of the couple.

  • Mental health coaching is a form of strengths-based support for persons living with serious mental illness (e.g., bipolar disorder). Coaches help clients develop a healthy balance in life, give guidance in decision making, offer support in navigating mental health difficulties, and assistance in establishing a recovery plan. Coaches help clients find ways to obtain and maintain stability, manage difficult symptoms, rebuild relationships, and find a purpose for living.

  • EMDR is a psychotherapy treatment that was originally designed to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories. Shapiro’s (2001) Adaptive Information Processing model posits that EMDR therapy facilitates the accessing and processing of traumatic memories and other adverse life experience to bring these to an adaptive resolution.

  • Monitor and care for those responding or working with crisis, disaster, terrorism, or chronic trauma. Assessment and practical skill are emphasized with self-care and wellness strategies for continuing effective intervention.

  • Widely known as a leading relationship inventory, Prepare/Enrich program contains both a couples assessment and a structured feedback process. The program teaches the couple relevant relationship skills like communication and conflict resolution.