Our Counselors

​Debbie Hamilton, MA, LPC, Executive Director
Hi, my name is Debbie Hamilton. I am a licensed professional counselor with the State of AK. I worked as a Social Worker in a Foster Family agency for 7 years in CA and have worked as a counselor in AK since 2001. I am the Executive Director of New Hope Counseling Center.
My experience includes but is not limited to, issues related to: sexual abuse, chemical dependency, grief and loss, family, and spiritual matters.
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Executive Director and Licensed Professional Counselor: Debbie Hamilton, M.A., LPC #366 (2003) • B.A. Psychology, California State University, Sacramento 1988 • M.A. Counseling Psychology, California State University, Sacramento 1994 • Certificates; Basic Biblical Counseling, NYM Ministries (2004-05) • Board Certified Professional Christian Counselor, American Association of Christian Counselors
Peggy Barkman, MA, LPC – Licensed Professional Counselor
*tele-behavioral health only
Hi, my name is Peggy Barkman. I am a licensed professional counselor with the State of Alaska. I hold a Master’s degree in professional counseling from Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA.
My experience includes, but is not limited to, issues related to: sexual abuse, chemical dependency, grief and loss, family, and spiritual matters.

• Licensed Counselor: Peggy Barkman, M.A., LPC #722 (2011) M.A. Professional Counseling 2007 • Assistant Director of NHCC
Jimmy Ward, M.Div., M.S
Hi. My name is Jimmy Ward. I am a Master level counselor with a Master of Science degree in Community Counseling with a concentration in marriage and family. I also have a Master of Divinity degree. I am a retired army chaplain with 22 years of military experience that included soldiers and their families on a variety of counseling issues. I have 5 years of post-army retirement experience as a substance abuse and addiction counselor. My counseling experience includes but is not limited to issues of grief and loss, domestic abuse, marriage and family, trauma and post trauma, anxiety, depression, and spiritual issues. I am a counselor under the supervision of Debbie Hamilton, MA, LPC at New Hope Counseling Center.

​M.Div. Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, TX, 1988 M.S. Columbus State University, Columbus, GA, 2005 Certificates: Couples Communication Instructor Certificate, Couples Communication, 2005 Suicide Intervention: Menninger Clinic, Topeka KS, 1992; Applied Suicide Intervention Strategies Techniques (ASIST), Columbus, GA, 2003 and 2004; Marriage Prep Instructor Certificate & Marriage Preparation (P.I.C.K). Certificate, 2004; Family Wellness 
Jennifer Thomsen
Hi, my name is Jennifer Thomsen; I am a pastoral counselor specializing in crisis response and trauma. I recently graduated from Liberty University with a Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling (2024). I also have a Bachelor of Liberal Arts with an emphasis in humanities and social sciences from the University of Alaska Southeast (2008).

I retired from the State of Alaska Department of Corrections (2022) after service of twenty-one-plus years, and before my state career, I served in the United States Air Force for over five years. In furthering my education, I am currently enrolled in two graduate certificate programs from Liberty University in Military Resilience (Fall 2024) and Addiction Studies (Spring 2025). In furthering my spiritual studies, I am pursuing my credentials as a pastor through my local church.

After retirement, I began my journey to become equipped with the proper tools to help people who have experienced trauma, loss, and abuse from a holistic perspective that involves caring for clients’ physical, emotional, behavioral, and spiritual needs. As a pastoral counselor, I actively strive to combine and apply my education with my lay experience, thus transforming it into a compassionate professional experience by walking alongside clients in their time of need and being a positive presence in their lives.

​As I work toward full licensure, I am under the supervision of a Debbie Hamilton, MA LPCS here at New Hope Counseling Center.
Gary Hondel
Hello, my name is Gary Hondel and I was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I relocated to Alaska in 1992 where, other than four years in Florida and five months in Arizona, I have been a resident of the state. Before 2020, I had spent the majority of my time in the local radio broadcasting industry (where I still dabble in it a little). While doing this, I earned a BA in Psychology in 2003 from the University of Alaska Anchorage and went on to obtain an MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in 2022 from Liberty University in Virginia. In fall of 2021 and spring of 2022, I completed my master’s practicum and a portion of my internship here at New Hope Counseling Center and completed it at Granite Mountain Behavioral Healthcare in Prescott Valley, Arizona.

​I am currently pursuing the hours required for my Alaska counseling license and I work under the supervision of Debbie Hamilton, MA LPC. In addition, I am currently enrolled in the Clinical Doctor of Behavioral Health program through Arizona State University.


I am married with two daughters, not to mention living in a house full of pets! My interests include art, guitar, travel, Glen Campbell, and the Beatles. My professional training and experience include addictions, anxiety, depression, panic disorder, autism spectrum disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), diabetes, couples counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing (MI), and neurofeedback.