Linda M. Story Ph.D., LPC, LMFT

     It is my belief that all people hold the key to healthier functioning within themselves. Beliefs about our self and our environment have a direct effect on the way we feel and behave. Faulty beliefs about our surrounding environment can cause stress in our life. I am dedicated to helping families & individuals recognize faulty beliefs and identify better ways of coping, relating & living in their environment.
     Dr. Story holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Southern Christian University and a Masters of Arts in Counseling degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She also completed a counseling internship for the University of Alabama at Birmingham Counseling Lab. She is also an approved supervisor for the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy where she is a Clinical Fellow. Additionally, she serves as adjunct professor in the Marriage and Family Therapy program at Abilene Christian University where she supervises up to sixteen interns. She enjoys teaching her favorite course, Family Therapy Theory, at least two times a year.
     As a counselor for The HOPE Center, she provides marriage, family, individual, and group counseling. Dr. Story is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.
     Linda has been married to her husband Lloyd since 1990. Their favorite past time includes boating, fishing, swimming and hiking. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and especially her granddaughters and two English Cream Golden Retrievers.

Melanie S. Howard M.Ed.

Licensed Professional Counselor, Registered Play Therapist

     Melanie Howard enjoys working with clients of different ages and backgrounds. Her love for the Lord is the driving force behind her desire to be a counselor. She believes therapy should be a place of understanding, healing, and unconditional acceptance and she seeks to provide this environment for each client. Melanie provides marriage, family, and individual counseling for a wide variety of presenting problems.

     Melanie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from The University of Alabama and a Master of Education in Community and Agency Counseling from the University of Montevallo. Mrs. Howard is a Registered Play Therapist (RPT) and a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). Prior to coming to work at the Hope Center, she worked for Pathways Professional Counseling (a sister ministry of the Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes) for over 15 years before taking off work for a few years to care for her 3 children. Melanie has been with the Hope Center since 2021.

     Some of Melanie’s areas of clinical interest include grief, depression, anxiety, trauma, abuse, infertility, foster care, and adoption. She also has experience working with parents who have children with “special needs”.  

     As a registered play therapist, Mrs. Howard has received specialized training in working with children and adolescents. It can be difficult for children to communicate with adults when developmentally, it’s difficult for them to understand, much less communicate, what is going on in their hearts and minds. Melanie uses play therapy interventions to allow children and teens to express feelings, work through problems, and practice new ways of interacting with others. Melanie has been married to Reed since 2004 and they have 2 sons and a daughter. In her free time, Melanie enjoys reading, writing, singing, watching college sports (Roll Tide!), and traveling with her family.