Biblical Counseling Agreement

Thank you for considering biblical, Christ-centered counseling. We pray this journey brings you hope, healing, and a deeper connection with God. The information below will help you understand our ministry and serve as a foundation for our time together.

Please note that this is a preview of the information one will sign in agreement to receive biblical counseling services with Biblical Help and Hope Ministries.

Who Is Your Counselor?

Ryan Thomason is the director of Biblical Help and Hope Ministries. After many years of planning and praying, he started BH&H Ministries in January 2025. He graduated from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2022, earning his Master of Divinity with a concentration in Biblical Counseling.

He also holds an advanced certification through the Association of Biblical Counselors. This association introduced him to biblical counseling in 2013 while he was working for Precept Ministries International. He has been passionate about biblical counseling ever since.

He attends his local church, Concord Baptist, in Chattanooga, TN, where he has helped lead worship, taught Sunday school, and has lay counseled. He married his wife in 2013 and has three children.

Ryan has also taught the Scriptures through the ministry of Precept as well as been a Bible teacher for a local academy. He is passionate about the gospel of Jesus Christ and its applications to life.

General Comments

1) Ryan is a trained, certified biblical counselor who counsels people biblically as part of his gospel ministry. He is not a state-licensed counselor, psychologist, or therapist by choice. He also does not provide medical, financial, or legal advice. Ryan offers Christ-centered, biblical counseling, not psychological or professional counseling or therapy, and he does not hold himself to the standards or practices of those or related mental health professions or state licensing boards. Ryan will seek to help you find and implement God’s answers in his Word, the Bible, according to his understanding of the Bible.

2) You might find it helpful to invite a trusted Christian friend, fellow church member, home group leader, spouse, etc., to join us for one or more sessions to support and encourage you during and between sessions.

3) You or Ryan may discontinue counseling at any time, for whatever reason, without explanation.

What Is Christ-Centered Biblical Counseling?

1) We present the Lord Jesus Christ as the crucified, risen, and reigning Savior who, through His Word and His Spirit, can help us handle our personal and relational problems. Jesus alone provides the forgiving mercy (through his death and resurrection), the wisdom (in his Word), and the power (through his Spirit) we need for daily living.

2) The Bible is our primary tool for diagnosing, explaining, and solving our problems. As God’s Word, it provides true, thorough, authoritative, and sufficient guidance for every life situation. It is richly superior to the human wisdom and competing counsel of secular psychologies.

3) We reflect the love, concern, and compassion of Jesus, our Shepherd and Counselor. Biblical counseling is a caring process marked by Christlike love.

4) We seek thorough and lasting godly change by addressing both the inward and outward issues of our problems. Biblical counseling is not shallow, superficial, or simplistic. Scripture alone uncovers and solves our inward, heart (beliefs and motives) struggles and outward behavioral struggles.

Making the Process Most Effective:

To increase the effectiveness of the counseling process, we ask the following of you:

1. Be committed to biblical counseling as described above. This involves coming to each session with a humble, teachable spirit, seeking to learn how God wants you to handle your life based on his Word.

2. Attend each scheduled session on time. Allow fifty minutes for most sessions, with a little more for the first session. If an emergency keeps you from attending, be sure to contact Ryan immediately. Apart from prior agreement, he does not provide telephone counseling or reply to frequent calls, emails, texts, or letters.

3. Be as open and honest as you can. At the same time, Ryan realizes that talking about your problems may be very difficult for you and that your trust in him may take time to develop.

4. Be patient—your problems did not develop in a day. It may take Ryan several sessions to get to know you and understand your situation. He needs to listen carefully and gather thorough information.

5. In between sessions, complete the growth assignments given and review and pray over the matters discussed during previous sessions. Ryan will give you helpful, doable assignments that align with our counseling aims. These are vital parts of the counseling process.

6. Participate regularly and actively in the life and ministry of your church. Regular participation in a Christ-centered, biblical church complements biblical counseling: God-centered worship, solid Bible teaching with practical life application, pastoral care, and meaningful friendships with others needing and learning God’s grace.

Confidentiality

Confidentiality is an essential aspect of the counseling process, and we will carefully guard the personal and private information you entrust to us as much as possible. We recognize the crucial importance of mutual trust within the counseling relationship. As a general rule, what we discuss stays between us.

At the same time, in light of biblical and civil law, we cannot guarantee absolute confidentiality in every situation. There are times when Ryan might believe it necessary, at his discretion, to disclose otherwise confidential information to appropriate other people. Some examples might include:

To ensure that you are receiving consistent counsel and support, he might need to discuss your situation with the appropriate leaders of your church.

If there is an indication that you or someone else might be in danger of harm unless others intervene, he might need to disclose information to civil authorities and those in danger.

In cases of suspected child or elderly abuse or neglect, he might need to report this to civil authorities.

In counseling minor children or teens, he may need to disclose information to parents or legal guardians.

Please be assured that we strongly prefer not to disclose your personal information to others and will make every effort to help you resolve problems privately.

We also request that you agree not to discuss our communications with anyone who does not have a legitimate interest in the counseling process. If your situation involves legal issues, you must agree to consider all interactions with Ryan regarding your case as settlement negotiations, meaning they will not be admissible in a court of law or during legal discovery. Additionally, you must agree not to attempt to compel Ryan to disclose any information obtained during counseling or to force him to testify in any legal proceedings.

Financial Matters

While Biblical Help and Hope Ministries would love to be able to offer their services for free, the truth is that this is an investment in your life. When there is no cost, there tends to be no change.

For this reason, Biblical Help and Hope Ministries has chosen to charge for its services. By signing below, you acknowledge this and agree to pay for the services provided by Biblical Help and Hope Ministries, its counselors, staff, or anyone associated with them who may require such financial dues.

Payment will be billed after services are rendered and are due 14 days after the rendering of such services. Any payments still pending after said due date may occur additional costs and/or penalties. Biblical Help and Hope Ministries may pursue legal action if necessary.

If you appreciate this ministry in your life, feel free to make an extra gift to Biblical Help and Hope Ministries in addition to your required financial responsibilities.

We might ask you to purchase materials to read as part of the counseling growth process.