Are you interested in counseling? Word Of Hope Ministries wants you to know that you can receive trained, certified Biblical counseling to help you through your situational difficulty.
We would like you to know that our counseling is distinctly Christian and that our counselors are not certified by the State of California. We are not licensed medical professionals, but instead are “pastoral counselors”, lay-counselors who offer care as a para-church ministry that serves the local church.
If you would like this type of Christian counseling, you may contact us regarding your desire. You may contact us directly by using the contact form on the Home page of our website, www.wordofhopeministries.com
There are several conditions upon which counseling cases will be initiated. They are listed as follows:
There is a per-session fee of $75.00 due at your counseling session. We do not turn anyone away due to inability to pay, so please tell us if you are under severe financial hardship so that we can negotiate an affordable fee for you.
We also invite you to partner with us financially through donations to the ministry as God leads during and after your counseling ends so that others may receive our services without financial burden.
Payments can be made by check or cash in-person, or online via PayPal prior to your appointment. (We do not accept debit or credit cards.)
You will be given bible-based and practical homework assignments to complete between counseling sessions. It is critical that you commit to doing the homework in order for you to progress in counseling. If you are unwilling to follow through with homework, your counseling will be terminated. Please let us know if you have learning difficulties or preferences and we will accommodate your needs with a variety of types of assignments that you will be able to successfully accomplish.
At times our caseload requires us to place you on a waiting list. If you are on our waiting list, we offer these suggestions while you wait: Read your Bible and pray daily; go to a bible-believing church (we will be glad to make recommendations if you do not have a home church); talk to your pastor or other leader about your situation if you are in immediate need of care; call your physician if you are having physical symptoms or are unable to manage your daily routines; if you are suicidal call 911 and/or your nearest loved one. You can also call your physician, and/or go to the local emergency room.
*Please note that we do not give medical or legal advice.
*If a conflict should arise between the counselee and the counselor, both parties must agree to resolve the dispute outside the secular court system.
We would like you to know that our counseling is distinctly Christian and that our counselors are not certified by the State of California. We are not licensed medical professionals, but instead are “pastoral counselors”, lay-counselors who offer care as a para-church ministry that serves the local church.
If you would like this type of Christian counseling, you may contact us regarding your desire. You may contact us directly by using the contact form on the Home page of our website, www.wordofhopeministries.com
There are several conditions upon which counseling cases will be initiated. They are listed as follows:
- All counseling is conducted in accordance with the counselor’s understanding of Scripture. Your counseling will be biblical in which the Scriptures are the final authority in all cases.
- Your counseling sessions will take place at our ministry office. We will give you the address when we make your first appointment.
- If you are not sure that you will be interested in biblically-based counseling, you have the option of attending one session to discover what biblical counseling is like. If you are unwilling to use the Bible as the final authority in counseling or unwilling to do the homework assigned, sessions will be terminated.
- Information disclosed in counseling sessions will be held confidential only as the counselor believes the Bible or the State requires. Absolute confidentiality is not scriptural. In certain circumstances the Bible requires that facts be disclosed to selected others (Matt. 18:15-20). If there are legal situations that need to be reported, we are obligated to do so. If we believe you are in danger to self or others, we will report this to your family or pastor and other appropriate authorities. If your church leadership should inquire, or if we deem it necessary, we will disclose to them only that information which we believe is necessary for them to effectively and biblically fulfill their responsibility to shepherd you. However, your counselor will inform you, if possible, of such decisions beforehand.
- At any time during the counseling for reasons sufficient to himself/herself, the counselor—as also the counselee—shall have the option of terminating counseling.
There is a per-session fee of $75.00 due at your counseling session. We do not turn anyone away due to inability to pay, so please tell us if you are under severe financial hardship so that we can negotiate an affordable fee for you.
We also invite you to partner with us financially through donations to the ministry as God leads during and after your counseling ends so that others may receive our services without financial burden.
Payments can be made by check or cash in-person, or online via PayPal prior to your appointment. (We do not accept debit or credit cards.)
- We want you to understand that Christian counseling consists of giving scriptural advice and the practical application of the same to each individual. Yet, the counselee is held fully responsible for how he or she implements that advice. We are confident that the Bible has all of the information necessary for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). We believe there are no problems between persons which the Bible fails to address, either in general or in specific principles.
- Our counseling is not infallible. Nor do we pretend to know all there is to know about biblical teaching and its applications to life. We are well equipped however, and competent to help people change. We will make a point to differentiate between God’s commands and our suggestions. Furthermore, we may at times, seek assistance from other trained counselors in their specific area of experience. In such cases, we will be careful not to divulge your identity.
- Cancellation policy: please give 24 hour advance notice whenever possible if you must cancel a session. (If you have several incidences of last-minute cancellations, we will need to fill your spot with someone else and place you on the wait list before we resume counseling you. We will determine this at our discretion.)
- No-Show policy: If you do not show up for an appointment without cancelling in advance, you will be required to pay the session fee of $75.00.
- You are required to regularly attend a bible-believing local church in order to receive biblical counseling. If you do not have a church, we would like you to attend Grace Baptist Church in Santa Maria if you are local. If you are not local, we will do our best to assist you in finding a similar church to attend.
- Occasionally, we may have an observer sit in on your counseling session. This is because we are a training center and our staff and trainees benefit from this ‘hands-on’ experience. We will always discuss this possibility with you in advance.
You will be given bible-based and practical homework assignments to complete between counseling sessions. It is critical that you commit to doing the homework in order for you to progress in counseling. If you are unwilling to follow through with homework, your counseling will be terminated. Please let us know if you have learning difficulties or preferences and we will accommodate your needs with a variety of types of assignments that you will be able to successfully accomplish.
At times our caseload requires us to place you on a waiting list. If you are on our waiting list, we offer these suggestions while you wait: Read your Bible and pray daily; go to a bible-believing church (we will be glad to make recommendations if you do not have a home church); talk to your pastor or other leader about your situation if you are in immediate need of care; call your physician if you are having physical symptoms or are unable to manage your daily routines; if you are suicidal call 911 and/or your nearest loved one. You can also call your physician, and/or go to the local emergency room.
*Please note that we do not give medical or legal advice.
*If a conflict should arise between the counselee and the counselor, both parties must agree to resolve the dispute outside the secular court system.