Since the beginning, BRM has been providing professional Intensive Counseling to Christian leaders. Our mission has helped thousands of worldwide Christian leaders live well, lead well and finish well.
About Us
The innovator in
ministry leader care
What We Do
We work with Christian Leaders to step into the abundant life found in Scripture.
We provide counseling and coaching for Pastors and Leaders just like you to live well, lead well, and finish well – all while bringing more freedom, healing, and power to life and leadership.
Proven Track Record
Established and Effective
Since 1996, Blessing Ranch Ministries has been serving Christian Leaders so they can live well, lead well, and finish well. Thousands of Leaders have been encouraged and counseled to unhinder their lives. Here are some of what God has done through BRM:
- Over 25 years in successful ministry
- More than 4,000 Christian Leaders served
- Countless lives impacted by healthy, unhindered Leaders
What Makes Us Different
We take a different approach than most counselors out there:
Trained
Experts
Our team includes a licensed psychologist and trained coaches who are equipped to expertly guide you and also deeply understand ministry life. We hold a high standard of excellence for the care provided.
Psychology + Theology
Integrating and blending the best of Psychology with God’s Word and Truth in ways that prioritize God’s Word and will for Christian leaders’ lives.
Unhindered Methodology
Hebrews 12:1 tell us to throw off everything that hinders. The unhindered methodology provides a clear pathway for you to understand and then transform the roots in your heart that weigh you down and get in the way of taking your next step.
The Ripple Effect
In short, we are passionate about helping Pastors and Christian Leaders so they can bless others.
We believe when Leaders are healthy, their organizations and communities are healthy. BRM helps Leaders personally experience and apply the message and applications they teach so often to others.
CEO & Psychologist
Dr. Charity Byers
Dr. Byers serves as our Chief Executive Officer and Psychologist. As a licensed Psychologist, she provides Counseling services to Pastors, Missionaries, and other Christian Leaders. She loves continuing the mission that began with her father, Dr. John Walker, to help Christian leaders live well, lead well, and finish well. Dr. Byers is invested in bringing the transformational work Blessing Ranch has done for over 25 years into greater reach for leadership teams and staff. Dr. Byers’ educational degrees include a B.A. in Clinical Counseling and School Psychology from Western State College of Colorado, an M.A. in General Psychology from the University of Northern Colorado, and a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Denver. She is co-author of the books Unhindered: Aligning the Story of Your Heart and Unhindered 30 Days: Discover Healing, Freedom, and Power Within. She lives with her husband, Todd, and son, Bennett, in Trinity, Florida.
Founder
Dr. John Walker
Dr. Walker is the Founder of Blessing Ranch Ministries. He is retired from providing Intensive Counseling services, yet he remains a valuable advisor to the Blessing Ranch Ministries team. He is recognized internationally as an expert in the emotional, spiritual, and professional development of Christian Leaders. Dr. Walker used his expertise as a licensed Psychologist and as an ordained Pastor to successfully serve over 4,000 Christian leaders since founding Blessing Ranch Ministries in 1996. His educational degrees include a B.A. in Christian Ministry from Lincoln Christian College, an M.A. in Psychology and Religion from Butler University and Christian Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Indiana State University. He is co-author of the books Unhindered: Aligning the Story of Your Heart and Unhindered 30 Days: Discover Healing, Freedom, and Power Within. He lives with his wife, Deanna, in Clearwater, Florida.
Our Coaches
Brian Stone married his high school sweetheart, Cathy, and together they have raised three children who are now adults making a difference in their parts of the world. For twenty-five years, Brian was in congregational ministry as a lead pastor. During that time, Brian received training as a ministry/leadership coach, a Faithwalking coach, and an Unhindered Coach. Brian has also been certified in the Gottman Method, level two. He is committed to helping others find what hinders them and guiding them on their journey to hope and healing. Passionate about personal transformation, Brian and Cathy have been coaching and working with ministry couples and have a passion for those who are on the frontlines of ministry.
Brian loves to read and learn. He also enjoys kicking back with a suspenseful novel or a movie where lots of things get blown up. Brian loves traveling and camping with Cathy. And, as a bit of a foodie, he loves cooking over an open fire.
Brandi Wilson is a Certified Personal and Executive Coach with the Coaching and Positive Psychology (CaPP) Institute as well as a trained Coach for The Unhindered Life, an initiative of Blessing Ranch Ministries. Her passion is to help bring healing, freedom, and power to those she coaches. She is an author and speaker who has helped women and their families navigate the ups and downs of everyday life for over 20 years. Helping single moms learn how to show up fully for themselves so they can show up fully for their kids is something Brandi especially loves to do. She’s helped start two churches, the most recent being Cross Point Church, where she learned how important it is to know your truth and speak it as a leader. Her work now aims at helping women develop emotional and mental health so they live a life of freedom and confidence, something her own journey has taught her.
One day, a few years ago, Brandi woke up to a life she never saw coming. The life and family she’d spent 20 years building stopped on a dime. Her marriage was over. The church she spent years pouring into was no longer hers. Her community, friends, and professional life disappeared. Devastated but determined to create a life that finally felt like her own, Brandi faced her healing journey head-on. She discovered the truth of her experience and learned how to develop a redemptive perspective in her suffering. Brandi’s life isn’t perfect and her work isn’t done, but she has the skills she needs to stay grounded and calm no matter what comes her way.
If she isn't following one of her three boys to a sporting event, she’s doing yoga, hiking, or gardening. Brandi finds joy by spending time with her friends and enjoys crafting the simple life she loves. Her hope is to invite other women into their own truth so they too can live a life they love. Brandi is the co-author of Leading and Loving It: Encouragement for Pastors’ Wives and Women in Leadership. Her work with Leading and Loving It (LALI) empowers women in ministry and leadership to develop healthy relationships with themselves so that they can build healthy communities. Brandi enjoys co-leading the LALI community of over 19,000 women toward greater mental empowerment and emotional health as leaders. She actively leads and connects with women through her workshops, speaking engagements, and connect groups.
Our Team
Matthew Brown
Coordinator of Resource Programs
Hope Karabensh
Business & Growth Director
Kaitlyn Lehman
Office Administrator
Hannah Lockaby
Coordinator of Creative Engagement
Jo Ellen Platania
Ministry Director
Get Started
How It Works
1. Find The Right Option
BRM offers multiple ways for leaders to live well, lead well, and finish well. Whether you prefer an individualized, group, or team experience, we have an option to help you live life unhindered.
2. Begin The Journey
Once we know how you would like to start, we will help you begin the work of unhindering your heart through regular in-person or virtual meeting times that work with your schedule.
3. Live Unhindered
By engaging disciplines, tools, and support using BRM’s unhindered model, you apply healthy changes that take root in daily life and continue to guide you on your journey to live well, lead well, and finish well.
Frequently asked questions
How do I help my church staff with their emotional and spiritual health?
You can invest in your team’s emotional and spiritual health by creating a culture of care and a rhythm of engagement that promotes a strong team culture, encourages staff retention, and heightens the overall impact your team makes. The return of a healthy team will be greater than the financial investment you make.
We recommend you commit to a rhythm of care for your team that includes:
- Gifting one or more team members with an Intensive Counseling experience with Blessing Ranch Ministries each year.
- Gifting your team members with Follow Up Coaching for a minimum of eight sessions after Intensive Counseling so that your team members have the accountability and encouragement they need to solidify their gains in everyday life.
- Gifting team members who need to take their next step up, navigate a transition, establish healthy habits and rhythm of life, or refresh themselves spiritually with a minimum of eight Coaching sessions.
- Take your team through the Unhindered Staff Experience to engage your leaders together in a journey toward emotional and spiritual health. This will give them:
- Camaraderie and connection.
- Common language that will help them more effectively communicate their motivations, feelings, and needs with one another.
- Deeper compassion for one another that comes as colleagues learn more about one another.
- Healthier team culture that develops when each person shows up with the best of themselves.
- Greater collective impact.
- Repeating the Unhindered Staff Experience every two to three years so that new staff can be included and the material can be applied to new circumstances your team may be facing.
If you stay on top of emotional and spiritual health with your team, you can prevent things like crises, burn out, and undealt-with conflict from robbing your team of excellence and longevity. We want all leaders to finish well!
Do you provide any resources that could help me further my healing and growth journey?
We offer several written resources that will help you dive deeply into healing and growth. These materials will walk you through a step-by-step pathway of developing self-understanding, identifying roots, inviting God to transform you, and equipping you with tools to lead you forward.
Unhindered: Aligning the Story of Your Heart
Unhindered Thirty Days: Discovering Healing, Power, and Freedom Within
What is a week like at BRM for intensive counseling?
You will be our guest for the week! Our priority with each guest is that you feel welcome, safe, and honored during the time you are with us.
You will spend several hours per day (Monday morning-Friday morning), one-on-one or as a couple, with Dr. Byers. You will start by telling your story, including present day circumstances, and your history. This allows Dr. Byers to craft a personalized plan for your week that gets to the root of the issues and hits the right targets. You will invest together in pursuing the gains that need to be made over the coming days. Toward the end of the week, you’ll work with Dr. Byers to create a go-forward plan that will equip you with tools and action steps to carry and further your gains in everyday life.
Outside of time with Dr. Byers, you will spend time in meaningful reflection, renewal, and rest.
Reflection:
The time you spend outside of your sessions with Dr. Byers can be some of the most important moments of the week. You will have the opportunity to encounter God in intimate ways that create transformation. Assignments from Dr. Byers (i.e., writing, reading, praying) may be assigned that will strategically guide your heart toward the gains that need to be made.
Renewal:
Pursuing local adventures, simply having fun, or engaging in personalized spiritual time will give you space to find renewal for your soul. We will provide you with recommendations in the area for beaches, parks, and other activities that can provide a backdrop for your spiritual or emotional renewal.
Rest:
It’s normal to feel more tired than you’d expect during an Intensive Counseling week. There’s intentional time for you to take a nap, let your mind process at its own pace, or just have the quiet that your soul craves.
Intensive Counseling earns its name fairly. It can be intense! We pack a lot into just a few days. But that’s just the way we like it. We can accomplish so much more in a few days than you can in weekly counseling over the course of months. You might feel like there is a lot yet ahead of you to conquer. Yet, we trust that in the midst of it all, you will feel the peace that comes from knowing you’ve been heard and understood, cared for, equipped, and given tools and a plan to carry you forward. In short, we hope that you know that you’ve encountered God in a powerful way that will catalyze a better future.
What if I can't afford it?
We strive to make our services affordable but know that financial hardships do exist. Applications for scholarships are available to try to help open the door to receiving the care you need to live well, lead well, and finish well. If you believe financial assistance is necessary for you to receive any of the services we provide, please contact us.
