Our History, Leaders, and Uniqueness
Henry Brandt and Kerry L. Skinner’s Connection
In 1990, Kerry moved to West Palm Beach, Florida to become the Associate Pastor at First Baptist Church. His pastor, Dr. Keith Thomas, invited one of the members of the church, Dr. Henry Brandt, to help the staff understand biblical counseling. Dr. Brandt had written many books on the subject and had traveled worldwide in helping people understand how to use God’s Word to help people in the struggles of life. Kerry had never read any of Dr. Brandt’s books prior to that time.
Kerry had two counselors on his staff, but they were trained from the more secular methods of counseling. Not long into the training with Dr. Brandt, they commented to Kerry about Dr. Brandt’s methods. They said, “Kerry, have you been studying Dr. Brandt through the years? You have been telling us the same things that Brandt has been saying.” Kerry shared with them that he had not studied Brandt but that they were both reading the same book—the Bible!
Not long after that training, Dr. Brandt asked the pastor if he could meet with him and several of his associates concerning some other material he would like to introduce. Dr. Thomas gathered Kerry and two other associates to meet with Dr. Brandt. At the time, Brandt didn’t know them well enough to remember their names but knew their faces from the staff training times.
Dr. Brandt brought a thick 8.5 x 11 inch book to the room. He said a friend of his had written it and thought we might be interested in it for discipleship training. Dr. Thomas and two of his associates skimmed through the material and each stated that the material looked good and interesting. Then the book was handed to Kerry. After Kerry looked at the material, Dr. Brandt said, “What do you think about it?” Kerry said, “I think it is too much material and very few people would ever make it through all of it. I think your book is better, simpler, and could be used in discipleship if it were in a workbook form for discipleship.”
Dr. Brandt asked, “Can you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Can you make my book, When You Are Tired of Treating the Symptoms and You’re Ready for a Call, Give Me a Call, a discipleship workbook?
Kerry said, “I’m not sure, I haven’t ever done something like that.”
“Give it a try!”
Little did Kerry know that would begin a writing, teaching ministry that included co-authoring six books with Dr. Brandt over the next few years. They spent countless hours together, writing, consulting, and leading conferences together as they enjoyed sharing God’s message
Alison and Kerry’s Connection
In 2015, Alison’s family visited Northway Church of The Woodlands in Texas in search of finding a new church family. Dr. Kerry L. Skinner was the Senior Pastor of Northway Church. During their first visit he preached on The Heart of the Problem. Alison had been in the counseling field for close to seven years and was in the process of seeking state licensure as a licensed professional counselor.
During the first visit, Alison heard Kerry say, “If all we provide to people is relief then we will keep them comfortably separated from God.” This statement seemed to strike Alison right between the eyes. After leaving church that Sunday, she could not get away from that statement because it was exactly what she was doing.
Her family loved Northway and joined the church a couple of months later. This time that they joined her family met with Kerry about their salvation and baptism experience. Kerry learned of Alison’s background in counseling. Kerry had close to forty years of counseling experience working with Dr. Henry Brandt and Dr. Henry Blackaby serving many churches.
Shortly after that meeting with Alison’s family, Kerry and Alison met once a week; and he began to disciple and teach her all that God had taught him. During that process, she decided to drop her state based licensure and follow God. They met once a week for three years. As Kerry taught Alison, she learned from all the material that he and Dr. Brandt had written.
Alison became curious as to why he didn’t have a certification program. He always had a desire to do this but up until this point was unsure of a way. As they began praying and researching ways to do this, Think LifeChange Institute of Biblical Counseling began to develop. It was very clear to Alison that God sent Kerry to Northway Church and sent her to partner with him to spread the message: if sin is the problem there is no human remedy. They are now co-laborers in Christ and are excited to share what God has taught them.
Dr. Henry Brandt-Pioneer in Biblical Counseling
For over five decades, Dr. Henry Brandt—international consultant, educator, counselor, author, and conference speaker—impacted the lives of countless people. With a focus on individual development as well as marriage and family living, the legacy of his ministry has been written in the hearts and lives of generations of men, women, and children around the world.
Henry received his B.A. in Psychology and Sociology from Houghton College in 1947, his M.A. Degree in Clinical Psychology from Wayne State University in 1949, and his PhD in Marriage and Family Relations from Cornell University in 1952.
After completing his doctorate at Cornell, Henry accepted what he thought would be his life’s vocation—serving as Dean of Men at his alma mater, Houghton College. After two years, he realized that God had other plans. Subsequently, Henry was invited to take a one-year sabbatical replacement position teaching Speech at North American Baptist Seminary. The experience taught him far more than he had anticipated: it set the course of his career in public speaking.
Throughout Henry’s career, he taught in a number of institutes, colleges, and seminaries, including The General Motors Institute, Houghton College, North American Baptist Seminary, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Christian Heritage College, and Palm Beach Atlantic University. He was instrumental in founding departments of psychology for both Christian Heritage College and Palm Beach Atlantic University.
Henry rightly has been honored with the title “The Father of Modern-Day Biblical Counseling.” For decades he has counseled individuals to evaluate their heart attitudes and behaviors in the light of biblical teaching and to guide them to godly solutions.
In 2003, the American Association of Christian Counselors presented Henry with the “Care Giver Award” for his lifetime achievements in counseling.
Over the decades, Henry’s wisdom and skill as a communicator has also authored numerous books with a focus on individual development and marriage and family living. His work, which has been translated into many languages, has circulated the globe.
Dr. Kerry L. Skinner, Author, Speaker, Counselor
Kerry L. Skinner, D.Min. has served in pastoral roles for more than forty years with an emphasis in Christian discipleship and pastoral counseling. Through his writing and teaching, Dr. Skinner is recognized internationally as an advocate of biblical sufficiency. He has traveled extensively through North America teaching conferences for pastors, counselors, and lay leaders on topics such as revival, repentance, holiness, and biblical counseling.
Kerry received his B.A. from Campbellsville University, his M.A. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and his D.Min. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.
Dr. Skinner’s key mentor was Dr. Henry Brandt, Pioneer of Biblical Counseling. They met one another in West Palm Beach when Kerry was the Associate Pastor of First Baptist Church of West Palm Beach where Dr. Brandt was a member. When they became acquainted, they realized their hearts, minds, and messages had been knit together for the purpose of expanding the wonderful message, “If sin is your problem, there is no human remedy; but praise God, Jesus is a cure!”
Over the next seventeen years, Kerry and Henry spent countless hours together leading conferences, writing books, and developing a system to train churches in how to develop biblical counseling ministries.
Dr. Skinner also served as an associate to Dr. Henry Blackaby in the office of Prayer, Revival, and Spiritual Awakening for the North American Mission Board. He has also served a number of churches as Education Pastor, Teaching Pastor, and Senior Pastor.
Alison Veazey, Co-Founder, Dean of Students, Instructor
Alison Veazey earned her Master's degree in Professional Counseling from Liberty University in 2012. Alison is the Co-founder, Dean of Students, and Instructor of Think LifeChange Institute of Biblical Counseling.
Alison has counseled as a Lay Counselor with Woodlands Church in The Woodlands, Texas under the supervision of Dr. Paul Looney, has worked at The Right Step in The Woodlands Texas as a drug and alcohol counselor, and has also volunteered with Janet Nicholas, MA, LPC, LCDC, EAP through her Equine Assisted Psychotherapy program Trails Less Traveled. Alison is married and has two children, Hannah and Parker.
Alison directs an Equine Assisted Learning program through Victory Reins in Concord, GA. There are now two equine biblical counseling programs that have been trained through Victory Reins and are now accepting appointments. Visit the Victory Reins tab under counseling on this website to learn more.
Think LifeChange Biblical Counseling Center
Kerry and Alison have developed a Biblical counseling center at First Baptist Church Jonesboro in Jonesboro, Georgia. They currently have a Think LifeChange Biblical Counseling center at Flat Creek Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Georgia. The center offers in-person counseling appointments to church members and the community. These appointments are offered by certified biblical counselors. To learn more about the counseling center visit thinklifechange.com.
Complete list of books authored or co-authored:
Co-authored–Riding on High Hills, Alison Veazey and Kerry L. Skinner, with Josh Saefkow (Think LifeChange Institute of Biblical Counseling, 2024
Co-authored–My Spirit is Life and Peace, Alison Veazey and Kerry L. Skinner (Think LifeChange Institute of Biblical Counseling, 2023
Co-authored–Philippians: From Anxiety to Peace, Alison Veazey and Kerry L. Skinner (Think LifeChange Institute of Biblical Counseling, 2022
Co-authored–James: Walking in God’s Love, Alison Veazey and Kerry L. Skinner (Think LifeChange Institute of Biblical Counseling, 2021
Co-authored–Gifts from God, Alison Veazey and Kerry L. Skinner (Think LifeChange Institute of Biblical Counseling, 2020)
Co-authored–My Word is Like a Fire, Alison Veazey and Kerry L. Skinner (Think LifeChange Institute of Biblical Counseling, 2019)
Authored–The Christian Life: A Human Impossibility, (KLS LifeChange Ministries, 2012)
Authored–The Joy of Repentance (workbook), (KLS LifeChange Ministries, 2011)
Authored–The Joy of Repentance, (KLS LifeChange Ministries, 2007)
Co-authored–Chosen to be God’s Prophet with Henry Blackaby, (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2003)
Co-authored–Called & Accountable with Henry Blackaby, (New Hope Publishers, 2002)
Co-authored–I Want to Enjoy My Children with Henry Brandt. (Multnomah Publishers, 2002)
Co-authored–Created to be God’s Friend (workbook edition), with Henry Blackaby, (Thomas Nelson, 2000)
Co-authored–Marriage God’s Way with Henry Brandt, (Broadman/Holman, 1999)
Co-authored–The Power of the Call with Henry T. Blackaby and Henry Brandt, (Broadman/Holman, 1997)
Co-authored–The Heart of the Problem (book and workbook), with Henry Brandt, (Broadman/Holman, 1995). Also available in Spanish. First self-published in 1991.
Co-authored–The Word for the Wise with Henry Brandt, (Broadman/Holman, 1995)
Co-authored–Breaking Free from the Bondage of Sin with Henry Brandt, (Harvest House Publishers, 1994)
Our Uniqueness:
We train and prepare Christians to begin a ministry career in biblical counseling!
Think LifeChange Institute for Biblical Counseling is founded upon the works of two men, Dr. Henry Brandt and Dr. Kerry L. Skinner. God has and is using the message He developed in their lives to help people deal with the issues of life.
Basic Premises
- If sin is the problem, there is no human remedy for sin.
- Confession of sin is common, but repentance is rare.
- Repentance is the most positive word in the Bible.
- Repentance is God’s cure for our sin problem.
The Purpose
After leading hundreds of conferences and hearing the call from people to provide a place for biblical counselor training and a way to practice counseling through local churches, a system has been developed to:
- Enable a candidate to learn the message and process of biblical counseling.
- Prepare people who can help the pastor multiply his ministry through counseling.
- Help the church understand that if sin is the problem, God’s people should be the best equipped to provide help.
- Provides a licensing program for Christian counselors that allows the candidate to provide a ministry career in biblical counseling through the church.