Terms and conditions

These terms describe the heart behind the coaching offered at Joy Restored and what you can expect when we work together. Joy Restored is a Christian life coaching and inner-healing ministry owned and operated by Melanie. By using this website or entering into a coaching conversation, you agree to what is written here.

My training and credentials

I am a certified Christian life coach, certified through the Center for Christian Coaching, a faith-based training program whose coaching certification is rooted in Christian values and biblical principles. My coaching also draws on more than 30 years of experience in ministries and discipleship. Life coaching is not a licensed profession in the way counseling, therapy, medicine, and psychology are, and my certification reflects Christian coaching training rather than a state license.

What coaching is, and what it is not

Coaching at Joy Restored is a faith-based, Spirit-led companionship. It is grounded in the Bible and in teaching that has stood the test of time, and it is offered as encouragement and guidance, not as professional advice. Coaching is not counseling, therapy, medical care, or legal or financial advice, and nothing said in a session or on this website should be taken as a diagnosis or treatment of any kind.

If you are walking through something that needs licensed care, such as clinical depression, trauma that needs professional support, or any kind of crisis, please reach out to a qualified physician, counselor, or therapist alongside anything we do together. Receiving that kind of help is wisdom, not weakness, and coaching works best alongside it rather than in place of it.

No guarantees

Healing and growth are journeys, and no one can promise a particular outcome. Everything I share comes from biblical teaching, from what I have learned over decades of ministry, and from listening to the Holy Spirit, but you still have your part to do: the walking, the praying, the practicing, the trusting. Transformation is God's work in a willing heart, and it unfolds in His timing. For those reasons, I do not guarantee any specific result, and Joy Restored is not responsible for the choices you make or the outcomes of your own journey.

Your part in the work

Coaching is a partnership. I will come prepared, pray over our time together, and walk alongside you with honesty and care. You bring your willingness, your openness, and your own steps of obedience. What grows in your life between our conversations matters far more than anything said during them.

Who I work with

Every coaching relationship is a matter of mutual fit, and I hold it with prayer and care. I am free to decline an inquiry or step away from an arrangement if it does not seem like the right fit, whether because of timing, capacity, or the kind of support being asked for. If that happens, it is not a judgment of you or your story, and I will do my best to point you toward someone who can walk with you well. In the same spirit, you are always free to step back from working with me.

Working together

The details of any coaching arrangement, such as scheduling, session frequency, and any fees, are agreed between us directly before we begin. This website itself does not process payments. If we decide to work together, we will settle those details in plain terms first, and either of us may step back from the arrangement at any time with kindness and notice.

Using this website

The words and resources on this site are offered for your personal encouragement. Please do not copy or redistribute them as your own teaching. This website is provided as it is, with care but without warranty, and Joy Restored is not liable for how its content is used.

A change of heart, if needed

These terms may be updated from time to time as the ministry grows. The version on this page is always the one that applies.

Questions

If you would like to talk through any of this before we begin, you are very welcome to reach out through the inquiry form. Clear expectations make for a peaceful journey, and I would rather over-explain than leave you wondering.