Therapon Institute

What Therapon Institute does

Therapon Institute is a non-profit, faith-based organization, Texas-chartered as a proprietary entity and headquartered in Marrero, Louisiana. Its core offering is Belief Therapy®, described as the only federally registered faith-based counseling model in the United States. The model was developed by founder Dr. Paul Carlin over a 20-year period inside prison ministry, integrating Dr. Albert Ellis's Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (RET) framework with Biblical dynamics drawn from Genesis 3, Proverbs 23:7, Mark 7, and Psalm 139:23-24. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice adopted Belief Therapy as its faith-based therapeutic treatment model following 1997 state law changes under Governor George Bush.

The company sells five certification programs primarily through distance education: Certified Belief Therapist (CBT, $290), Licensed Belief Therapist (LBT, $610), Certified Reentry Crisis Counselor (CRCC, $125), Pastoral Licensed Counselor (PLC, $450-$675), and Certified Youth Behavioral Advisor (CYBA, $195), with a CBT+LBT bundle at $800. A supplementary book and materials catalog (e.g., 'Questions from Job' at $14.99, treatment planners, DISC Profiles) and recurring CEU classes ($50 for 10 CEUs) and live Certification Schools ($325) round out the revenue mix. Therapon is an Approved Education Provider (AEP) for the Louisiana Counseling Association, the Addictive Disorder Regulatory Authority, the Louisiana Chapter of NASW, the Texas Rehabilitation Commission, the Texas State Board of Social Workers Examiners (Provider #2447), the Texas State Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapists, and the Texas Certification Board of Addiction Professionals (Provider #1512-98). The institute is led by President David Rodriguez (D.Min., CBA), who also serves as President of Koinonia Bible College and Pastor of Christian Fellowship. The customer base spans individual pastors, ministry volunteers, lay Christian counselors, and licensed professionals seeking CEUs across 25+ U.S. states.

Name

Therapon Institute

Legal name

The Therapon Institute, Inc.

Website

https://therapon.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Therapon Institute is a non-profit, faith-based organization that delivers Belief Therapy biblical counseling certifications and CEU courses via distance education and live schools, serving pastors, ministry workers, and licensed counselors across 25+ U.S. states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Faith-based Counseling Education & Certification

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Behavioral Health & Counseling (Social Work, Psychology, Substance Use CE) (EDAAALAD), Ministerial Training Institutes (Clergy Formation) (EDAHAKAE)

Keywords

• Biblical counseling certification
• Faith-based counseling
• Distance education counseling
• Christian counselor training
• Belief therapy certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Marrero

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Certification Programs: One-time fees for certification programs including CBT ($290), LBT ($610), CRCC ($125), PLC ($450-675), and CYBA ($195). Bundle pricing available for CBT+LBT ($800, $100 discount). All delivered via distance-ed curriculum.
2. Books and Materials: Sale of books including Treatment Planners, counseling guides, and DISC Profiles. Titles include 'Questions from Job' ($14.99), 'The Lord's Supper', 'Warning: Psychiatry Can Be Hazardous To Your Mental Health', and various counseling manuals.
3. CEU Classes and Seminars: Continuing education classes offered for professional development. CEU classes priced at $50 for 10 CEUs. Certification schools at $325. One-day seminars on biblical counseling topics.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Therapon Institute provides faith-based biblical counseling certification programs built on its proprietary Belief Therapy model, the only Federally Registered faith-based counseling model in the U.S. It sells five distance-education certification tracks (CBT, LBT, CRCC, PLC, CYBA), live certification schools and seminars, CEU classes, and supporting books and materials, primarily to individual Christians, pastors, prison ministry workers, and licensed professionals.

Product overview

Therapon Institute offers a unified certification platform for faith-based biblical counseling with multiple credentialing programs. The core offering is Belief Therapy®, the only federally registered faith-based counseling model in the nation. Programs include Certified Belief Therapist (CBT) as the foundational 28-hour certification, Licensed Belief Therapist (LBT) as advanced training, Certified Reentry Crisis Counselor (CRCC) for prison ministry, Pastoral Licensed Counselor (PLC) for church-based counseling, and Certified Youth Behavioral Advisor (CYBA) for adolescent guidance. The institute also provides supplementary materials including treatment planners, books (such as Change Your Beliefs...Change Your Life, Living Free Reentry Counseling), DISC personality profiles, CEU courses, and hosts certification schools and seminars. All programs are delivered via distance learning with materials shipped to students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Belief Therapy®: The exclusive faith-based counseling model of the Therapon Institute, and the only Federally Registered faith-based counseling model in the nation.

Products and services

• Certified Belief Therapist (CBT) Foundational 28-hour Belief Therapy biblical counselor certification delivered via distance education. Includes workbook, CD series, and textbook series covering Therapon meaning, lie vs. truth, destructive behavior, ethics, counseling cycle, and relapse dynamics. Priced at $290 + $16.63 shipping. Intended for non-professional Christians seeking to provide faith-based counseling in church or ministry settings.
• Licensed Belief Therapist (LBT) Advanced Belief Therapy certification building upon the CBT core curriculum. Includes five textbooks and workbooks covering Christ Centered Counseling, Character Builder 400, Biblical Keys to Counseling Issues, Satan and the Saint, and The 12 Keys to Developing Mature Relationships. Priced at $610 + $16.63 shipping. CBT completion is a prerequisite.
• CBT & LBT Bundle Combined Certified Belief Therapist and Licensed Belief Therapist certification package at a discounted bundle price of $800 (regular $900, $100 savings). Available for purchase together as the complete CBT-to-LBT credentialing path.
• Certified Reentry Crisis Counselor (CRCC) Prison ministry and reentry recovery counseling certification, described as the only book on the subject in print. Covers crisis intervention, barriers to reentry, reentry symptoms and triggers, spiritual dynamics, and the RCC Process with teaching charts. Priced at $125 + $8.00 shipping. Intended for prison ministry volunteers, parole/reentry counselors, and recovery professionals.
• Pastoral Licensed Counselor (PLC) Distance-education pastoral counseling certification for pastors, spouses, and pastoral staff with minimum two years of experience. Covers Issues Training, Disciple Maker DM 300, Christ Centered Therapy, Pastoral Counseling, and Strategic Pastoral Counseling. Priced at $450 (individual) or $675 (pastor and spouse package), plus $16.63 shipping.
• Certified Youth Behavioral Advisor (CYBA) Training program for evaluating and counseling at-risk adolescents. Includes training manual, program disk, eight CDs, and workbook covering core beliefs, thinking habits, and overcoming bondage. Priced at $195 + $16.63 shipping.
• Belief Therapy Certification Schools and Seminars Live, in-person Belief Therapy Certification Schools and one-day biblical counseling seminars delivered by Therapon faculty (e.g., Dr. Paul Denman). Certification schools run as 6-week programs via Google Meet, Mon-Fri 6-10pm and Saturday 9am-7pm, priced at $325. Seminars and CEU classes are held at Christian Fellowship, 5049 Ehret Rd, Marrero, LA.
• CEU Classes Continuing Education Unit (CEU) classes offered for licensed professionals (counselors, social workers, marriage and family therapists, addiction professionals) needing annual CEU credits. Priced at $50 for 10 CEUs. Approved for CEU credit by multiple Louisiana and Texas licensing boards.
• Books and Counseling Materials Catalog of supporting books and counseling materials sold through the Therapon store, including titles such as 'Questions from Job' ($14.99), 'Warning: Psychiatry Can Be Hazardous To Your Mental Health', 'The Lord's Supper', 'Living Free Reentry Counseling', 'Change Your Beliefs...Change Your Life', 'The Lies We Believe', treatment planners, the Belief Therapy Nine Steps Addiction Recovery Program, and DISC Profiles (The Keys For Positive Relationships, The Biblical Personality System, The Children's Profile, The Values Style Profile).

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Louisiana Counseling AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTherapon Institute is an Approved Education Provider (AEP) for the Louisiana Counseling Association, enabling their graduates to earn recognized CEUs.
• Addictive Disorder Regulatory AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerApproved Education Provider (AEP) status for The Addictive Disorder Regulatory Authority, allowing CEU credit for addiction counseling professionals.
• National Association of Social Workers (NASW) - Louisiana ChaptercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerApproved Education Provider (AEP) status for the Louisiana Chapter of NASW, providing continuing education for social workers.
• Texas Rehabilitation CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerApproved as an education provider by the Texas Rehabilitation Commission for vocational rehabilitation professionals.
• Texas Department of Criminal JusticeflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Texas Department of Criminal Justice has adopted Therapon's faith-based counseling model, Belief Therapy®, as the state prison system's faith-based therapeutic treatment model. This is a major government endorsement of the program.
• Texas State Board of Social Workers ExaminerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerApproved education provider (Provider#2447) for the Texas State Board of Social Workers Examiners.
• Texas State Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family TherapistscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerApproved as an education provider for marriage and family therapy professionals in Texas.
• Texas Certification Board of Addiction ProfessionalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerApproved education provider (Provider#1512-98) for addiction professionals in Texas.
• Koinonia Bible CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDavid Rodriguez serves as President of Koinonia Bible College (www.kbc.org), an affiliated biblical education institution.
• Christian FellowshipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChristian Fellowship church (www.cfchurch.com) where David Rodriguez serves as Pastor. Hosts seminars and events for Therapon Institute.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/therapon-counseling-ctr

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Therapon Institute