About Ryan Bailey & 1st Principle Group
I’m Ryan Bailey, founder of 1st Principle Group. I serve Christian leaders and professionals who look strong on the outside but are carrying hidden personal, marital, or leadership battles where what they know theologically about God’s love has not yet become their lived experience. I combine Christian counseling and executive‑level coaching so God’s love moves from head to heart and shows up in your closest relationships, your integrity, and your leadership under pressure.
Who I Serve
I primarily work with Christian executives, business owners, pastors, and high‑capacity professionals who are:
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Fighting secret struggles (pornography, emotional affairs, anger, or burnout) behind a competent public image.
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Living with a painful gap between what they teach or affirm about God’s love and what they actually experience in shame, conflict, or stress.
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Wanting a guide who understands both the Gospel and the realities of leading teams, carrying financial and relational weight, and making high‑stakes decisions.
Many of my clients have tried reading more books, adding disciplines, or applying leadership tools, but still feel stuck in the same core patterns. They don’t just want coping strategies; they want transformation that holds when the pressure is high.
How I Work
My counseling and coaching are unapologetically Christ‑centered and Scripture‑anchored, but also deeply practical and emotionally honest. We don’t stay at the level of information or behavior management. Together, we identify and address the beliefs, stories, and fears that keep you returning to the same patterns in your marriage, personal integrity, or leadership.
In our work, you can expect:
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A confidential space where you can tell the whole truth without managing your image.
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Root‑level work that applies the Gospel to specific moments of temptation, conflict, and pressure.
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Clear next steps—practices, conversations, and strategies—that connect inner change to your daily life at home and at work.
Most leaders begin with a counseling‑plus‑coaching focus on their personal and relational life. As needed and desired, we may also address leadership, team, and organizational dynamics that are directly connected to your growth.
Training and Experience
I’ve spent over three decades developing and walking with leaders in counseling, coaching, and organizational settings. Along the way, I’ve watched God repeatedly use head‑to‑heart encounters with his love to change how people lead, love, and live.
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Undergraduate degree from NYU’s Stern School of Business (Management, Marketing, and International Business).
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Master of Arts in Christian Counseling from Gordon‑Conwell Theological Seminary (Licensed Professional track and Marriage and Family Therapy track).
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Advanced Corporate Coaching and Advanced Life Coaching certifications from CoachU, one of the world’s first coach training schools.​
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Working toward a Ph.D. in Practical Theology, focusing on how God’s love moves from head to heart and how that lived experience reshapes a leader’s personal life, relationships, and professional decisions.​
I am certified in assessments such as Myers‑Briggs, EQ‑i 2.0, Prepare‑Enrich, and Serge’s Sonship Apprenticeship, and I regularly use tools like CliftonStrengths 34 and 360s when they serve the work we’re doing. Under Georgia law, I practice Bible‑based counseling as a Christian counselor (GA Code Title 43‑10A‑7, b, 11.).
Why 1st Principle Group Exists
1st Principle Group exists to help Christian leaders and professionals experience God’s love in the places they actually live and lead- so their inner life, closest relationships, and leadership all move in the same direction. I believe every leader has areas that need healing and areas where God is inviting growth, and that both are meant to happen in the context of his love, not apart from it.
If you’re tired of carrying battles alone- or of having a Gospel you can preach but not feel- I would be honored to walk with you.
Our Values
We believe everything begins and ends with a daily return to the steadfast love of God as revealed in Jesus Christ.
In every counseling and coaching relationship, we help Christian leaders, professionals, couples, and families find security, identity, and hope in the unchanging Gospel- not in performance, reputation, or relational success. This conviction shapes our methodology, moving change from head to heart through honest, personalized, caring work.
Our goal is for you to experience God’s love as a daily reality that strengthens your work, your relationships, and your personal growth.
We believe every person’s journey toward wholeness is unique and requires tailored support that honors their particular story, pressures, and calling.
Rather than a one‑size‑fits‑all approach, we offer counseling, coaching, and (as needed) consulting that meets you where you are- whether you are a leader facing hidden battles, a couple working through deep pain, or a family seeking stability and healing.
We take time to understand your history, patterns, and goals, then apply a proven head‑to‑heart framework in ways that fit your real life so growth is both deeply personal and practically sustainable.
We believe the highest quality results happen in relationships where professional excellence and authentic care go together.
Decades of training and experience are combined with genuine, long‑term relational investment: we take time to truly know you, understand your unique pressures, and walk with you in a way that is both honest and hopeful.
In individual, couple, and family work- as well as in select organizational engagements- we create environments where leaders and their loved ones can speak freely, receive clear feedback, and experience meaningful, lasting change.
Our Approach
We meet you where you are with integrated Christian counseling and coaching, and, when appropriate, consulting support- so you can experience meaningful change from the inside out.
Our approach is rooted in daily return to God’s love and a clear, Gospel‑anchored framework for head‑to‑heart transformation, designed especially for Christian leaders and professionals who are done trying to manage battles alone.
Instead of quick fixes or surface‑level strategies, we focus on the beliefs, stories, and habits that drive what you do under pressure- at home, at work, and when no one is watching. Whether your next step is rebuilding trust in your marriage, addressing a secret struggle, finding emotional stability, or aligning your leadership with your convictions, we walk with you through caring, expert, and practical support.
Personal and family work is the foundation. When it serves your calling and responsibilities, we can also address leadership, team, and organizational dynamics connected to your growth- one unified, Gospel‑anchored approach that shapes how you lead at work, love your family, and navigate the opportunities God has placed before you.
