Graduate Pastorla Counselor Education

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by paynedaniel, Jan 27, 2006.

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  1. paynedaniel

    paynedaniel New Member

    I am looking for an online graduate level program (certificate or masters) in Pastoral Counseling, in which the practicum component can also be done by distance with an approved mentor. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I've been staring at the computer screen for so long, my eyes are about to pop out of my head:)

    Peace,
    Daniel
     
  2. BlackBird

    BlackBird Member

    Having been a pastor/church planter (6 churches) for over 25 years, and now a psychotherapist in private practice, I don't recommend going the route of getting a graduate degree in Pastoral Counseling. The reason? For the same amount of work and a little more, you can get a REAL license-based clinical degree that lets you "minister" to the general population and also have the MOST amount of credibility before the government, population, and church community (including academia). Saying you are a pastoral counselor versus saying that you are a professional counselor has a major difference in response from church and non-church folks. I would recommend you rethink your strategy and sign on with either a Christian or non-Christian online program. Also if you should decide to do a "Christian" based standard Masters for licensure, the difference in coursework may be just a few courses, otherwise, the courses are standard across the board in order to satisfy state and national standards.
     
  3. CCBapt

    CCBapt New Member

    paynedaniel

    paynedaniel

    BlackBird is right. If you get a masters without a chance for licensing, your choices - and pay - will be very limited. Licensing also brings an amount of credibility. Also, if something were to happen in mininstry, you would be more 'marketable' in most other sectors.

    With that said, check out

    Liberty University

    I believe most of these are via distance. Last I checked - I think they had a licensing tract ???

    also
    your alma matter

    NOBTS

    I hate how they do their web site. You have to download the catalog PDF. Do that and check out the MA in Marriage and Family AND the MDiv in the same. They both have the licensing tract as well. The catch is, they do not have all their corses on line, they do have some, and more are supposed to be in development.

    Hope that helps.

    CCBapt
     
  4. paynedaniel

    paynedaniel New Member

    re:

    Thanks for the info so far. I already have a Masters degree in Theology. What would be the quickest, professional way to become a counselor. Would I need to finish another complete Master's degree, or are there any kind of post-grad certification programs? Also, sorry for the misspelling in my title:) I meant Pastoral.

    Peace,
    Daniel

    P.S. I am in South Korea.
     
  5. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

    Re: re:

    If I were you, I would check out both Liberty University www.liberty.edu and Regent University www.regent.edu . Both have master's and doctoral programs available by distance learning and, if I'm not mistaken, both offer tracks in pastoral counseling and professional counseling.
     
  6. BlackBird

    BlackBird Member

    Re: re:

    Daniel,

    Yes, you would have to do a totally new Masters that has little or no overlap with your theological degree. If it were, it might be only a difference of one or two classes relating to that school only on theology classes and/or a Theology/Psychology Integration course (considered an elective by standardize program design).

    I would recommend you consider a non-Christian school because you get the opportunity to interface with the "real" world of counseling in a secular sense. I would highly recommend www.capella.edu because it is currently the only online program either in Mental Health Counseling or Marriage and Family Therapy that is totally CACREP accredited. That is the highest accreditation you can get for any state jurisdiction to accept you to take their state licensing board tests. You have the gold standard when you have CACREP on your diploma/transcript. Your counselor education will typically take you a minimum of 2 years full time (60 semester credit hours; can't remember what they are in quarter hours). You'll have to do a supervised internship during your masters (If I remember right it is 1000 hours) and then after graduation you have to do 1,500 clinical hours and 150 hours of supervision (those are hours of being supervised).

    If you ever go into the pastorate, you would end up being an incredible one. Even though I did not have my credential when I pastored, I had plenty of NLP training (Neurolinguistic Programming) as a Master Practitioner and I saw amazing emotional healing to many in my congregation to the point that psychotherapists were bringing me their wives. This was a hint as to what I was supposed to go into later. I also have a few very successful friends who are pastors that are psychotherapists. One in particular has a 1000 member church and also has a healthy private practice. He is now getting his PH.D. along with me in the Family Psych program at Capella.

    Hope this helps, man. God will show you, provide for you, and sustain you, should you take the plunge under His direction.

     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 27, 2006
  7. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

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