Online Christian Counseling programs

I am wanting to receive a Christian counseling certification and have been searching for places that offer them all online. I have seen a lot that have had reviews saying they are not legit or not accepted anywhere once you get the certification or degree.
Does anyone know of a ace where I can earn a certificate or certification for Christian counseling that is all online, legit and would be accepted places once I earned it, and would be Bible based? I need one that would offer grants (other than FAFSA) or something to cover costs in order to be able to take the courses.

 

What sort of certification are you looking for? There are a number of license-eligible programs that are Christian - but that's on the graduate level. While there are undergraduate "certifications" that exist (AACC for instance), they aren't "legit" depending on your definition.

 

I am looking for a certification or certificate program for Christian counseling that would be accepted with churches or allow me to offer services.

 

Hi Rebecca,

First of all, can I ask why you would not accept a federal grant, such as the PELL? These are offered at the undergraduate level at accredited colleges, which I would recommend you attend. Liberty University offers a BS in Psychology with a concentration in Christian Counseling. That is a great stepping stone to one of their MA degrees in Counseling. If you are not interested in state licensure (which would limit you to counseling only within a church or para-church setting among other limitations), you could go on at Liberty for a MA in Pastoral Counseling through their seminary.

While you may be tempted to find a quick fix or online "certification" in the area of Christian counseling, I would caution you that there are many groups out there that will do little more than take your money. One that comes to mind is the NCCA, whose "certification" isn't worth the paper it's printed on. If you are seriously looking for a career in counseling with a Christian emphasis, I would recommend you go the legitimate route of a regionally accredited MA. Even within churches, this is becoming the more widely accepted degree, and in my opinion, for good reason.

Either way, good luck in your search and let us know what you decide!

 

I do not qualify for FAFSA. I want to find a program that is strictly Bible based. I am mostly just looking to get one that is accepted by churches.

 

Rebecca,

I would refer you then to: Welcome | NANC - National Association of Nouthetic Counselors which uses a nouthetic approach to counseling a la Jay Adams. However, you may find yourself referring as many people as you counsel. Unless of course you'd like to take the John MacArthur route and counsel a young man to commit suicide - which the young man ultimately did in 1979. Sorry, I'm not one who looks at secular counseling as "evil" and also believes that theology and psychology can be integrated. As a matter of fact, I had a class on that subject in grad school.

 

There are better options than NANC. Perhaps Light University Online would be a better fit for what you're looking for. Online Christian Counseling Certification Programs | Light University Online

I would find out from the church(es) you plan to do volunteer counseling for (these sorts of certifications wouldn't credential you to charge for services in most states) and ask if they have a specifically recommended program.

Lance: I used to teach that class. (Assuming you mean COUN506).

 

Yes, I was referring to COUN506 (COUN507 also deals with these issues) The McMinn text is one of my favorites on this subject. As far as Light University goes, I hesitated in recommending that because of their affiliation with AACC. Dr. Clinton's organization welcomes people other than Biblical counselors. Therefore, I thought she might be more comfortable with NANC, but who knows? As far as payment goes, wouldn't she be allowed to accept payment provided she is providing her service under the umbrella of a church or parachurch organization? Not for sure on this area, but have heard of it in the past.

 

For a counselor to accept direct payment all 50 states now require the counselor to be licensed. At the very least, this requires a Masters degree in Counseling or Social Work. If you wish to practice psychology you will need a Ph.D. I guess you could counsel and the client could pay the church and the church could pay you a stipend. The scary thing is that you will not be able to purchase Mal-Practice insurance and whether or not you will be sued is not the question --- the question is when. Some will back off when you have MP insurance; without it you are a sitting duck. Just a thought; enroll at Nation's University, obtain your bachelors and then enroll in Liberty's counseling program. I received my Masters in Counseling from Liberty in 1990 and have been well pleased with the degree. Did not like a couple of instructors, but that goes with the territory. As an aside, do you wish to be a Christian Counselor or a Christian that counsels?

 

PsyDoc - I graduated from LU in 1991, I bet we had some practicum or something together. Back then was before the internet and we only had about 60 people in the counseling program.....

Rebecca- You are not going to find a "counseling" program accepted within the church from outside of your church. Some churches have lay "counseling" programs. But counseling is highly regulated in all 50 states, and doing the work of a counselor without a degree has all but disappeared in most states. Your best bet, take the time and the cost and if you are "called" to counseling, so it the right way and get a degree. In every state that means a masters degree.
The only exeption I know of to this is in substance abuse counseling. www.CityVision.edu offers a Christian substance abuse counseling program accredited by NAADAC and meeting the requirements for state certification/licensure.
Any "Christian" program that is unaccredited or offers credentials to people without a degree- will just make you look silly when you apply for a job at a church.

 

Rebecca, I can also attest to Liberty's MA in Counseling. It is a solid program with more than adequate preparation! However, this will not be strictly a Biblical counseling program. Liberty's programs will prepare you for LPC or MFT licensure.

 

Rebecca,

Believe it or not, Penn Foster offers a diploma in Substance Abuse Counseling that is recognized by the NAADAC, as well. It is MUCH cheaper. While it is not a Christian program, you could certainly integrate your Christian principles, depending upon the setting in which you are employed.

 

If NAADAC is what she's looking for, the Indiana Wesleyan is a better option than Penn Foster (because its Christian) or Liberty (who isn't NAADAC and is much more expensive).

Adult Graduate Addictions Counseling Program at Indiana Welseyan University | Indiana Wesleyan University

 

Well, I only brought up Penn Foster because we were talking about a program without having to acquire a degree. Obviously if she is looking for a degree, I would recommend other programs. I just thought we were talking about a fast track, non degree route to counseling (as Substance Abuse counseling can be done without an MA provided they are NAADAC certified). But I agree IWU is an excellent program in Substance Abuse Counseling if she is looking for a degree. Now if she wants to do counseling and is willing to go to college, I would bypass recommending a Substance Abuse program altogether and go the LPC or MFT route...which brings us back to LU!

 

Sure - though there are other options there as well. LU's counseling programs require limited residency and are not CACREP while being more expensive than other regionally accredited Christian programs.

If it was a friend asking me, I'd recommend the "Light University" program that I linked above.

 

This is excellent advice, Rebecca. Avoid NCCA, and the ACI accredited schools associated with it.

 

Try

http://www.rddim.org/