Obtaining A Christian Counseling Certificate: How To Integrate Faith Into Counseling

Christian counseling is a unique type of support that combines spirituality and religion with mental health treatment techniques and coaching. Christian counselors practice therapy for Christian clients seeking a provider who can guide them from a Biblical or spiritual perspective. Below, learn about what it takes to obtain a Christian counseling certificate and start supporting clients with a faith-based approach. 

Receive spiritual support in therapy

Match with a therapist who shares your faith

What is Christian counseling? 

Christian counseling is a branch of mental health counseling that combines faith practices with evidence-based methods of understanding human behavior. Christian counselors have extra training in scripture, worship, and the importance of faith, which equips them to support Christian clients seeking mental health support that involves faith-based advice as well as typical treatment techniques. 

Services Christian counselors may provide

Christian mental health professionals may offer their clients individual, couples, family, or group services and sometimes work in a church or other religious setting. Below are some of the unique services Christian counselors may offer: 

• In-session prayer support 
• Scripture reading and interpretation with the client 
• Advice on immersing oneself more in spiritual and religious practices
• Faith-based meditation or mindfulness
• Working on the relationship between the client and God
• Navigating faith, identity, and politics
• Addressing religious questions

Alongside these services, a Christian counselor may provide typical mental health support options, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, mental health advice, therapy homework, and coaching. Anyone can visit a Christian counselor, but they may be the most effective option for clients who want to focus on faith and find their faith an integral aspect of their daily lives and well-being. 

Potential benefits of Christian counselors: combining faith support and mental health counseling 

If you’re considering getting certified in Christian counseling, you may want to learn more about how your services can help those you support. Studies continuously suggest that faith-based counseling services can be effective for individuals who identify with a particular faith and can significantly improve mood and aid in the mental health treatment process. 

When counselors take their client’s religious preferences into consideration and structure sessions around these preferences, clients may potentially receive the following benefits: 

• Support through prayer, forgiveness, and scripture-based validation from a third party 
• Reduced stress
• Reduced risk of physical illness from stress or mental health-related causes
• A connection with someone who understands and believes in the same faith
• Reduced symptoms of mental illness
• Connection to spiritual resources, such as community programs or Christian group counseling

Becoming a Christian counselor: continuing education requirements and a Christian counseling certification 

Becoming a Christian counselor is similar to becoming a regular counselor but with a few additional steps. Below are some of the requirements you’ll need to meet before taking specialized Christian counseling courses, such as those for pastoral counselors. 

Education requirements for a Christian counseling certification

To become a mental health counselor in the US, you must first achieve a high school diploma or equivalent and then enroll in and complete a bachelor’s program in social sciences or a similar field. After achieving your bachelor’s degree, you can attend a master’s program. Some masters programs offer specific Christian counseling degree programs, such as the following: 

• MA in pastoral counseling
• MS in Christian counseling for substance use and addictive disorders
• MA in Christian counseling 
• MA in Christian family and marriage therapy 

You don’t have to get a faith-based MA to be able to provide faith counseling. You can also specialize in general counseling or another area and take another course in Christian counseling for a certificate later after you are an established counselor.

Job experience requirements for a Christian counselor 

To become a licensed counselor in any discipline, individuals are typically required to complete an internship and practicum in graduate school. After receiving your degree, you may be required to complete a certain number of clinical hours, depending on the state you will be licensed in. Some states require over 1,000 hours, whereas some have lesser requirements. An approved, licensed therapist or psychologist must usually supervise your work during this time. After completing your supervision period, you can apply for full licensure. You may be required to pay an application and licensure fee.  

Obtaining a Christian counseling certificate as an established Christian counselor 

After you’ve earned your master’s degree, you’ll go through one of the following steps to specialize in Christian counseling from a biblical perspective and receive a Christian counseling certificate. Counseling training often takes a few weeks to a year. 

Going through a board

Several boards are dedicated to licensing and working with faith-based counselors and counseling professionals in the US, such as the National Association of Christian Counselors (NACC). NACC offers a board-certified program to train counselors from home. They have classes like Counseling, Psychology, and the Christian, Christian Counseling 100 and 200, and Building Strong Marriages and Families. 

The tuition cost is $600, and the program offers 15 credit hours that can be used toward continued learning credits as well as some graduate programs. NACC certification allows you to offer this certification alongside your other credentials but is not a replacement for state licensure.   

Attending a class or certificate program for Christian counseling 

You can also attend any online or in-person course or Christian counseling program that offers Christian counseling certification through classes. For example, these classes are offered by organizations like the Moody Bible Institute, the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors, the Christian Bible Institute, and Gateway Seminary. If you attended a Christian university for graduate studies, you may also ask your advisor or local church leaders about a potential graduate certificate program or classes for quality training in biblical counseling. 

Continuing education units for Christian counselors 

Continuing education in the form of continued learning units (CLUs) are often required for counselors annually to maintain licensure. These short units can usually be completed online or in person and take on many themes. Certain CLUs may be focused on Christian counseling methods, which can be helpful to have on top of other certificates or licenses.  

Do you have to have a master’s degree in counseling to be a Christian counselor? 

You must have a master’s degree to get licensed to practice therapy in any state, and you cannot offer counseling or therapy without having a state license and going through the formal admission process. Some people who do not have these certifications may offer Christian coaching, which they may call “counseling,” although it is not. 

True counseling is offered by someone with formal education and experience in mental health counseling methods and current evidence-based practices. A person who has only learned to offer coaching advice is not equipped to offer this support. 

Becoming a Christian coach is a different process and can be done without any academic or job experience. However, you may want to attend a coaching program and get a coaching certification to show your credentials to potential clients. 

Ways to offer the best faith-based counseling to clients

Incorporating faith into client care is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Therapists might tailor approaches to each individual, as each client has a unique connection with God and their faith. For example, some people may want a therapist who studies the Bible with them, whereas others may be looking for light mentions of the Bible throughout typical counseling sessions. To be an effective therapist, it’s generally helpful to learn about your client’s unique relationship to faith. 

To that end, below are some questions you might ask your client in the first session: 

• Do you have any challenges with your faith that you want to work on in therapy? 
• What was your family like regarding religion and spirituality when you were growing up? 
• What does your relationship with God mean to you? 
• What are some Bible verses you often turn to when you’re going through a difficult moment? 
• What denomination are you from or what spiritual disciplines do you follow? 
• Are there any faith topics or practices you want me to avoid discussing? 
• Are there any unique ways you practice your faith?
• Are you highly observant of your faith or more casual? 
• If you have a partner, do they have the same faith as you? 
• What type of support are you looking for? 

Mental health support options 

Offering faith-based counseling can be helpful to clients who want their provider to understand their belief system. However, counselors themselves can also often benefit from seeking support. Having your own faith-based provider can help you develop your techniques further and connect with your own faith. 

If you struggle to find time for these types of appointments, you might consider working with a therapist through an online therapy platform like BetterHelp. You can also apply to work as a Christian therapist on BetterHelp through the online counselor application. 

Through an online platform, you can work with a therapist from home via phone, video, or live chat. In addition, you can specify that you want a faith-based Christian counselor so you get matched with someone with shared beliefs. Studies suggest that online counseling in general can be effective and may significantly increase quality of life for clients, and it’s often more cost-effective than traditional in-person sessions too. 

Takeaway 

Faith-based counseling can make a positive difference in the lives of religious clients by integrating mental health support practices with spiritual beliefs and principles. If you’re interested in getting a Christian counseling certificate, you might look at graduate programs, certification programs, and boards that offer classes. To work as a counselor for clients with unique needs, you can also consider applying to be an online Christian therapist.