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Exposing Psychology, Exalting Christ |
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| Do I Need to Get Education / Certification / Licensure to Provide Biblical Counsel to People?Question: I would like to help people in my community in counseling. What direction would you recommend? I have considered the nouthestic counseling under Dr Jay Adams or a Christian Counseling degree from the Emanuel College and certification from the National Christian Counselors of America. What are your views on this? Is there a better way to counsel others and have a counseling ministry? --RE, Internet Answer: Thank you for your email and your good questions. In response to your question about what direction you should take to prepare yourself for a biblical counseling ministry, we think it's great that you want to help people using the Bible. Unfortunately many Christian college degrees and training, certification and licensing programs integrate the teachings and treatments of psychology with the Bible, or worse, do not use the Bible at all. To operate a Christian counseling center or private practice outside the church requires state licensure. State licensure requires you to complete humanistic, godless curriculum at an accredited university. Some states also require you to amass thousands of hours of performing psychotherapy as an intern, take a licensing exam testing your knowledge of psychological theories and treatments, and even see a psychotherapist yourself, in order to be licensed by the state. Some states also require you to get continuing education units (CEUs) as you operate your counseling practice - CEUs for courses teaching ways to understand and treat problems of life that are worldly and unbiblical. Suddenly working in a Christian counseling center or private practice is not sounding so Christian, but sounds more like a worldly system of help with a Christian label attached. To counsel within the church, many churches have the same licensing requirements as the state to become a church counselor, for fear of malpractice litigation. Churches that do not require licensure to counsel may instead require certification from one of many Christian certification bodies, such as the National Christian Counselors Association (NCCA) and the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC). The danger in using certification bodies such as these is that many of their trainers are psychologists and their curriculum is tainted by psychology's theories of man and treatments to change him. The result is a watered-down and compromised form of Christianity. There are, however, some certification bodies that hold to a "Bible-only" view of counseling, including the National Association of Nouthetic Counselors (NANC), International Association of Biblical Counselors (IABC), and Biblical Counseling Foundation (BCF). Although we support these organizations’ use of the Bible as their sole source of guidance, we believe their certifications are unnecessary. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says: All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. What is biblical counseling, but doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness? God's Word alone enables the one being counseled to be perfect (complete) and thoroughly equipped for every good work. We don't need anything else - such as counseling certifications and training - to help people live the way God intends them to live. The knowledge of God's Word and the power of His Holy Spirit are sufficient, according to 2 Peter 1:3: According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that [pertain] unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue. If God has put a desire on your heart to provide biblical counsel to others, you can do this today, without a degree or training. Don't feel intimidated by counseling's "expert" facade. In fact, there is no ministry of counseling in the New Testament, because every Christian has the ability and responsibility to provide biblical counsel to others. Psychologists and biblical counselors in the church are only recent phenomena, due to the influence of the world's help systems on the church. How did the saints help their fellow brothers and sisters for the last 2,000 years, before the church counseling movement? Using only God's Word and the Holy Spirit, motivated by love and provided for free (Matthew 10:8). It has worked for the last 2,000 years, so why wouldn't it work today? Thanks again for your email, and we hope God uses you greatly in the powerful simplicity of His Word and His Holy Spirit.
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