We are excited to announce our newest certificate program in Pastoral Counseling! This program is designed to provide targeted support to pastors, lay or vocational leaders, and church volunteers who offer Biblical insight and prayerful support to individuals and families in need in the local church. A spin-off from our in-depth Christian Counseling concentration with a focus on Pastoral Ministry in our traditional Bachelor of Arts in Ministry Leadership (BAML) four-year degree plan, the Pastoral Counseling certificate program allows students to streamline access to best practices, key tools, and targeted resources by completing a year-long program consisting of only twelve credits:
PSY202 Introduction to Psychology and Christian Counseling (3 credits)
This course is designed to introduce students to the field as a scientific discipline concerned with the study of behavior and expose them to basic counseling techniques and theoretical approaches to counseling. It also provides an overview of the counseling process with the intent of experiencing the counselor’s role in the counseling process. Consideration will be given to such topics as human development, motivation, emotion, perception, learning, personality, intelligence, measurement, and applied areas.
COUN303 Christian Counseling for Marriage and Family (3 credits)
This course considers the dynamics of marriage and family relationships from a systems perspective. It emphasizes the Christian counseling perspective in understanding family and other systems theories, the structure and function of marriage, various aspects of the marital relationship and family systems, and models of family and systemic interventions.
PSY205 Social Psychology and Cultural Issues in Counseling (3 credits)
This course explores the scientific study of how personal interactions, experiences, and social situations influence a person’s thoughts, feelings, and actions. It also examines counseling religiously and culturally diverse populations through a psychological and Christian lens. It emphasizes the need for counselors to understand the multiplicity of culture and change their counseling techniques accordingly. Topics include the self, beliefs, attitudes, individual and group behavior, and relationships.
COUN400 Conflict Resolution Counseling (3 credits)
This course investigates a Biblical and practical understanding of conflict. It analyzes the conflict cycle and styles of conflict management and intervention strategies to help students comprehend how to use conflict for positive change.
*All Ascent College students pursuing the Pastoral Counseling certificate program must complete GEN102 Orientation and Library Resources (0 credits).
The Pastoral Counseling certificate program integrates faith, theological insights, and practical counseling techniques to equip students for spiritual and pastoral care. Students will deepen their personal spiritual development while learning to apply effective methods and theories of Christian counseling to serve those entrusted to their care with compassion and purpose.
Ascent College Director of Admissions Amy Barney shares, “We are passionately committed to getting resources and tools into the hands of ministry leaders as efficiently and effectively as possible. As soon as we identified the need for a targeted academic path that fueled the work of pastors, church staff, and other lay leaders in their loving support of those God has entrusted to their care, we set about streamlining our pastoral counseling resources into a focused one-year program of only twelve credits to open access to learners and leaders from every walk of life. Prospective students are no longer bound to access these courses only via our Bachelor of Arts in Ministry Leadership four-year program, which, of course, is amazing in and of itself but not always the right fit for every person. Now, every prospective student seeking to develop their skills and knowledge in their pastoral roles can immediately access the help they need and deserve via our Pastoral Counseling certificate program. This program is also a great option for auditors who crave knowledge without the pressure of due dates, assignments, and grades. All are welcome! I am so excited about the opportunity this presents for so many of our friends and families in our partner site churches and beyond!”
Ascent College’s certificate programs are a great starting place for those stretching their academic wings to see how higher ed fits into their busy work, home, and ministry schedules. It’s a perfect fit for those who already have college degrees and seek supplemental education as God guides their path deeper into ministry-specific roles. Certificate programs can also be taken in tandem with Ascent’s diploma, associate’s, and bachelor’s degree programs.
Ascent College delivers accredited academic instruction for $350/credit hour. Participants of the Pastoral Counseling certificate program receive an exclusive 25% scholarship off their tuition. We also welcome students to audit all offered courses.
Are you interested in exploring our new Pastoral Counseling certificate program?
If you’re a current student, reach out to your Academic Advisor now. If you’re a prospective student and this program delivers all the bells and whistles as the Holy Spirit guides your path, explore more information here, reach out to our Director of Admissions, or apply today. Ascent College offers rolling admissions. We’d love to have you!