The Need for Christian Counseling
Demand for mental health support has steadily increased over the past few decades, and with that has come an increase in options for clients seeking a licensed therapist. What sets a Christian counselor apart is the intentional focus on addressing both the mind and the heart through faith-based care, ultimately seeking emotional health and spiritual wholeness as an outcome of their treatment plans. Christian counselors are not only trained in the textbook science of psychology and human behavior, but in the theological frameworks that reveal every person as an image of God, worthy of restoration.
A calling to counsel is ultimately a calling to care. Counselors meet others in their pain and confusion and help them find practical strategies and tools to navigate life’s challenges. For the faith-based client, the additional benefit of a counselor who understands their worldview, can pray with them and point them toward lasting healing in Christ is essential. A Christian counselor seeks to unify both faith and therapy, bringing both into balance and helping clients see their worth in Christ and the work He is doing in the world. Through the implementation of healthy strategies, clients can walk away with a stronger understanding of how to show the love of Christ to themselves and others.
Why Choose Christian Higher Education for your Counseling Degree?
While many programs may advertise higher education in a Christian environment, it’s important in your college search to ensure that this commitment is adequately represented through academics, community, and spiritual formation opportunities. Christian counseling programs should go beyond technique to teach you to view mental health through a biblical lens. You’ll study psychology and human behavior, but also explore how Scripture speaks to topics like identity, forgiveness, and healing. At the University of Toccoa Falls our counseling degree programs are further benefitted by core bible and theology classes that are taken alongside degree-specific courses. To understand who we are, it is vital to understand who God is. Students will study scripture and participate in theological dialogue with others, learning how to navigate different views and find common ground. UTF is committed to practicing Christian community and formation, and this emphasis alongside your students will prepare you for the variety of situations you will come across in your career as a licensed therapist.
Which Route Should You Take?
There are multiple avenues within the counseling and psychology profession for the Christian counselor. At UTF, students are able to pursue undergraduate degree programs in Counseling Psychology with concentrations in social work, sport psychology and counseling in ministry, or Criminal Justice. Through the variety that these programs offer, students are able to either approach their studies from a broad perspective to learn more about the different avenues available in behavioral sciences, or take a more focused approach to their preferred field. Ultimately, the University of Toccoa Falls’ Behavioral Sciences Department equips students to understand people, serve communities, and pursue justice, all grounded in Christ’s redemptive work. This department not only prepares students for entrance into a master’s program to seek licensure, it ultimately prepares graduates to engage the complexities of human behavior with the wisdom and compassion displayed to us in Christ.
Advanced Education
Obtaining licensure in mental health counseling requires advanced training at the graduate level. A strong master’s program provides the academic and spiritual foundation needed to walk with others through complex emotional and relational struggles. The University of Toccoa Falls offers an online, faith-based M.A. in Marriage & Family Therapy program that meets the requirements for licensure established by the Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage & Family Therapists. This program opens the door to a wide range of career possibilities, including work in clinics, substance abuse treatment centers, schools, and private practice.
For licensed mental health professionals who may be working clinically with people who have experienced trauma due to humanitarian disasters, mass or individual casualty, or emotional, physical or sexual abuse, UTF offers an online Graduate Certificate in Trauma Therapy. Keeping a Christian perspective at the forefront, this program provides students with the insight, skills, and knowledge needed to recognize symptoms and develop treatment plans for those suffering from trauma-induced mental health conditions.
Finally, for the ministry personnel in church or para-church organizations who are not seeking licensure, UTF offers an M.A. in Counseling Ministries that emphasizes the integration of theology, psychology, and practical ministry to prepare students for effective service in both church and community settings.
In each of these programs, graduate students are provided with the flexibility of an online, asynchronous environment, and an emphasis on theological and biblical teachings alongside technique, psychology and theories of human behavior. Whichever route your career takes you, the University of Toccoa Falls has undergraduate and graduate options to ensure success. If you’re looking for a distinctly Christian environment for your higher education experience, visit utf.edu for more information.
