Christian Colleges with Counseling Degrees

By Calli Wolfenden, Staff Writer
 

Counseling is an essential profession. In a way, it’s a reflection of the love and care that God has for us, nurturing and healing the parts of us that are too confusing or complicated to stick a band aid on. Counseling is meant to help us work through pain, emotional or behavioral illness or disability, trauma, loss, and many other difficult circumstances. Counselors walk us through our situation, empathize, help us understand, and find ways to cope and combat the issues to improve our circumstances and bring healing.

Getting a counseling degree from a Christian college introduces the techniques and knowledge of a counselor with the added perspective of God’s love and role as healer. A Christian college allows you to see each person as a reflection of Him and puts your role as His hands and feet into perspective. It trains you to reflect and share the love of God with the broken and hurting and guide them into seeing the value and image of God in themselves.

Career options for those who choose to major in counseling:

• Mental Health Counselor: A Mental Health Counselor is a trained and licensed professional who provides therapy for mental, emotional, or behavioral issues. This could be for a group, individual, or family. They assess the issues and needs of the client(s) and provide strategies to help with their specific troubles, crisis intervention in tense circumstances, and emotional support. They work in a multitude of settings, from schools and hospitals to private practices.
• Marriage and Family Therapist: Marriage and Family Therapists work with couples and families to overcome issues in relationships or communications. Some issues that they deal with are communication problems, infidelity, parenting challenges, and others. These therapists usually must have a Marriage and Family Therapy license, and often they work for private practices, clinics, or community agencies.
• Rehabilitation Counselor: Rehabilitation Counselors help those with any kind of disability overcome obstacles to achieve their career or life goals. They determine the limitations and capabilities of those with emotional, mental, physical, or developmental disabilities and come up with strategies to improve their quality of life, while providing support and counseling as needed. Rehabilitation Counselors are often required to be licensed and certified and may also assist with job placement and disability management.
• Social Worker: Social Workers provide help to families and communities as they deal with issues that arise in their everyday lives, such as health, mental illness, poverty, and more. They can provide therapy to individuals, families, or groups, and assess the difficulties facing clients. Their goal is to improve the well-being of their clients and provide strategies that help them cope with and overcome issues. They may be employed at hospitals, social service agencies, or schools.
• Military Counselor: Military Counselors, as the name implies, serve the military community, veterans, and their families with emotional or mental challenges that come as a result of military life, such as PTSD, trauma, depression, anxiety, and re-adjustment. They often serve on military bases, VA hospitals, or private practices and assist with crisis intervention and suicide prevention. Licensure is typically required for this role.
• Grief Counselor: Grief Counselors are trained and certified mental health specialists who help those dealing with loss or death work through their grief and understand their emotions. They help clients navigate the steps of grief, develop coping strategies, and provide emotional support throughout the process. They may be employed in hospitals, counseling centers, hospices, or private practices. 
• School Counselor: School Counselors work with students to create a healthy and supportive environment at schools. They provide academic, emotional, and career/college planning for students and address any issues with teachers or conflicts with other students. If crisis intervention is needed, they step up and may organize events that promote mental health awareness for students. These individuals usually have to be licensed and certified.

Though placement rates are not readily available for those with a counseling degree, the field is expected to see considerable growth over the next few years, presenting plenty of opportunity. The average annual salary for those who choose to major in counseling is around $52,000, but there is a lot of variation in salary depending on what kind of counseling, what level of education, and the location of employment.

There are some important things to note when considering a major in counseling and when preparing for a career. Though there are career options for those with a bachelor’s degree, the higher paying jobs require a master’s degree or higher. The nature of most jobs that are acquired with a counseling degree requires a high education, deep insight, and experience that goes beyond what a bachelor’s degree offers. Being a committed lifelong learner is a strong character trait in the field of counseling, especially since you’ll want to keep up with best practices and recent research within the field.

Relevant experience is also key to starting your career with a counseling degree. Gaining experience in the field of counseling goes beyond just doing an internship (though that is highly recommended). Internships, practicums, volunteer work, and clinical hours are all part of the experience journey to becoming a counselor. These will show your ability to apply your education to real-world situations and give you an indication of what to expect. Additionally, they provide great places to begin building relationships and connections that you can call on later for reference or perhaps even a permanent position.

For many types of counseling, there are licenses or specialized certifications required of you before you can practice professionally. To gain these licenses or certifications, usually you are required to have a certain level of education, number of supervised clinical hours, and pass an examination. Not all career paths with a counseling degree require it, but many of the higher paying jobs do.

Counseling is a field that handles largely with human experience, emotion, and healing. Because of that, there are some very important characteristics that those who choose to major in counseling need to have. Empathy is especially important, as clients need to feel heard and understood. This allows you to relate to them and sympathize with their experiences. Being a good listener and communicator is also essential, as is good self-awareness. Counselors need to be able to listen to clients, understand the problem, and help without getting personally involved. It can be a difficult line to walk, which is why you also need to be intentional about caring for your own emotional health. The characteristics that make a great counselor also prepare someone for a great role in ministry.

Works Cited:

“Counselors, All Other.” Bls.gov, 3 Apr. 2024, www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes211019.htm. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.
“Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors : Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.” Bls.gov, 4 Sept. 2019, www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/substance-abuse-behavioral-disorder-and-mental-health-counselors.htm#tab-6. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.

By Calli Wolfenden, Staff Writer

Whether it’s providing emotional support, spiritual support, or both, someone with a degree in counseling can play a vital role in the Church or in ministry. Being a safe space, listening, and being able to advise and guide toward healing are valuable skills and necessary in ministering to those who need it.

Proverbs 12:18
“The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

2 Corinthians 1:3-4
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all out troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

Many churches have need for counselors. Often this involves a combination of mainstream counseling practices and spiritual guidance. Church or spiritual counseling is an intersection of emotional wellbeing and faith. This can look like family counseling, marriage counseling, childhood and adolescent counseling, or spiritual guidance, all from a Biblical and clinical perspective. A counselor in a church or ministry/nonprofit setting can facilitate communication in family or couple settings, can provide understanding about issues or emotional/mental illnesses, and can share the love of God in a safe space for growth and questioning. 

Someone with a counseling degree can also be valuable in times of crisis. In times of loss, the aftermath of a disaster, trauma, or other instances, counselors can help clients or victims understand their pain, work through it, and find strategies to cope and heal. Counselors are great ambassadors to carry the love of God to those who are hurting or struggling emotionally or spiritually and don’t know where to go. Those who choose to major in counseling will have no shortage of opportunities to serve in a church or ministry.

Someone with a counseling degree has no shortage of ways to shower others with the love of God, in whatever setting or situation they decide. If you are empathetic, a great listener, self-aware, and passionate about helping others, then perhaps God is calling you to major in counseling.