State-Secular vs Christian Counseling...
One of the most important decisions facing any Christian planning to practice in the field of counseling is whether they will operate under the authority of their state or under the church.
State licensed therapists and counselors typically must support "politically correct" notions of right and wrong. State licensed therapists typically must be willing to accept homosexuality as a perfectly normal lifestyle, divorce as a desirable outcome of marital difficulties, and abortion as the preferred solution for inconvenient children.
Recently, a counseling student at Eastern Michigan University filed a lawsuit as a result of her unwillingness to recommend homosexuality:
"(A federal lawsuit) alleges that Eastern Michigan University violated the civil rights of Julea Ward, a graduate student in school counseling, by dismissing her from the program because she would not affirm homosexual behavior in the context of counseling... The lawsuit says that Ward is 'a Christian who derives her beliefs and moral values from the Bible.' 'Based on her sincerely held religious beliefs, Ms. Ward believes that homosexual behavior is immoral sexual conduct, and cannot affirm or validate that behavior or otherwise use her counseling skills and abilities to facilitate homosexual behavior, without violating her sincere religious beliefs,' the suit states.
...Ward underwent an informal review during which she was asked to undergo a remediation program to change her beliefs relating to counseling about homosexuality, the suit states. When Ward refused, she went through a formal review process with counseling professors. ...According to the transcript, ...Ward said she refused to compromise her religious beliefs. 'In essence, what the university wants her to do is affirm homosexual behavior within the context of a counseling relationship in order to get a degree there,' (her attorney) said. 'That's something she's unwilling to do.'" *
Christians entering the counseling profession need to consider under what authority the will place themselves. The question is not whether a counselor should be held accountable, but to whom. A license from your state requires you to abide by the state's regulations. An ordination or license from a church or religious institution holds you accountable to the organization that issues it.
Pastoral Counseling Center offers everything required to become licensed by the National Association of Christian Counselors (NCCA). NCCA licensed counselors are practicing in every state of the USA and dozens of other nations around the world.
Can A Christian Counselor Be Paid?
The most frequently asked question we hear is "Can I Be Paid?" and the answer is "Certainly." No one expects you to perform a valuable service like this without being properly paid. While ministers in larger organizations may be paid by the organization rather than the individual being helped, the minister, pastor, or counselor gets paid. No one does this for free, and there is no law to prevent you from becoming a Pastoral Counselor and being paid. You need to be educated, certified, insured, and licensed to do this properly...and we are here to help. The specifics vary some from state to state, but there is no state that this type of ministry is not acceptable. You may have to call it something slightly different a couple of states (Arkansas, Kentucky, Maine, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Tennessee). We help you get in touch with your state's laws and people who are knowledgeable in this area so you can be sure of doing the right thing when you begin practicing.
from the NCCA catalog...
Christian Certification/Licensing
Each individual must decide if he or she wants to be an agent of the state or a servant of the Church. Biblical, Pastoral or Christian Counselors looking for certification, accreditation and licensing, please consider the following. If you have a Divine call on your life to counsel and minister to the hurting, then a state license may inhibit such ministry.
The National Christian Counselors Association Licensing Program is not a state license and is, in fact, distinctly different. Most states have regulatory laws governing the practice of psychology. Many of them also legislate the practice of general counseling. The laws vary from state to state. For example, some states have a counselor category called "Licensed Professional Counselor." Therefore, the National Christian Counselors Association requires its counselors to clearly identify their license, e.g., "National Christian Counselors Association Licensed Pastoral Counselor" or "National Christian Counselors Association Licensed Clinical Christian Counselor." This ensures that the NCCA counselor is operating within legal and ethical standards, and maintaining the public’s trust and confidence.
State regulatory laws help to protect the public and ensure professionalism within the counseling profession. The NCCA strives to attain a similar goal within the Christian community and, at the same time, operate within compliance with state laws. The state and federal governments also have jurisdictional boundaries. They cannot pass laws that prevent the Church from fulfilling its purpose and ministering to humanity’s needs. The state recognizes that counseling is one of the responsibilities of the Church and its clergy. For this reason, the state does not and must not interfere with the Ministry of Counseling.
The major difference between state-licensed professional counselors and Pastoral or Christian counselors, who are licensed by the NCCA and under the authority of the Church (Body of Christ), is clear and well-defined. Counselors who have been licensed by the state are held to strict ethical standards which mandate an individual’s right to be free from religious influence. The state licensed professional counselor is forbidden to pray, read or refer to the Holy Scriptures, counsel against things such as homosexuality, abortion, etc. Initiating such counsel would be considered unethical by the state. In most states in the U.S., state licensed counselors "must not promote their personal religious beliefs" according to the code of ethics in each respective state. The only time a state licensed counselor can involve religious (Christian) principles, morals, activities, instruction, etc., is if the counselee initiates or requests counsel in this area. The state-licensed counselor may not have the education, experience and knowledge of Scripture that the NCCA counselor provides.
Opposite from that, Pastoral counselors are required to pray, share their faith, read the Holy Scriptures, etc. The fact that Pastoral and Christian counselors do these things creates a clear distinction. We are two distinct professions and govern ourselves accordingly.
As you can readily see, the state governs secular counselors and the Church is responsible to set standards and govern ministers who have devoted their lives to the ministry and to Pastoral counseling.
None of this is to say that the Christian counselor, minister or priest is not permitted to request fees and receive remuneration for the services they render, as long as they remain adherent to the state laws governing such procedures.
The NCCA requires all who are certified or licensed by its Licensing Board of Examiners to:
1. Be credentialed ministers (ordained, licensed or commissioned) whose goal is to evangelize and ease the emotional pain and suffering of humanity.
2. Provide their service under the authority of a legally organized local church, a national church organization or a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit ministry.
3. Complete specialized training provided by the NCCA.
4. Complete the minimum requirements for continuing education and annual license renewal.
5. Uphold NCCA’s Code of Ethical Standards.
NCCA’s published "Code of Ethical Standards" outlines all of the procedures involved in dismissal, revocation, probation and reinstatement of an individual’s membership, certification and/or license and is available for review at www.ncca.org.
Pastoral Counseling Centers Thoughts...
Do I need to be licensed by the state, the church, or both?
One must decide whether they are going into the business of counseling or that they have been called into the ministry of counseling. While it possible to be both a secular counselor and a Christian counselor, most people find it more satisfying to choose one or the other. Both are very "real" while the main difference lies in which authority you operate under.
If you decide to become a pastoral or ministerial counselor you need to be licensed, ordained, or certified by a recognized religious organization, which becomes the authority you become accountable to. A minister who is ordained by a church is the most typical example. Any qualified individual can be ordained, licensed, or certified by such an authority.
If you decide to become state licensed, you must be credentialed by your state, and abide by the laws created by your state. Most, if not all, states prohibit the introduction of religious ideas into the counseling process, thereby severely limiting the counselor's effectiveness. Many states will require the counselor to espouse abortion, divorce and homosexuality.
Pastoral Counseling Center, while not a legal authority, will help you discover which is the best path for you. Having been both licensed by the state and ordained by the church, Dr. Young has a unique vantage point from which she can help you make these decisions. She can assist you in finding the ways to become educated, credentialed, insured and equipped to help others.
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