Counselor Development Program (CDP)

The broad aim of GHCM’S Self-Paced Studies is for Christians to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. In particular, we want to serve the body of Christ by teaching Christians how to apply God’s grace and truth to counseling. We believe that the care of souls (the ancestor of what we today call counseling) should be at the heart of the Christian community. Yet many believers and churches are sub-Christian in the care and counseling they provide. The Self-Paced Studies course is one of our responses to that deficiency.

 

We are especially interested in providing you with both accountability and exposure to the writings and thoughts of those who teach and practice a God-centered, Christ-exalting, Gospel-driven, Holy Spirit-empowered care of souls. And we mean that in a most radical way. The world of Christian counseling is marked by an imprecise theology, and that opens the door for loose application on many fronts. We should be relentless in pursuing a richer, broader and deeper grasp of God’s Word so that, as one outcome among many, we possess a richer, broader and deeper psychology than any secularist could hope to practice.

 

To accomplish that worthy goal, the design of this course is intended to provide a sustained pace of focused, ongoing training. We believe that as we listen to others and give advice, whether the context is the church office or the kitchen table, we ought to be committed to fulfilling Paul’s admonition to “be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a worker who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Because we believe God’s Word is the primary instrument in the counselor’s toolbox, we want to help you become more skilled and discerning in the use of that tool.

 

If you wish to pursue counseling certification through Grace Harbor Counseling Ministries, we ask that you complete the following course work in a maximum of 24 months. This is ample time to complete the assignments; however, a steady pace is necessary. It would be unwise to allow too much time pass between assignments because the value of cumulative learning will be lost. You will be assigned a Counseling Supervisor (CS) to proctor your program. If for some reason you cannot complete the program in the scheduled timeframe, your CS will contact you in order to come to an appropriate solution.

 

If you are interested in this program, please contact us at info@graceharborministries.org.

 

 

Ask about our Church Partnership Program!

 

Please note that we do not "require" you seek church partnership. It is merely suggestive to help you with the expenses of the program.

 

One of GHCM’S main objectives is to restore discipleship/counseling to the local church. We believe strongly that the local church ought to be the primary context for discipleship/counseling; therefore, we encourage every student in GHCM’S Small Group Leadership Training to inform their church leaders of this training opportunity. We suggest you make a proposal to your church leadership team, asking if they would sponsor all or part of your training expenses (materials and tuition). We also encourage you to ask your church leaders to provide oversight and accountability throughout your training. We’re confident that doing so will open doors of growth and opportunity both for you and for your local church community.

 

We suggest that local churches purchase the training materials for the students. The materials will then be on hand and available for any future student use. In addition, these materials (video) work very well in small group settings and in Sunday school contexts. Having these resources on hand also gives the students the opportunity to teach what they are learning. As students proceed through the training, the local church leadership team may also want to consider the student as a possible candidate for certain discipleship cases. Three objectives can be accomplished simultaneously:

 

1. a hurting life is cared for
2. a student grows from the practicum
3. the discipleship load of the local church is shared

 

 

Ten Reason Why a Church Partnership Program Could Be For You!

 

1. The student receives financial aid and motivation to move forward
2. Contexts are provided for the student to hone their discipleship skills
3. Local church gains immediate Christian counseling support
4. The congregation benefits from competent, compassionate, discipleship
5. Small groups and/or Sunday school classes receive the benefits of this training
6. Counseling resources in the library grow to serve others in the local church
7. The genesis of a "counseling" team or counseling ministry can emerge
8. Pastors can devote more time to equipping the body rather than discipling the body
9. Discipleship/counseling begins to breathe through the body of local church life
10. The overall spiritual life and health of the local church matures

 

Please contact GHCM for more information about local church partnership involvement. We would welcome the opportunity to speak with your leadership team regarding this training and answer any questions they may have.

 

 

Tuition Cost

 

In order to process, educate, respond to course work and develop counselors-in-training, GHCM requests a contribution for tuition of $50.00 per month for the duration of your training period. All monies received are non-refundable. Please submit your first contribution prior to beginning your coursework.