With all the counseling services available, choosing the best Christian counseling courses may seem a bit confusing, but it does not have to be so. Doing a bit of research, contacting some educational institutions, and talking to other people who have experience in the area of Christian counseling will help in arriving at an informed decision. Before getting too deep into the decision making process, it would be best to determine the specific area of counseling in which you want to work. Some Christian counseling courses cover a broad spectrum of counseling, others will concentrate on training in very specific counseling niches, like marriage, family, and substance abuse counseling.
Some schools will likely specialize in specific areas of Christian counseling, so be sure to check out all the details regarding the specific courses at each school. A good place to begin on the road to a final decision about Christian counseling courses is to make a list of personal strengths and weaknesses in specific areas of counseling. For example, if you have had a great deal of exposure to alcoholism in individuals and how it affects families, you may already have some strengths and experience in dealing with these types of problems in a Christian context. Concentrating on courses that focus in a particular area might be the best place to start.
The selection of a specific educational institution that offers Christian counseling courses is important. Study the school's statement of faith or mission statement which should provide a overview and general feel of that particular institution's beliefs and approach to counseling. If you have strong beliefs in a particular doctrine or belief system, it makes sense to determine if the school's belief system will line up or conflict with those beliefs. It may seem like it is not important now but this one factor can be a problem.
Every student requires different things from an educational institution when it comes to learning styles, scheduling, and location. There are many advantages to being on campus and attending classes at a school, college, or university. For example, personally attending a school provides for personal interaction between professors and students, whether in a lecture or advisory setting, as well as interaction between students in social and academic settings. Some people, however, cannot travel to another city or even attend classes on campus in the same city due to their busy schedule, lack of adequate transportation, or other challenge. For these students, distance learning may provide access to Christian counseling courses and training.
