Becoming A Licensed Christian Counselor

We make decisions early in our lives that have a massive impact on our future. It has always been a passion of mine to touch the lives of the youth in a great and positive manner. What better way to live out this passion than being an advocate for the generation to come. It is my goal, to inspire and aide a generation of students in achieving their goals. I believe that School Counseling will give me the opportunity to do so. My personal and work experiences influenced my motivation to become a School Counselor. Through my years of experience I have overcame many challenging obstacles but they all worked together in the end for the better. In example, the first university that I attended after high school was Valdosta State University. When I attended VSU, my approach of learning was extremely nonchalant. After some life struggles I decided to relocate to Atlanta. Upon moving, I made a promise to myself that I had to finish what I stated back in Valdosta. My outlook on learning had become more meaningful. I enrolled in Atlanta Technical College and this is where my hungry for an over average GPA began. Once I began this journey, deciding to focus in Early Childhood and Education, like any other college student, I faced difficulties adjusting myself to university’s requirements. Eventually I became more confident and showed much more interest in the change. I worked harder, and received high grades, which boosted my ambition to perform better. In my last quarter at Atlanta

How can a Christian counselor effectively counsel clients while holding to their convictions of faith? This question is one that many have to think upon. In reading the textbook for this class, the author takes the secular theories and breaks them apart. As a counselor, Christian or not, it is very important to pull from different theories rather than devote solely to one theory. Each individual coming in to the therapist’s office is wired differently in personality and belief system. As a Christian therapist, it is important to know the individual in the client’s chair. Being open with them about where one stands spiritually is a priority. The goal is to be able to take any theory and “think” Christianly. Every counselor is different, but there are central characteristics that one must focus their practice on while working with clients. The main goal as a Christian therapist is to integrate psychology, professional ethics, Scripture and the very character of Jesus in a way that never compromises the authority of God.

Becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) has important components to consider. Careful research about Colorado’s requirements to attain licensure is needed to learn more about these requirements. Once you have researched your state’s statutes and regulations, requirements of education, practicum and internship, and staying in good standing as a counselor, you are ready to consider a career as a professional counselor. A LPC is a futuristic goal that can be achieved once important components are considered.

After reviewing the important concepts of the Hawkins and Clinton book, I was able to finalize the 8 most interesting points. During the book review, it was mentioned that as Christian counselors, we need to maintain a steady pace with the progression in research, practice, and treatment (Hawkins & Clinton, 2015, p. 2). From my understanding, enhancing our counseling methods and incorporating valuable resources, will result in a more spiritual work in the ministry of counseling.

Ron Hawkins and Tim Clinton (2015), The New Christian Counselor: A Fresh Biblical & Transformational Approach book, is a resourceful guide for Christian counselors. Hawkins and Clinton (2015) state, “that the discipline of Christian Counseling is growing into a solid and substantiated multifaceted scriptural discipline of wide-reaching distinction” (p. 5). Furthermore, the definition of what Christian counseling is has changed over time.

Counseling is a tool that is widely used by many people. Merriam Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary defines counseling as advice and support that is given to people to help them deal with problems, and make important decisions. This paper examines the career of a Licensed Professional Counselor, the education requirements, certification and licensure levels or requirements, salary, and the future of this profession.

This paper will provide the reader with a reflection of my professional identity. This will focus on the role of a professional counselor and the differences between a professional counselor and other related professionals. It will also integrate how religious and spiritual beliefs can impact professional counseling. It will summarize my beliefs and values and what I plan to do so that I will not impose my beliefs on clients. Also, I will reflect on what I have learned during this course and how it will impact my future as a counselor.

Two challenges faced by counselors include training in spiritual formation, something that comes solely through deepening their own relationship with God, and establishing boundaries between their personal and professional life while still drawing upon personal experience in the counseling sessions. A third challenge presents

As I go down this road which is considered my life. I have realized that I have chosen the path of the person that I am today. My life up to this point was not an easy road and still has bumps in my future. In my past I have faced physical and emotional child abuse from my parents, death of my younger brother at a young age, my house burning down making my family homeless, Department of Family Services placing my brother and sisters into foster homes, and me becoming homeless again while trying finish high school. All of this led to me to joining the Army to realize there were different options in life. Learning from the past hardships is what led me to want to help others figure out to show they also can overcome hardships and that their past does not have to dictate their future. Throughout this paper I am going to take you through my journey by leading you through the concept of counseling as a professional identity, key characteristics of a counselor, duties and functions of the different areas I could pursue as a counselor, then the four career paths I would pursue, followed by the top two career paths I would enjoy, and top two professional settings that I would like to work.

When an individual chooses to pursue a life in the role of a counselor, there are a few items that must be established before one can move forward. These items include the field of counseling to practice, the location to practice in, and a college that offers the desired degree. Once this process has been completed, the next step would be for the individual to adhere to the states' requirements and began the application process to become certified or a licensed counselor. The process to become a counselor is technical as it requires practice and scope, a formal credentialing process, and training to ensure it is effective for clients, counselors, and service providers which will be outlined in these paragraphs.

Chapter two starts off with the author talk about his education of true christian counseling before settling on one called the discipleship approach (Collins, 23). Readers explore some people-helper principals; starting with “the helper.” This principal starts out citing Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia in which Paul instructed the leaders there to “restore” the individuals who were apparently struggling with sin and other issues (23). Paul instructs that only those who are spiritual may help the struggling individuals so that the struggling individuals may get the real help they need by means of healthy, loving caring relationships. In principal two, we learn how to help people that can be difficult to penetrate

In the book Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality, the author Mark R. McMinn (2011) chooses to focus on how to shift from interdisciplinary integration to intradisciplinary integration. He defines interdisciplinary integration as the mixture of two or more different disciplines in order to find commonalities among them; however, intradisciplinary integration takes place within the discipline itself (McMinn, 2011). Using two different types of integration, faith-praxis and experimental, McMinn (2011) argues that the goal of his book it to be able to be a theologically and spiritually sound resource for those in psychology and counseling. In order for Christian counselors to effectively help their clients, it essential to understand that their goals are multifaceted because they focus on both the physical and spiritual make-up of a person (McMinn, 2011).

One focus of biblical counseling is to help others develop a biblical worldview of their life and recognize the core truth that guides right thinking and actions. The goal of biblical counseling is spiritual maturity. True change is the result of the Holy Spirit working in one’s heart. This work often includes intervention by other people such as a pastor, a mentor, or a counselor. The biblical counselor helps people identify their problems in biblical terms that may involve a renaming of the problem, such as, alcoholism versus drunkenness. As this is done, the individual’s view of his or her problem is changed and becomes biblical. This process is filled with grace and is ultimately redemptive. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the foundation for the work of biblical counseling.

Jesus Christ is the Great Counselor; therefore, He is the ultimate example worth following if one wishes to be a counselor. The characteristics, personality, and values of a Christian counselor are embodied in Christ, the world has much to learn from Him. Society has come a long way in developing techniques and theories for the counseling field and in comparison to Jesus many seem to be derived from Him. Ultimately, the way to live one’s life is found in the ways of Christ and what it means to be a counselor can be found in the way Christ lives His life.

As a potential counselor, there are different reasons why I choose this journey to be a helper, servant and a leader. Not only was my early experiences in life a stepping stone towards this path, but my faith in God and the realities of life led me as well. Even though I am still creating my future towards this goal, there is no doubt that I am called to be in servitude to others. In this journey, I am appreciating the learning fundamentals I have gained from the academic coursework, professionals/teachers and experience that I have encountered to be molded into a multicultural competent counselor. By taking advantage of this opportunity of learning, I have chosen a theoretical orientation that best suits me as a potential clinician according to my beliefs, values and logical thinking. It is also noteworthy to indicate that the self-awareness of my beliefs, values, interests and thought process has been further explored due to the assessments and activities of the Life Story Board, Meyer-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), Strong Interest Inventory (SII), My Career Story, and Career Genogram, including a reflection of my spiritual walk with Christ.