This course will explore the theoretical foundations of Christian counselling. There will be an overview of the major counselling-psychology theories, and the main models of Christian counselling will be reviewed from an integrative theological and psychological perspective. The Paraklesis model is presented as a transtheoretical eclectic and integrative model, that is Christ centered, biblically based, Spirit led, and psychologically sound. This course will build on the foundations laid in the Biblical Basis Introductory course in expanding the basis for an integrative approach to Christian counselling.

Once you have completed this course you should be able to:

  1. Understand and apply the theoretical foundations of Christian counselling
  2. Demonstrate an understanding of the dynamic interaction of theory and praxis as it applies to counselling theories
  3. Understand the concept of Evidence-Based Therapy (EBT) – sometimes more broadly referred to as evidence-based practice (EBP)
  4. Examine and describe the different major counselling-psychology categories of theories, and the main theories of counselling
  5. Discern and critique the implicit/explicit use of counselling psychology theories in specific Christian counselling approaches
  6. Distinguish between the different theoretical approaches to Christian counselling
  7. Synthesize, evaluate, and formulate a Christian counselling approach that is Christ centred, biblically based, Spirit lead, and psychologically sound
  8. Describe and use the Paraklesis Model of Counselling as the foundational approach in this counselling program
  9. Formulate the foundation of an integrative bio-psycho-social-spiritual approach to all the counselling fields.