Online certification · Counseling
The Christian Counselor Certificate is a self-paced online course from Presence College. In about 40 hours you learn to listen well, apply Scripture with care and support people through hard seasons, then earn a printable certificate endorsed by Shakeid Ministries Global.
One payment, lifetime access
15-day money-back guarantee
Ministry-endorsed by Shakeid Ministries Global · 4 Ministry Credit Hours
A ministry certificate, not a degree or a professional license. What your certificate means
Curriculum
Each module comes as a PDF guide with an audio version and ends with an optional quiz. The final exam comes after the last one.
Who it's for
For Christians who feel called to help others and want practical, biblical counseling skills they can use with confidence. No previous experience needed.
Build a support ministry or Christian counseling practice from a solid foundation.
Add counseling skills to coaching, mentoring, chaplaincy or community work.
Pastoral care, church counseling, discipleship support, prayer ministry.
Faith-based counseling in person or online, where permitted by the rules in your location.
Imagine one month from now: someone sits across from you, and you know how to listen, pray and apply Scripture with confidence.
Practical counseling skills
Across 10 Spirit-filled modules you build six core skills.
Learn to listen deeply, ask the questions that help people open up, and build the kind of trust that makes real change possible. You’ll know what to say, and when to simply be present.
Apply Scripture to grief, anxiety, conflict and doubt with sensitivity, so people feel understood rather than lectured, and leave with hope they can hold on to.
Support people through loss, trauma, anxiety and life-changing news with a calm, compassionate approach you can rely on when it matters most.
Bring prayer and the leading of the Holy Spirit into every conversation, and help people experience God’s comfort and peace for themselves.
Adapt your care to marriages, parents, teenagers and whole families, and help them communicate, forgive and grow closer together.
Put your skills to work in your church, online or in your own Christian counseling practice, with the confidence and structure to start right away.
Your path
Everything is online. You get the 10 modules and the audio lessons the moment you enroll.
About 40 hours over 10 modules, whenever it suits you, with no deadline and lifetime access.
Optional quizzes after each module, then a multiple-choice final exam with an 80% pass mark. You can retake it.
Download your printable Christian Counselor certificate and use it in your church, ministry or practice, within the rules of your location.
Your future
Use what you learn with the people of your church, with individuals who ask for help, or in the role you already hold.
Listen, pray and walk with members and newcomers through hard seasons, as part of a lay counseling ministry.
Christian support sessions, face to face or by video, where local rules allow, and never presented as licensed therapy.
Bring careful listening, biblical encouragement and crisis care into the work you are already called to.
This is a ministry certificate, not a license. Before you charge for sessions, check the rules where you live, and refer anyone who needs clinical care to a licensed professional.
Everything included
10 modules, PDF and audio, quizzes, final exam, printable certificate, lifetime access
Faith-based client attraction strategies, simple marketing systems, templates, and guidance for building trust online
Free with every enrollment
Your certificate
Pass the final exam, confirm the name you want on it, and download your personalized PDF certificate, included with the course. Display your training with pride in your church, ministry or practice, and if you would like something to hold, add a printed copy. Printed on premium heavyweight paper, ready to frame, and sent to your door. Shipping is included, wherever you live.
Presence College is institutionally accredited by the Kingdom International Standards Authority as a Christian ministry and religious educational center.
Endorsed by Shakeid Ministries Global, a global Christian ministry equipping ministers and leaders for Kingdom service.
This 40-hour certificate earns 4 MCH. Complete 8 eligible counseling certifications (32 MCH) to qualify for the Diploma in Counseling.
KISA accreditation is private and faith-based and applies to the institution, not to individual courses. It is not government or statutory recognition and does not confer degree-awarding powers or a license to practice. Every enrollment helps support Iris Global and Freedom Ministries in their outreach, education and discipleship work.
My experience with the counselling course so far has been very meaningful and educational. It has helped me understand people better, especially their emotions, behaviors, and life challenges.
I am truly grateful that this course introduces such a wide range of counseling topics and thoroughly explains how each area has its own unique needs and considerations. It is equipping Christian counselors to effectively support their clients not only emotionally and mentally, but also spiritually.
This course was informative and easy to navigate. It will help me to help others and I feel confident in that. I'm looking forward to what the future holds with God leading the way. I'd recommend it to anyone and I'm considering taking another course. 5 stars all the way! (:
Questions
A Christian counselor helps people through life’s struggles, such as grief, anxiety, conflict, trauma and doubt, by combining practical counseling skills with Scripture and prayer. In churches and ministries, Christian counselors offer one-to-one support, care for couples and families, walk with people through crises, and refer them to a licensed professional or a doctor when they need clinical care. Read more about the role.
For church, ministry and lay counseling, you can train through a ministry certificate such as the Christian Counselor course: about 40 hours of online study, a final exam, then a certificate endorsed by Shakeid Ministries Global. To work as a licensed counselor or therapist, you need an accredited degree, supervised clinical hours and a state license; this certificate is for church, ministry and lay counseling roles that do not require one. See the steps in detail.
With the Christian Counselor certificate you can offer biblical counseling in a church or ministry, join or lead a care or prayer team, add counseling skills to coaching, mentoring or chaplaincy, or offer faith-based one-to-one support where local rules allow it. It is a ministry certificate: it does not qualify you to work as a licensed counselor or therapist, diagnose mental-health conditions or bill health insurance.
Yes, in ministry and lay settings. In many places, pastoral counseling, church care, prayer ministry and faith-based support do not require a state license, as long as you do not present yourself as a licensed therapist, diagnose or treat mental-health conditions, or bill health insurance. Rules differ by state and country, so check yours before charging for sessions. Read the full answer.
The Christian Counselor course covers 10 modules: Foundations of Christian Counseling; Personal Growth and Spiritual Formation for Counsellors; Core Counseling Skills and Techniques; Marriage and Family Counseling; Crisis Counseling and Trauma Support; Ethics and Boundaries in Christian Counseling; Mental Health; Counseling Diverse Populations in Ministry; Practical Application and Case Studies in Christian Counseling; and Managing a Christian Counseling Practice.
It is worth it if your goal is to serve in a church, ministry or faith-based practice: the course gives you a structured, biblical foundation and practical skills in about 40 hours, for far less time and money than a degree. It is not the right choice if you need a license to practice as a therapist, which requires an accredited degree. Read our honest answer.
No prior experience or qualification is required. The Christian Counselor course starts from the foundations and builds step by step, so it suits beginners as well as people already serving in a church, ministry or practice. All you need is a phone, tablet or computer and a desire to help others. If you are unsure whether it fits your situation, contact us and we will help you decide.
The Christian Counselor course takes about 40 hours of study, spread over 10 modules. It is 100% online and self-paced, with no deadlines: you study when it suits you, around work, family and ministry, an hour a day or a few hours at the weekend. You keep lifetime access, so you can pause and come back at any time.
The Christian Counselor course costs $97, paid once, with lifetime access and no subscription. The price covers all 10 modules with their PDF and audio lessons, the quizzes, the final exam and your downloadable certificate. Take two or more different courses and each one is 30% off. A premium printed copy of the certificate is optional, 28% off when added with the course, and a 15-day money-back guarantee applies.
The course is divided into 10 modules. Each lesson comes as a downloadable PDF guide with an audio version, followed by an optional quiz, and everything sits in your online student account, on a phone, tablet or computer. Your progress is saved as you go, and support from a real person is available by email within 24–48 hours.
You earn the certificate by passing the final multiple-choice exam with a score of 80% or more, and you can retake it if needed. The optional quizzes at the end of each module prepare you for it. As soon as you pass, you confirm the name to print and download your Christian Counselor certificate as a PDF, included with the course. A printed copy is optional, 28% off when you add it with the course. Printed on premium heavyweight paper, ready to frame, and sent to your door. Shipping is included, wherever you live.
It is a ministry certificate, not a license or a degree. Presence College holds private, faith-based institutional accreditation from the Kingdom International Standards Authority (KISA), which is not government or statutory accreditation, and the course is endorsed by Shakeid Ministries Global. The 40-hour course earns 4 Ministry Credit Hours. If you need a qualification for a specific job, membership or continuing-education requirement, check with that organization before you enroll.
Yes. Every Presence College course comes with a 15-day money-back guarantee. Email our support team within 15 days of purchase with your order number and enrollment email for a full refund, as long as you have completed less than 20% of the course and have not started the final exam. See the refund policy for details.
Yes. Students of this course can apply for ordination with Shakeid Ministries Global from their student space. Ordination is a separate step with its own application and review. How ordination works
Start learning at your own pace, with lifetime access to your course materials and a 15-day money-back guarantee.
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