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List of Free Online Christian Counseling Courses

See our list of the top free online Christian counseling courses. Learn what courses are available and what topics they cover to find the course that's right for you.

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Info on Free Online Christian Counseling Courses

These online courses related to Christian counseling are offered for no credit, and course materials can be accessed at any time. No grades are involved, and the courses are self-directed. In addition to counseling, these courses cover biblical and other religious topics.

Biola University

Biola University is a Christian institution that offers free, online video courses on its Open Biola website. In Ethics at the Edge of Life, the lecturer prepares students to counsel others dealing with important bioethical issues, such as abortion and suicide. Topics are covered from a biblical perspective. Through the collection of videos Suffering, learners can develop an understanding of the reasons for and purpose of suffering, which can be helpful for Christian counselors. The course covers such topics as death and dying, the suffering of Jesus Christ and Christian martyrs in history.

Covenant Theological Seminary

Covenant Theological Seminary (CTS) offers 8 courses in Christian counseling. The courses are in audio format, and students can listen to the first 2 lessons for most of the courses. An e-mail address must be provided to obtain additional lessons. Many of the courses were originally addressed to graduate students in the seminary, but don't include lecture notes or exams.

The Intro to Counseling course consists of 20 lessons covering a variety of issues such as depression, suicide, sexual abuse and addictions, as well as psychological models used in Christian counseling. The Marriage and Family Counseling series addresses Christian counseling models and concerns that often arise in pastoral or ministry counseling situations.

The series of lectures The Quest for Identity discusses what the Bible says about the question, 'Who Am I?', while Restoring a Glorious Ruin speaks to depression. The lecturer in Sense and Sexuality shares what the Bible says about different forms of sexuality, and Sexual Addiction and Pornography advances the topic by uncovering this issue for those planning a career in Christian counseling. The individual lectures Sex on the Brain and Uncovering Our Anger can be viewed on the CTS website without registration.

Desiring God Ministries

Desiring God Ministries provides a variety of audio and video resources, most of them involving Dr. John Piper, about topics related to Christian life and ministry. The lecture Beholding Glory and Becoming Whole: Seeing and Savoring God as the Heart of Mental Health was originally given by Dr. Piper to the American Association of Christian Counselors. In the address, he discusses Ephesians 1 as a basis for pursuing mental health, among other Bible references. The lecture can be read as a manuscript, watched in video form or listened to as an audio recording. God, Psychology, and Christian Care of the Soul is a set of audio lectures given at a conference for pastors, who often perform Christian counseling. Dr. Piper assesses what the Bible says about Christian counseling in the article Toward a Definition of the Essence of Biblical Counseling. The article was originally written as a paper to define Christian counseling for his church's pastoral ministry.

Master's International School of Divinity

Master's International School of Divinity offers free online courses for those who want to learn how the Bible impacts various areas of life. The Biblical Foundation for Mental Health course features 5 lessons, with questions at the end of each. The course can help the Christian counselor understand what the Bible says about mental health and how people can experience change. In The Biblical Model for Marriage and Family, students can explore what the Bible says about marriage and family. This class can inform the Christian counselor about what is and isn't acceptable in marriage and family life, according to the Bible. Instructions and course materials are provided, but students need a copy of the Bible to review suggested readings.

Earn Real Credit from Free Courses

While the free courses above don't award credit directly, you can earn credit by passing an exam and transferring credit to your college. There are two widely recognized and affordable options for exams that award credit.

Option #1: CLEP Exams

The College Board's 33 CLEP exams allow you to test out of your general education requirements. Credit is accepted at 2/3 of colleges and universities in the U.S.

Option #2: Excelsior College's Credit-by-Exam

Excelsior College offers over 40 exams that lead to transferable credit. You can also earn three full degrees by taking free online courses and earning your credit by exam.

Learn how Education Portal Academy will pay you to earn credit!

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