Spiritual Counseling Degree
When my husband and I were married, the church we chose required counseling prior to the marriage. Our counselor turned out to be the pastor of the church and he had a spiritual counseling degree from a Christian college. There are, of course, other faiths that offer spiritual counseling degrees but his was focused on Christianity. Regardless of the faith, all spiritual counseling degrees are intended to impart a deeper understanding of spirituality and the human condition so the counselor is able to help those who come to him or her.
The biggest difference between those using a psychology degree and a spiritual counseling degree to counsel others is that those with a psychology degree are sometimes able to prescribe medications for the clients who would benefit from them while a counseling degree does not give the counselor that privilege. Some counselors feel that the pharmacological part of psychology ends up taking precedence over the counseling portion of the field and intentionally choose counseling in order to not be confronted with the quick fix many people seek.
On the other hand many psychologist feel that counselors often delay proper medical treatment by encouraging just counseling without medications. These are issues one must carefully consider before deciding which degree is most suited for them. Are you interested in a psychology degree or a spiritual counseling degree?
Photo Credit: Dark Patator
Wed, Dec 23, 2009
Degrees, Higher Education