This advanced third-year course, People in Crisis – Pastoral Care & Counselling, is designed to provide the
professional Christian counsellor with a bio-psycho-social-spiritual understanding of people in crisis. The emotional, psychological, and spiritual turmoil of people in crisis is explored from an integrated theology and psychology perspective.
Attention is given to the psychological theory and theology of crisis and trauma counselling and the varied causes of crisis are explored: critical incidents caused by natural disasters (hurricanes, tsunamis, pandemics, etc); organizational disasters caused by people (terrorism, wars, economic collapse, endemic organized crime, etc.); societal interpersonal crises (domestic violence and abuse, poverty & homelessness, relationship conflict etc.); personal traumatic crises (physical & mental health, addictions, assault & rape, etc); and existential spiritual crises.
Special attention will be given to: HIV/AIDS care and counselling; self-harm and suicide interventions and counselling; DVA counselling; conflict resolution and forgiveness; and resilience. This course will equip the professional Christian counsellors to come alongside people in crisis with a Christ centred, biblically based, Spirit led, and psychologically sound best counselling practice.

On completion of this course, you should be able to:

  1. Demonstrate knowledge of the theoretical approaches to crisis, trauma, and abuse intervention
  2. Identify crisis and trauma situations and formulate applicable treatment plans for coming alongside and providing professional Christian counselling using best practices.
  3. Demonstrate an understanding of violence and abuse within relationships and families and provide counselling
    to both victims and perpetrators of family abuse
  4. Assist individuals and families to practice forgiveness and explore the possibility of reconciliation
  5. Make a suicide risk assessment, and provide applicable immediate intervention and support, and counselling
  6. Demonstrate an understanding of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) pandemic and provide professional counselling to HIV/AIDS clients
  7. Collaborate appropriately with other mental health service providers, and make appropriate referrals