This programme will train you in both narrative counselling and logotherapeutic practices from a Christian perspective. You need to complete an orientation phase (one 24-credit course), and then two narrative courses (24 credits each), and two logotherapy courses (24 credits each).

As part of your portfolio of learning, supervised practicum hours will be expected which may incur additional costs to you.

When you graduate, you will be well-equipped to serve as a Christian counsellor in your church and community. You will also be eligible to register for a research-based Master of Theology, specialising in either narrative or logotherapeutic Christian counselling.

Do I Qualify?

To register for the BTh Honours with a concentration in Christian Counselling, you need one of the following:

• A Bachelor of Theology or equivalent degree with 48 supplementary counselling credits.

• A Bachelor’s degree in another field with an accredited certificate or diploma in theology (plus 48 supplementary counselling credits, unless your Bachelor’s degree includes sufficient credits in psychology or counselling).

Is The Honours A Research Degree?

“The BTh Hons – Counselling is a postgraduate degree. The curriculum consists of five 24-credit papers. The first paper is an orientation to the theological and contextual aspects of counselling. The next two papers train you to use narrative counselling. The last two train you in logotherapeutic methods of counselling. The narrative counselling and logotherapy papers all have a practical counselling requirement. A research portfolio is developed over all five papers.

How Long Does It Take?

You will need 2½–3 years to complete the degree as you are only able to take one course at a time.

Bachelor of Theology (Honours) – Counselling Concentration Timetable

Is The Programme Accredited?

Yes. The BTh Hons with a Counselling Concentration is accredited by the Council on Higher Education and registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training. The BTh Hons is a complete qualification on level 8 on South Africa’s National Qualifications Framework.

Accreditation and Registration

Graduates from the programs with a concentration in Christian Counselling can apply for professional registration with the Council for Pastoral and Spiritual Counsellors (CPSC). For more information visit CPSC website: https://www.cpsc.org.za

How Are The Courses Delivered?

The courses are delivered via our online system, MySats. You will access all your study materials on the site. Some counselling courses require you to purchase prescribed textbooks.  You will be able to interact with the lecturer and other students through forums that are available on the site. You will also submit your assignments and receive your results on MySats. There are prescribed dates for the submission of each assignment; if you fail to meet one of those dates, you fail the course.

Counselling Internship

For each of the Papers 2, 3, 4 and 5, you must complete 20 hours of client conversations, 6 group supervision sessions, and 6 external, individual supervision sessions. Of the 20 hours of client conversations, a portion of the hours are acquired through role-plays within the course, and the remainder are conducted as a student-counsellor with volunteer conversation partners. Group supervision is included in the course. The 6 hours of external, individual supervision in either narrative counselling or logotherapy praxis is for the student’s own account. Recommendations for specialist supervisors will be made by your course lecturer. These hours collectively constitute the counselling internship which enables candidates to acquire the hours needed for accreditation and registration as a Christian counsellor.

Access To Further Programmes

The BTh Hons articulates vertically into an MTh or MA in Theology, enabling you to specialize in Christian Counselling. If you successfully complete the BTh Hons with a Counselling Concentration and maintain an average of 60 per cent for all the courses, you would be readily accepted into a Master’s in Christian Counselling degree.

Complete our online application form, or contact us.

You will need to submit scanned copies of your identity document and your prior qualifications. Please take extra care when completing the online application form not to use apostrophes, commas, inverted commas, brackets or slashes.