SATS is excited to offer a new concentration in our BTh, namely, Christian counselling. The BTh with a focus in Christian counselling is 60 per cent theology and 40 per cent counselling psychology, providing advanced training for Christian and pastoral counsellors that integrates theology and counselling from a Bible-based, Christ-centred, Spirit-led perspective. If you complete this programme, you will not only be well-equipped to help hurting people, but you will also be able to register with as an Intermediate Religious Professional in Christian Pastoral Counselling with the Council for Pastoral and Spiritual Counsellors.

If you choose to do the BTh with a counselling focus, you will have a fixed curriculum. You will complete the 18 compulsory theology courses and your 12 compulsory counselling courses. Due to the higher level of lecturer engagement required to teach counselling courses, the price for the counselling electives is slightly higher than the cost of the other BTh courses. You will need to purchase five textbooks, which you will use during all the counselling courses.

What Textbooks Do I Need?

The SATS counselling programmes require the purchase of the following textbooks:

  • Collins, G. 2007. Christian Counseling – a Comprehensive Guide (Third Edition). Thomas Nelson.
  • Meier, Minirth, Wichern & Ratcliff. 1999. Introduction to Psychology and Counseling: Christian Perspectives and Applications. 2nd Baker Books.
  • Tan, S. & Scalise, E.T. 2016. Lay Counseling: Equipping Christians for a Helping Ministry (Revised and Updated).
  • Tan, Siang-Yang, 2011. Counseling and Psychotherapy: A Christian Perspective. Baker Publishing.

All five books are available on Kindle (Amazon) in Digital format for immediate download. Please acquire the textbooks before you start your first counselling course.

You will also need the following book. However, you do not need to purchase it as it is part of our library holdings:

  • McMinn, M. & Campbell, C. 2007. Integrative Psychotherapy – toward a comprehensive Christian Approach. InterVarsity Press.(Available on EbscoHost).

Do I Qualify?

To register for the BTh, you need to have a school-leaving certificate that grants university access. In South Africa, this is a National Senior Certificate (NSC) with four subjects at a rating of 4 (50-59 per cent) or higher. If you have an accredited tertiary qualification, we accept that in lieu of a school-leaving certificate. If you do not qualify for direct admission to the BTh, you can start with the Higher Certificate in Christian Life.

Bachelor of Theology with a Counselling Concentration Timetable

Complete our online application form, or contact us.