Spirit-led Christian Counseling Courses

Applied Toward Christian Counseling Certification or a Christian Counseling Degree

Christian counseling courses with God's voice at the core

We invite you to experience the life-changing power of the voice of God, which is the central focus of the Christian counseling courses offered by CLU. Our desire is to train up biblically-based, Spirit-anointed compassionate counselors who can discern the needs of the heart and usher in the grace of God to meet those needs; to train up people to counsel using the techniques and skills which Jesus Christ used.

The program of Christian Leadership University:

• Uses guided self-discovery.
• Focuses on real-life skills.
• Is life-transforming.
• Is story-centered (Matt. 13:34).
• Is inexpensive.
• Provides mentoring.
• Trains you how to radiate the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
• Trains you to sense your heart.
• Trains you to sense God within your heart.
• Guides you into revelation knowledge regularly.
• Trains you to hear and record God's voice daily.
• Trains you to to see God's vision daily.
• Trains you to release God's creativity.
• Trains you to be naturally supernatural.
• Trains you to hear God through your dreams.
• Trains you to flow in the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
• Provides for the experience of the truths taught in the classroom.
• Trains you to be a leader in your area of gifting.

Real Life, Biblically-grounded,
Revelation-based Learning

Real Life – Birthed from real life issues and taught from real life experiences.

Biblically-grounded – You see your life's experiences in the light of Scripture.

Revelation-based – God speaks to you in each and every learning experience.

Testimonies

“I enrolled in CLU in October. The classes have been beyond anything I had hoped for. This has been more like an adventure than school.”

— Vanessa Tinsley-Stone

“Even the first class changed my life. I felt that not only was my mind being expanded by the truths of God's Word, but my heart and spirit were also growing. This was a school of the Spirit and was changing me with every class.”

— Nicholas Kusmich

“Becoming a part of CLU has changed my life. Something that is so fascinating to me in studying with the courses of CLU is how each time I study, the presence of the Holy Spirit is right there and is sooo strong. It grows more intense at times. I am amazed at His presence, the wisdom and what He reveals while studying.”

— Stacie Horne

Below, and on our testimonies page, there are many more amazing stories of what God is doing in the lives of people just like you! The next story could be yours.

Christian counseling courses by correspondence or online

All of the courses listed below are available by correspondence, and you may choose to submit your coursework online. Your course materials will arrive by mail, and you will then able to contact your instructor online and conveniently e-mail any assignments to him. The courses may be purchased individually or as a total package. If purchased as a pre-paid package, the cost is reduced by 20%. Two to five courses are sent at a time, as the student requests. Prices are subject to change without notice. Payment may be made by credit card.

Christian counseling degrees

These courses may be taken as a Christian Counseling Certificate or applied as a major concentration toward any of the following Christian counseling degrees: Associate of Christian Counseling, Bachelor of Christian Counseling, Master of Christian Counseling, or Doctor of Christian Counseling. Additional work is required when an undergraduate-level course is taken on the graduate level. Course substitutions and combining major concentrations are possible when working toward your Christian counseling degree. Discuss these options with the Dean. The key is to follow God's passion within your heart. Students in the Master's and Doctoral programs earn approximately 30 credits for each degree from specific courses, and the remaining 10 credits by doing practical ministry work and earning "practica" credits.

Christian counseling certification

To receive a Christian Counseling Certificate a student must complete a minimum of 10 of the courses below. One of them must be Communion With God.

REN103 Communion With God

3 credits

$342.84

REN503 Communion With God (Graduate) 4 credits  $445.78

This course teaches you how to clearly hear God's voice, see divine vision and journal (write out what God is speaking to you). The Holy Spirit is the Wonderful Counselor, and when you can hear His voice on a regular basis, He provides wonderful counsel to your heart. Eighty percent of the counseling needs of a church will disappear once they are taught the course Communion With God.

“I'm taking Communion With God. I am so blessed so far. My life is already completely transformed. I went from hearing God speak to me once in a while to hearing Him not just in my journaling times but even throughout the rest of the day. What a difference this has made.”

— Andrew Steck

 

“We have been using Communion With God for some months now in all our home groups and one after another people whose prayer lives were dry difficult affairs have blossomed as they have heard the Heavenly Father commune with them, His children.”

— Rev. Bill A. VanZutphen,
Baptist Church, Wollongong, Australia

 

“Oh my, I am speechless...I have completed only the first several lessons in Communion With God and my life has been totally, totally transformed. He is such a wonderful, wonderful God. A few months ago I told Him I was desperate for more of Him...I had no idea His answer to my prayer would be so exceedingly abundantly above anything I could ever have imagined. My days and nights are now filled with His presence. Thank you for your service to Him, Mr. Virkler. I will be in touch as I progress through the course....”

— Amy

 

COU202 Counseled by God

3 credits

$328.84

We will let God speak to our hearts and counsel us about the basic emotional pressures of life. These include anger, doubt, depression, condemnation and inferiority. We will learn to let God replace these with His opposites, as His voice releases His grace within our hearts. Those whom the Son sets free are free indeed.

“This practical course not only changed my life and gave me freedom in many parts of my life, but the tools I have been given through this course are having a lasting impact on the lives of many young people all around me who in turn will pass it on to others, leading many more young people into emotional wholeness.”

— Student taking Counseled by God

REN204 Naturally Supernatural

3 credits

$287.88

Through the working of Almighty God, He has joined His Spirit to our spirits. We will study and experience the glory of Christ living within us, as well as ways of approaching Him and releasing His indwelling presence. We abide in Christ to the extent that we know that Christ abides in us. We will also learn how to allow the gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit within us to flow out through us. Prerequisite: REN103 Communion With God.

“This course radically changed my life in every way possible. When once the Christian life was somewhat of a duty and chore, it is now a lifestyle of rest. What was once my trying to be good for the Lord is now having Him be good out through me. What was striving to serve Him in every aspect of my life is now simply loving Him and yielding to His Spirit to live out of me. By understanding, experiencing, and living out the seven revelation truths of abiding, my life in every way and dimension has been radically changed.”

— Student taking Naturally Supernatural

COU301 Prayers That Heal the Heart

4 credits

$422.73

This course teaches a series of seven specific prayers that will break bondages within your heart caused by spiritual forces. These prayers include breaking generational sins and curses; severing ungodly soul ties; removing negative beliefs and inner vows; healing traumatic scenes; and casting out demonic energy that has connected itself to these inner wounds of the heart and soul. The entire healing process is sealed by doing an intensive meditation on biblical passages that bear on the issues being healed so God can grant you illumined insights from His Word.

“Who needs prayers that heal the heart? Just about everyone! God has really done a work in me through the studying and revelation of this ministry. He has given me a burden and a heart to see all people set free from all kinds of oppression. After all, He did command us to do so and minister to people's needs. Prayers That Heal the Heart is going to be a major part of what I do vocationally for the rest of my life. I have a burden and a desire to see people walk in the liberty purchased for them on Calvary, and for them to experience the ZOE life God has come to give us. Thank You, Lord, for Your anointing to do what You did and see people come into all that You have for them.”

— Student taking Prayers That Heal the Heart

COU310 Wisdom Through Dream Interpretation

3 credits

$397.83

REN510 Wisdom Through Dream Interpretation (Graduate) 4 credits  $481.82

Psalms declares that God counsels us at night through our dreams (Ps. 16:7). The dreams in the Bible illustrate this principle, and all of us can learn to hear from God during the two hours of dream life we have each night. In this course, we will examine all 50 dreams of the Bible seeing how God interprets the symbolism and speaks to His children through their dreams (Num. 12:6; Acts 2:17). Prerequisite: REN103 Communion With God.

“This course has truly made a significant impact on my life and laid the foundation for ongoing change and revelation. It is as if a whole new door has been opened in my life leading to a whole new world of never-before-found treasures and truths. I feel as though I am walking towards a new journey that will impact my life in a great way. I feel that more tools have been added to my spiritual toolbox to help myself and help others. When I fully grasp this practice of interpreting dreams, I will be walking in a greater dimension of wholeness, authority, counsel, wisdom and so much more. If it’s true that we spend one third of our lives sleeping and part of that dreaming, then it feels as though I have resurrected one third of my life and I can live more fully. The revelation of the importance of dreams and what God wants to do with us through dreams has been resounding in my spirit ever since I started this course.”

— Student taking Wisdom Through Dream Interpretation

COU203 Cornerstones of Communication

3 credits

$335.94

Communication is the center of all relationships, yet most of us are untrained in the dynamics of great communication skills. With practice, every relationship you have can be more effective and fulfilling.

“I think I can safely say that effective communication skills are one of the most, if not the most, important set of skills one can have in day-to-day living. Without the ability to properly communicate, we cannot get through life properly, as relationships are a central aspect of our lives.

“As a result of this course, I have learned skills that I will be using every day of my life. I have always been faced with situations that have required excellent communication and negotiation skills. Many situations were changed because I was able to implement some of the things I had learned about negotiation from this course. This stuff works!”

— Student taking Cornerstones of Communication

REN207 Healing Anointing

3 credits

$341.99

Because Jesus has poured out His Spirit upon us, we can be ministers of His salvation - healing for the spirit, soul, and body - by the anointing that rests upon us. This practical course will give you keys to flowing in that anointing of God.

REN206 Increasing the Anointing

3 credits

$335.84

It is only as we minister in the anointing of the Holy Spirit that we can effectively touch the hearts of others. This practical course trains you how to sense the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, how to get to know Him as a Person, and how to release His power to heal a hurting people.

“Throughout the duration of this course, I have been provoked to go after God like never before: to receive a greater measure of His anointing to bring liberty to captives, and God’s presence to all I encounter. I am challenged to fast and pray more on a regular basis, learn more about the anointing and start living out, through simple daily obedience, what God has called me to. I am also learning not to rely on my strength to get the job done, but to solely rely on the power of the Holy Spirit, and this too will increase the anointing on my life, which in tern will affect everything I do.”

— Student taking Increasing the Anointing

BUS102 Fulfill Your Financial Destiny

3 credits

$327.80

BUS502 Fulfill Your Financial Destiny (Graduate Level) 4 credits  $416.80

This course will give you Scriptural support for the belief that God delights in the prosperity of His children (Ps. 35:27). It is His desire that we lend and not borrow. We are to be the head and not the tail, above and not underneath (Deut. 28:12,13). God Himself teaches us to profit (Is. 48:17) and has given us the power to make wealth (Deut. 8:18). Several hundred verses on silver and gold will be examined, showing that we are to create and release wealth into the kingdom of God.

HEA102 Take Charge of Your Health

3 credits

$303.89

Your body, soul and spirit are intrinsically connected. Sickness in any one of these three areas contributes to sickness in the other areas. In this course you will learn many natural, biblical approaches to caring for the health of your body, soul and spirit.

LEA103 Gifted to Succeed

3 credits

$270.94

"To each of us grace has been given according to the measure of Christ's gift...And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints." Do you know which of these heart motivations God has given to you? Is God asking you to express this heart motivation within or outside the structured church, or both? Which ministry or vocation is He asking you to express yourself through? What kinds of people do you need next to you to make you most effective? These questions and many others will be answered.

“These last 12 weeks have been like looking into a mirror and seeing things in me that I have never seen before. Then taking those things, learning more about them and pruning them to work most effectively for and in myself, my life and my ministry.”

— Student taking Gifted to Succeed

REN105 Father Heart of God

3 credits

$304.42

This highly experiential course is designed to draw you into a closer relationship with your heavenly Father, in which you have not only a theological understanding of His deep love and affection for you, but you also know it because you have personally felt it. You will also learn how to help others overcome any hindrances in their lives that prevent them from experiencing the love of the Father for themselves. Prerequisite: REN103 Communion With God.

“I not only realized that the love of Father is so widely needed and missed in the Church, but it is needed in the entire world. The message of Father’s love is not only for the saved, but the unsaved as well. It is what will get them saved. It is what the world needs to hear; your heavenly Father loves you. He loves you so much that He sent His only Son to die for you that you might live.”

— Student taking Father Heart of God

COU305 Parenting for Success

3 credits

$281.94

Great relationships with your children don't just happen. They must be cultivated. Become the kind of parent that makes your children proud to be your children. Learn how to bring out the best in each of your children. Parent them for success.

Careers in Christian Counseling

My preference is that the Christian counselor opt out of state licensing, for I am not sure that the state knows enough about counseling to license and thus have authority over the Christian counselor. Because the U.S. Constitution forbids state interference in the practice of one's religion, the Christian counselor can operate without state interference. 

My suggestion is to begin taking and then teaching the Christian counseling courses offered by CLU. These courses are practical, biblical, spiritual and life-changing. Once you have taken any of these courses, you can then teach them in a small group, home group, or Sunday school class as often as you like.

I believe that as people are drawn to these classes, they will become aware that you also offer one-on-one counseling for individuals, couples and parent-child relationships. They can be encouraged to book appointments with you. You can charge a flat rate (perhaps $35 per hour), have a suggested donation, or charge on a sliding scale. As you meet with people and they are helped, they will tell their friends and your clientele will grow. I personally know counselors who are doing this very successfully, and who even charge for their courses sometimes. The testimonies they receive back from their clients are that they are being helped much more than when they were going to a state-licensed counselor. Isn’t that the way it should be?

Another suggestion, of course, would be to work on staff at a local church. At a minimum, to avoid conflict with the state, you should be connected to a church and under their covering.

Become a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors and receive a certificate which you can hang on the wall of your counseling office, stating that you are a member in good standing of the American Association of Christian Counselors. Cost is $79 per year. Complete the application online at www.aacc.net.

Counseling Insurance is available to members of AACC, from the “American Professional Agency” at www.americanprofessional.com.

Licensing and ordination available at www.cluonline.com/network.

Read the book “Keeping Your Ministry Out of Court” by Dr. E. James Wilder and Dr. Ed Smith ($14.95). It is very interesting and helpful. It can be ordered from them at (270) 465 3757.

Comparing CLU counseling courses to counseling majors from other colleges

“I am currently a staff psychiatric social worker at an inpatient unit for adolescents. I have a small private practice as well as a teen group at my local church. I have received a Bachelor of Science in Business and double majored in Psychology, as well as achieving Master’s level training in Counseling.

“I have worked in two psychiatric units as well as a teen homeless shelter, and provided home-based family counseling in the inner city. I have supervised numerous clinicians and developed programming for these positions. In my current position at the hospital, I work all day alongside the most reputable psychiatrist in our region.

“Knowing what I learned in my secular training is definitely useful. However the knowledge and skills taught through the counseling courses at Christian Leadership University are what have been EFFECTIVE. I see more positive longstanding results in the private practice patients utilizing the information taught and cultivated by Communion With God, Counseled By God, Prayers That Heal the Heart, and Christian Dream Interpretation than any of the counseling theories that you are forced to study in Master’s Level Counseling Curriculum. Secular counseling techniques mainly ‘band aid’ people's struggles and symptoms. However, inner healing heals the wounds in a person's heart.

“I can say that the training received in the Counseling Curriculum at CLU has been absolutely priceless for the many counselees I have worked with. Instead of getting caught in endless talks about ‘the problem’ you learn to minister to people on a heart-to-heart level and not a head-to-head level.”

Salvatore Cerniglia MS, CRC
Psychiatric Social Worker
Ellis Hospital Adolescent Treatment Center