There are many psychologists in America today but if you want to combine your passion for the Christian faith with your enthusiasm for helping others and understanding the workings of the human mind, consider becoming a Christian psychologist.
A Christian psychologist works in much the same way as a traditional mental health professional, although he will choose to specialize in psychological services for Christians. As a professional, you may choose to do Christian counseling work in a church-based set up, or assist in programs run by a church affiliate. Getting Christian psychology jobs requires that you have many of the same prerequisites as general psychologist jobs, such as a psychology degree—but you can easily earn this degree online if you are unable to attend course in person.
You will be required to do both faith-based and emotional based counseling and often blend the two together to achieve positive outcomes with your patients. This will require an understanding of Christian principles in regards to personal and family interactions.
Required Skills
Assess your own personality. If you like working with people, find passion in understanding human social behavior, are patient and observant with a strong analytical mind, being a Christian counselor may be for you. You must be willing to put in the long hours to get your doctorate degree, as well as put in the time and effort to work with several different individuals. Also, you must either have or agree with Christian beliefs since you will be working with this faith system.
Being a counselor of any kind requires compassion and empathy for others. You need to possess a unique understanding of issues that come up and work with people in a non-biased manner. You need to be able to encourage healthy attitudes and behaviors in life that are consistent with Christian beliefs.
Education and Training
- High School. In high school take as many science and psychology classes as you can, including sociology, anthropology and statistics.
- Bachelor's Degree. In college, you must enroll in a psychology degree program. The best option is to enroll in a Christian faith-based college. If not, you can still get many jobs with a regular psychology degree. Choose electives that will help you in your field, including courses about religious studies. Be wary of comparative religion studies as they may be unacceptable by the Christian faith due to “New Age” philosophies. You will need to have a minor in Christian Theology to be a Christian psychologist.
- Master's Degree. For your graduate degree, be prepared to devote anywhere between another five to seven years to complete your program.
- Internship. You will need to take a two year internship so you can work with other professionals and obtain hands-on clinical experience. It’s the time to apply all you have learned in the classroom to a real world set up.
- Licensing. Pass the licensing exam. Just like a medical doctor, you must be a licensed healthcare professional by the state in which you will practice. It is also ideal that you get your certification for the American Board of Professional Psychology. You may also join the Society for Christian Psychology.
Keep up to date with new developments in your field. Stay abreast by subscribing to medical journals and enrolling in continuing education classes and seminars. There are ongoing academic seminars and conferences designed specifically for Christian psychologists.
Job Opportunities
When you are ready to practice, advertise yourself as a Christian Psychologist. Doing so will attract patients and families that want a faith integrated approach to their counseling. You may set up your own clinical practice, or work in a ministry-based environment. Keep in mind though that if you are out in the general community, some clients may not choose your services due to differences in religious views. You may choose to work with a church, a Christian school or you may decide to become an educator.
Because you have a PhD or PsyD, you have the option of not limiting yourself to a faith-based environment if you decide to change the focus of your practice. You do not even have to become a Christian yourself to be a Christian psychologist, although this is rare. You may want to connect with other Christian psychologists to see how they promote their business. If you decide this is your career path, know that you will be able to help hundreds of people along the way and it is a very challenging and rewarding career.
Salary and Job Growth
If you choose to work within a religious organization, your starting salary will be smaller than if you had your own practice. Church based counselors make about $25,000 to $70,000 per year depending on the size of the organization. Psychologists in private practice make around $125,000 a year and up depending on the size of their practice.
The opportunity for growth with this career is very high. You can hold a private practice, work for churches and do teaching all at the same time. It depends on how much you want to work. Some organizations will have you hold marriage seminars, family seminars and speak at church retreats. The opportunities for growth are endless!
Faith-based counseling is an excellent opportunity to reach out and help others. You will find there are many that are hurting and feel like they have no one to turn to. You can be that person to help turn someone’s life around, build healthy families and encourage spirituality as a means of helping others to find coping skills for life events.
This is a rewarding career that helps people come to terms with life issues, while helping them grow and learn in their faith!