How to Become a Christian Counselor

Christian counselors have advanced psychology, counseling, ministry, and theology knowledge.

As a Christian counselor, you’ll draw from biblical and theological teachings to counsel clients from a Christian perspective. You can serve in Christian ministry environments, including churches, or work in schools, hospitals, or faith-based nonprofit organizations.

You don’t have to meet specific requirements to offer Biblical advice or guidance to your community. However, if you want to treat mental health conditions, provide psychotherapy, and become a licensed counselor who practices faith-based counseling, you’ll need to complete a few more steps.

If you want to incorporate your Christian faith into becoming a licensed counselor, these steps will help you become a licensed Christian counselor.

After you earn a bachelor’s degree in counseling or psychology, you’ll need to earn a master’s degree in Christian or biblical counseling, because a master’s degree is required to obtain licensure and practice.

In your master’s program, you’ll learn how to integrate Christian and psychological principles into a clinical practice, taking courses in psychopathology, crisis intervention, and faith.

Verify each of your desired programs’ accreditation statuses and licensure requirements to ensure the program you enroll in aligns with your academic and career goals.

You’ll need to complete clinical experience before becoming a licensed Christian counselor. You’ll meet with an experienced licensed counselor during your clinical training to discuss your cases.

The number of hours you’ll need to complete varies by state, but you can expect to complete between 2,000 and 4,000 hours after earning your master’s degree. If you complete an internship in your master’s program, those hours can count toward your supervised clinical hours.

Consider completing your clinical hours at a faith-based practice to hone your skills in Christian counseling.

After you complete your supervised clinical hours, you’ll need to pass state licensure exams.

Depending on your state, you’ll need to take the National Counselor Examination (NCE) or the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE). Your state may let you choose which exam you’ll take, though some states require both.

Once you pass your exam, you can apply for state licensure. Exact requirements differ by state, but you will pay an application fee, submit all required documents, and complete a background check.

Keep in mind that you cannot maintain your licensure without continuing education. You can also earn optional certifications to boost your career and potentially make more money.

As a Christian counselor, you can complete the Board Certified Christian Counselor program at the National Association of Christian Counselors or the Spiritual Counseling Certification program at the American Institute of Healthcare Professionals.

Biblical counselors can pursue training and certification at the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors, a certifying organization.

Becoming a Christian counselor takes roughly 3-5 years after you earn a bachelor’s degree.

Master’s programs last 2-3 years. You’ll then need to complete licensure and additional supervised hours and exams. Supervised clinical hours can take about 1-2 years to complete.

While the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) doesn’t offer salary data for Christian counselors specifically, you can compare related roles in the fields of counseling or religious services.

For example, marriage and family therapists earned a median annual salary of $63,780 in 2024, and educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors earned a median annual salary of $65,140 in the same year, according to the BLS.

As for related religious positions, clergy earned a median annual salary of $58,920 in 2023, and directors of religious activities and education earned a median annual salary of $50,140 in the same year, according to the BLS.

For more general data, counselors marked by the BLS as “all other” earned a median annual salary of $46,130 in 2023, while religious workers marked by the BLS as “all other” earned a median annual salary of $37,960 in the same year, per the BLS.