BRANCHES UNIVERSITY
Branches Equipping and Training Academy
1450 Battleground Drive
Murfreesboro, TN 37129
Dear Prospective Student:
Thank you for your interest in BETA, an educational and training organization for Christian counselors. The faculty and staff at BETA are committed to preparing men and women of God to counsel the hurting with biblical excellence, academic professionalism, and spiritual sensitivity. We are excited about beginning this journey with you. Together we feel we fulfill our calling to make a difference in the Kingdom of God .
This e-mail packet includes all the course descriptions, forms and financial information you need to begin your certification program. Please read through everything carefully. The material is provided to help give you a good understanding of BETA and the National Christian Counseling Association. If you have any questions feel free to call at anytime.
Our academic year begins September 1 and consists of three semesters. Fall semester is September 1 through January 31. Spring semester is February 1 through May 31. And summer session is June 1 to July 31. Students may enroll in the middle of an academic year but your completed enrollment package must be in our office at least 30 days before the start of your first semester.
Again, thank you for your interest in BETA and God bless you in you goal to serve Him and His people.
Warmly In His Hands,
Mike Courtney , MA
Director, Branches Recovery Center
Branches University
BETA
Branches Equipping and Training Academy
Licensing Program for Christian Counselors
The policies, fees and requirements outlined in this catalog supersede all previous publications effective October 1, 2008. BETA materials are proprietary and protected by copyright. Some courses are copyrighted by the National Christian Counselors Association and are offered by permission.
The BETA program offers credentialing for pastoral counselors through the National Christian Counselors Association. The NCCA certification/licensing program is not to be identified nor confused with state licensing in any way. It is intended for a person who wants to practice as a servant of the Body of Christ. The authority to counsel while recognized by the State is granted by the Church. In addition to the training offered by BETA, the NCCA requires a ministerial credential to complete the program.
BETA is an educational and training organization for Christian counselors. The Academy includes ministers, professional Christian counselors, testing specialists, medical doctors, attorneys and educators. The staff of the Academy has committed themselves to the Lord Jesus Christ and believes that counseling is vain, unless it is founded upon, and directed by, the Word of God.
The main purpose of BETA is to provide quality training for pastors and Christians who feel God’s call to counsel. Our training results in credentials that the community (Christian and non-Christian) will recognize.
BETA
Board of Directors
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Important Terms
Advantage of the Arno Profile System
Who Can Benefit From BETA Training?
How BETA Helps You Personally and Professionally
Christian Certification/Licensing
Select Your Program
Program 1 – Licensure Program
Program 2 – Degree Program
Program 3 – Life Coaching Program
Advanced Training Courses
Tuition Fees, Policies & Procedures
Financial Worksheet
Course Exemption
Course Descriptions
Advanced Courses
Applications and Enrollment Forms
Accreditation and Non-discriminatory Policy
Certification, Licensing, and Degree Completion through BETA
Branches Equipping and Training Academy
The ministry and mission of Branches Equipping and Training Academy is to educate and prepare men and women who have been called to a ministry of counseling, formal or informal, in an integration of clinical counseling techniques, biblical principles of counseling, and the power and necessity of prayer and worship in the healing process. It is our belief and our desire that the Body of Christ is called to help one another in finding healing and wholeness in all areas of the human condition, body, soul, and spirit. James 5:16 say, “Confess your faults to one another, and pray for each other, so that you might be healed.” Clearly we really do need each other to be made whole.
In view of that, we serve as a catalyst for the student counselor to prepare themselves to serve the Body of Christ with excellence and confidence. It is certainly acceptable to enroll in a course or courses through BETA to further your understanding of an area or to aid in your own growth. Our purpose however is to help prospective counselors reach a level of training and experience that qualifies them to serve the church and one another as fully as they desire.
CERTIFICATION
Upon satisfactory completion of the required coursework, supervised experience hours, and case studies the BETA student will be certified as a graduate of the Training for Christian Counseling. This certification is supported by the NCCA, the National Association of Christian Counselors.
LICENSURE
The authority to practice counseling as a pastoral counselor is not given by BETA or the NCCA. That authority is given by the church. Therefore, an additional requirement to be certified as a Licensed Pastoral Counselor is the recognition, or commissioning, to ministry by the church. Completion of the BETA training should qualify you to be commissioned by your local church, or, should you choose, the National Conservative Christian Church, a well respected licensing organization that has a partnership wit BETA and the NCCA. We will assist you in this step as a part of your BETA course completion. Licensure will be as a Certified Pastoral Counselor or a Licensed Pastoral Counselor depending on the highest degree held by the student.
DEGREE
It is possible to earn an academic degree through your work with BETA and membership in the NCCA. Earning a Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, or even a Doctoral Degree will require completion of the BETA coursework, some additional coursework depending on your educational background and the degree sought, and a matriculation fee. The degree program is available through a number of partner institutions. Students interested in a degree completion program should speak to a BETA admissions counselor to work out the exact requirements and program needed.
Advantages of the Arno Profile System
As a licensure candidate, you will learn the Arno Profile System (A.P.S.) for counseling. A.P.S. is an easy-to-learn counseling technique used by thousands of lay counselors, professional counselors and pastors throughout the United States and in several foreign countries.
The Christian counselor administers a questionnaire, which takes fewer than ten minutes for the counselee to complete. The questionnaire measures the counselee’s needs, natural traits, strengths, and weaknesses according to temperament. These are identified in the computerized Arno Profile System report, providing the counselor with in-depth information and the best way to counsel the individual. The system enables a qualified counselor to identify the counselee’s temperament problem faster and more accurately.
Who Can Benefit From BETA Training?
The training adjusts to meet the needs of Christians with different goals, including:
- Christians who want to be better equipped to minister to those who need counsel
- Pastors who want to learn how to counsel members of their community who are experiencing problems.
- Christians who want to be credentialed and enter the field of counseling as a part-time or full-time ministry.
- Professional counselors who want to become A.P.S. certified and learn a Biblically-based counseling model with proven success.
The mission of BETA is to provide quality training that brings together the best of Biblical counseling and secular education. We believe that counseling is the new evangelism, that hurting, broken people are a harvest field in need of the healing power of God and His church. By training godly counselors BETA is not only living out its own mission but fulfilling the Great Commission. BETA training benefits anyone who desires to help others, make a difference in their world, and live out the call of Christ to reach the lost, heal the brokenhearted, and care for the hurting in our world.
How BETA Credentials Help You Personally and Professionally
Potential counselors often ask about the benefits of the training and obtaining certification or license from BETA. Of course, the main benefit is knowledge. The training you receive provides a deep spiritual insight into understanding human behavior and relating to others. This knowledge is valuable in every area of life, including your ability to help those who are hurting.
In addition, the certification or license can open many doors. For example, once you successfully complete the program, you may elect to apply for ministerial credentials through the National Conservative Christian Church and qualify to open your own counseling ministry in your community under the authority of this national church organization.
Having BETA and NCCA credentials ensures that you are recognized within your community as a qualified Christian/Pastoral counselor. The community can be assured that your credentials are authentic and current.
Other benefits available to BETA members include qualifying for professional liability insurance, networking with other counselors and the opportunity to earn continuing education credits at seminars and conferences. In addition, BETA offers assistance to its graduates with regard to degree transfer work and fulfillment of academic goals.
Christian Certification and Licensing.
NCCA is not a state license and is, in fact, distinctly different. Most states have regulatory laws governing the practice of psychology. Many of them also legislate the practice of general counseling. The laws vary from state to state. For example, some states have a counselor category called “Licensed Professional Counselor.” Therefore, BETA requires its counselors to clearly identify their license, e.g. “NCCA Licensed Pastoral Counselor” or “NCCA Licensed Clinical Christian Counselor.” This ensures that the BETA counselor is operating within legal and ethical standards, and maintaining the public’s trust and confidence.
State regulatory laws help to protect the public and ensure professionalism within the counseling profession. NCCA strives to attain a similar goal within the Christian community and, at the same time, operate so as to avoid infringing upon state regulations.
The state and federal governments also have jurisdictional boundaries. They do not pass laws that prevent the Church from fulfilling its purpose of ministering to humanity’s needs. The state recognizes that counseling is one of the responsibilities of the Church and its clergy. For this reason, the state does not interfere with the Ministry of Counseling.
BETA requires all who are certified by the NCCA Licensing Board of Examiners to:
l. Be credentialed ministers (ordained, licensed or commissioned) whose goal is to evangelize and ease the emotional pain and suffering of humanity.
2. Provide their service under the authority of a legally organized local church, a national church organization of a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit ministry.
3. Complete specialized training provided by BETA.
4. Complete the minimum requirements for continuing education and annual license renewal.
5. Uphold NCCA’s Code of Ethical Standards.
NCCA’s published Code of Ethical Standards outlines all of the procedures involved in dismissal, revocation, probation and reinstatement of an individual’s membership, certification and/or license. The Code of Ethical Standards is printed in this catalogue.
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