Guidance & Counseling Christian Education DEPARTMENT OF THEOLOGY Guidance & Counseling PASTORAL CARE COUNSELING PSYCHOSOCIAL COUNSELING Department Description: Post-war Liberia has necessitated a thorough assessment of the College and her response to the needs of her clients. A devastating effect of Liberia’s civil war was the extreme trauma her citizens experienced. The country lacks trained professional counselors to help deal with and heal from these traumatic experiences. The breakdown of the social order also created a psycho-social crisis evidenced by the way people handle problems and their ability to navigate through mental and emotional stress. In addition, students in school face challenges with identifying a clear career path due to the lack of professionally trained school counselors. Hence realizing the vast need for counseling in Liberia, the AME University has rebranded its counseling program to grant a degree of Bachelors of Arts in Counseling through three tracks: Guardian, Pastoral Care, and Psychosocial counseling. School and Guidance Counseling: To prepare students who will be involved in the educational sector especially in the elementary, secondary, vocational, technical and tertiary institutions. Assisting people with making career choices, setting goals, preparing for job interviews, developing resume among others. Pastoral Care Counseling: To provide counseling skills for students involve in pastoral ministries in the local churches especially dealing with young people, children, women and older adults with various issues of the family, marriage, community and societal living. Psycho-socio Counseling: To prepare and provide students with skills and capacities to deal with people experiencing issues of trauma, anger, stress management and conflict prevention, mediation, resolution and transformation. Issues dealing with peace, non-violence, tolerance and reconciliation will be major themes for students focusing on this track. Vision: The vision of the Counseling Department is to help transform Liberia by preparing and equipping men and women with knowledge and practical skills in pastoral care, psychosocial and guidance counseling in supporting and providing professional help and care to address problems faced by individuals in the church and society. Goals/Objectives: The changing nature of the Liberian Society and the rising number of persons in need of professional help within Liberia underpin the establishment of a Department of Counseling within the AME University in Liberia. The Department of counseling seeks to prepare and equip men and women with knowledge, skills, and a change in behavior for effective and professional practice of counseling in and out of Liberia. The department will provide opportunities to expose students to real life counseling experiences within various contexts where they can model evidence of professional counseling in facilitating people find professional help to their problems. The Counseling Department will lay the foundation for the development of a class of wellness professionals (i.e. counseling specialists) to serve in the professional guidance of individuals into the recovery of mind, body and spirit from varying degrees and types of behavioral and traumatic challenges. A graduate with the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Counseling will demonstrate the ability to: Serve in the professional guidance of individuals into the recovery of behavior and traumatic challenges Respect and utilize principles regarding the ethics and legality of counseling Model evidence of professional counseling in facilitating people find professional help to their problems. Address an array of psychological, guidance and spiritual issues and concerns from a perspective that incorporates psychological insights, counseling skills, and theological/spiritual reflection. This course of study for the degree of the Bachelor of Arts in counseling will cover (4) four academic years. A candidate is required to earn 138 semester credit hours.
