Professional Certification Overview

Benefits of Certification:

• Increases your value in the market

• Equips you for a more effective ministry

• Governing Board support

• Broadens ministry possibilities

• Establishes a standard of Ethics

• Provides counselor networking

• Establishes an umbrella of spiritual authority

• Promotes accountability among peers

• Adds professionalism

• Establishes public trust

• Provides phone support from the Institute

• Provides continuing education for counselors

• Increases counselor confidence

• Establishes identity and recognition in the field of counseling

What is licensing?

In secular realms, State licensing is the usual method of establishing professionalism. Licensure is normally an act of state or federal legislature. Licensing serves to allow practice to those who have achieved required licensing board requirements. It also serves to exclude from practice those that do not have a license. Licensing therefore serves to monopolize acceptable training and accreditation. In effect, the field of counseling becomes restricted and narrowed and does not serve the needs of the entire community. The practice of licensing severely limits the growth and development of a profession. In general, licensure is about saying who can and cannot practice a profession.

What is certification?

Certification, on the other hand, is a voluntary process that recognizes expertise and proven ability without limiting entrance into a professional field. It is generally agreed that excellence in training is enhanced by institutions as they compete for recognition. Certification is not new or unique. Certification programs serve a greater purpose for the benefit of the public by establishing self- regulation and continually higher standards of service. A certification board can help guide training institutions in the development and evaluating of curriculum and faculty. Certification has proven over the years through the bettering of standards of service, to be the most beneficial mechanism for the improving and recognizing of competency. Certification strives to adequately meet the needs of the entire community. In general, certification is about establishment and recognition of achievement.

What is Authoritive certification?

The purpose of the church has always been to help people. One does not have to read the Bible very long to know that it is the Christian’s duty to offer Godly counsel to those in need. While all Christians are a part of the body of Christ, it is the church's duty to allow for the ministry of counseling to help those in need of recovery from overcoming problems.

The Government does not have nor intend to hold jurisdiction over the Church in ecclesiastical matters. Jesus instituted the pastor and the local church as the approving and governing institution for recognized ministry. Pastors and church leaders are able to know those that labor among them. They are able to know those who are seasoned for service and ready for ministry recognition. Neither ATEA nor any certifying institution will ever be able to know completely the people in training; but requiring a pastor’s signature before allowing certification accomplishes the same effect. (This requirement is waived for members of the Clergy)

A pastor or recognized church leader would refrain from signing an applicant’s enrollment form without due consideration of their faithfulness. Additionally, certification is not for individuals that will not place themselves under the spiritual authority of a church and its leaders. This puts certification in cooperation with the church as an authority for ministry. This is called Authoritive Certification and establishes God’s covering of spiritual authority. Anyone certified apart from proper spiritual authority is identifying themselves with a peer group that has greater risk for unethical and ungodly behavior and without the institute of the church for correction and restoration.

Any organization that is attempting to establish licensure requirements for Christian counseling outside of a local church is adopting a secular mechanism of approval, and may be attempting to exclude others from practice, seclude to itself the establishing of acceptable practices, and attempting to monopolize the field of counseling at the expense of communities.

Why Apply To ATEA for Certification?

ATEA is perhaps the only national ministry certification board in the United States that requires a pastor’s or church authority’s signature for certification thereby empowering the role of pastor and church. ATEA is also perhaps the only institute of certification specializing in a Christian based body, soul, and spirit recovery process for the full man.