sPIRITUAL COUNSELING CERTIFICATION
The American Institute of Health Care Professionals
Frequently asked Questions and Responses (FAQs)
Welcome to the FAQs section for the Spiritual Counseling Certification. This area is provided to you as a source of information that may be more clarified, related to questions you may have in regards to our certification program. Information regarding recertification, as well as information about our online continuing education courses, is also provided. We highly recommend that you first thoroughly review all of the information on our website, under the main page for Spiritual Counseling Certification. Access main page. If after reviewing all of the provided information and this FAQs section, any other questions may be addressed by completing our request for information form online (access info form). Thank you for your interest in our Spiritual Counseling Certification Program.
SPIRITUAL COUNSELING BLOG: Please visit our Spiritual Counseling interactive web blog. Our blog contains articles, news, events and information related the Spiritual Counseling field.
What is Certification?
Response: certification is a voluntary process, which is provided by a well organized organization, that through its qualified advisory boards, develops comprehensive and quality standards for the practice of a type of specialty. The developed standards address high quality requirements for the practice of a certain specialty. The defined standards speak to educational and/or practice requirements, any required prerequisites, and the need to adhere to a defined code of ethics for the practice specialty. Certification is a voluntary process. It is different than any type of licensing. Certification is one means by which professionals may be publicly recognized as achieving a high level of education, knowledge base and practice skills for a certain healthcare related specialty. Certification also assists employer organizations and clients in their assessment of appropriate qualifications for candidates seeking positions in organizations and/or involved in private practices. It is commonly held, today, that certification by a very well organized professional organization, is fast becoming a "gold standard" for specialty practices. Certification testifies and provides a verification of defined educational requirements, adherence to a solid code of ethics, and in many instances prerequisites of practice experience for the practice of Spiritual Counseling and related services.
What are the criteria/standards I will need to meet to achieve certification?
Response: The educational criteria and standards are well and clearly defined within our website. Please access our main page to preview these requirements. Access here.
May I apply for and be conferred certification if I have been practicing as a spiritual counselor with out the need to meet the educational requirements?
Response: No. The Board that oversees the development and approval of defined criteria and standards for certification will not consider only practice experience as meeting requirements in full. This decision was made as those who are already in consulting practices have varied and different experiences related to spiritual counseling and instruction and there is no insured uniformity that all who have practiced as a spiritual counselor have the same knowledge base and skills attainment. The evaluation of one's past practice experience as a spiritual counselor is highly variable and subjective. As such, the Board has developed objective criteria/standards for the conferral of certification. For these reasons, practice experience without the attainment of education will not be considered as fulfilling criteria and standards for our certification.
Over the years, I have completed many seminars and continuing education courses related to spiritual counseling, theory,practice and interventions. Will these apply toward the education requirements for certification?
Response: Your past completed education may well qualified you as meeting the standards/criteria to apply for certification. To establish approval of your past education completion it is necessary that you submit, with your completed application, verification of all completed seminars and/or courses. This includes college-level courses and or continuing education courses. Once received, the administrative board and staff will review all of your submissions and verifications and make the decision as to whether or not your past education achievements meets the standards and criteria for certification. You will be notified by postal mail within 7 to 14 days regarding the decision of the acceptance or disapproval of any past education completions. In many instances, submitted verifications of education directly related to spiritual counseling/practice are accepted. Most rejections occur because the education completed was not directly related to the practice specialty of spiritual counseling or there is not enough broad-based knowledge related to multiple dimensions of spiritual counseling and interventions/instruction.
What is the major practice focus of a spiritual counselor?
Response: a Certified Spiritual Counselor is one who is very well versed in knowledge of spirituality, spiritual needs, practices, including instruction and teaching. This person has a good solid knowledge base and experiences in assisting individuals to identify issues related to "spiritual distress" and spiritual growth and development. Spiritual counseling is a core dimension of integrative, holistic care delivery. Certified spiritual counselors study and have a good working knowledge of the most useful, safe and effective modern spiritual development techniques and practices. They work with individuals to teach and coach them in a wide variety of spiritual assessments and practices, that are unique to each individual. They assist people who want to grow spiritually within their own personal belief systems. They are highly knowledgeable of the theory, purposes and practices of varied spiritual practices, techniques and provide education and coaching for those wishing to develop their spirituality. Spiritual counselors often have a specific practice in which they specialize and some offer many different types of spiritual coaching and teaching. Some areas in which spiritual counselors specialize include; spiritual healing, energy healing, prayer, spiritual meditation, intuitive counseling, religious science, science of mind techniques, healing with light energy, color, aura reading and assessments and much more. Spiritual counselors generally work with individuals on a one-to-one basis, but can work with groups depending on the coaching and teaching provided. Many spiritual counselors also lecture and publish. Spiritual counselors also work in health care organizations and church related organizations.
People's interest in spirituality has been consistently increasing over the years and more are seeking spiritual guidance, teaching, and coaching from highly knowledgeable and dedicated spiritual counselors.
Does the American institute of health care professionals provide approval's for education programs whose graduates would qualify for being conferred certification?
Response: Yes. We do provide a full program approval process for those education facilities and or organizations providing education related to Spiritual Counseling. Applications for program approval are thoroughly reviewed and must adhere to the defined standards and criteria as established by the advisory board. Once a particular education program has been approved it is then posted as an approved program on our website (view approved programs). Graduates of programs we have approved may apply for certification. Any formal education program offering spirituality, spiritual counseling practice and instruction, education, meeting our standards, may apply for approval of their program. Once a program is approved, graduates of the program may apply for certification.
WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR ACHIEVING THIS CERTIFICATION?
Response: There is a two-phase process. In order to provide clear and sufficient information on the process we have developed a separate page that defines the process. You may access this information on the certification process at this link: click here.
How can I make application?
Response: Making application is an easy process. We provide on this website a link to a printable application. Those wishing to make application may access this link, print out the application form, completed it, and submit it to our office for review. You may access online applications at this link. Please note that incomplete applications will not be reviewed. All applications that are submitted must be complete and include all required documents and verifications as specified for review and consideration of certification conferral.
Once I have achieved certification, must I ever be re certified?
Response: Yes. A conferred certification has a period of 4 years. At the end of the four-year period the certification will expire. The American Institute of Health Care Professionals provides a full program for recertification. Detailed information on the criteria to be recertified, after the three-year initial certification period, is provided on our website. Access here.
Our organization is sponsoring a one-day seminar on the topic of spirituality and spiritual care. Does the American institute of health care professionals provide for program approvals for CEU credits?
Response: Yes. We do offer a full program
for the approval of education courses, seminars, and other related
learning activities related to the topic of spirituality and
practice. If an application for approval is approved, then the
sponsoring organization may declare on its CEU certificates that
the program has been up reviewed and approved by the American
Institute of Health Care Professionals. More information is available
on our website, access here.
I am currently certified by the American institute of health care professionals in spiritual counseling. I know I am required to achieve additional education in spiritual counseling/spiritual practice in order to qualify for recertification in the future. Do you offer any continuing education courses that I may take to meet my recertification requirements?
Response: Yes. We do offer several courses at this time, which certified members may register for and take, to meet their education requirements for recertification. These courses are provided within online classrooms and are continuing education courses. Certified members may register for these courses at any time. Those who are not currently certified may also take any of our CEU courses, if they wish. Access information.
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