The Doctor of Philosophy in Christian Counseling MFC is a terminal-level professional and academic degree designed to equip advanced practitioners, educators, and ministry leaders for excellence in marriage and family counseling within a Christian worldview. This program integrates biblical theology, psychological theory, and clinical practice to prepare scholar-practitioners who serve individuals, couples, and families with wisdom, compassion, and spiritual discernment. Growth and development are emphasized through advanced study, ethical reflection, and spiritually grounded clinical insight.
This doctoral program is designed for licensed counselors, marriage and family therapists, pastoral counselors, and ministry professionals who are called to leadership, teaching, supervision, research, and advanced clinical practice. Students are prepared to address complex relational, emotional, and spiritual challenges through an integrative counseling framework that honors both professional standards and biblical truth. Counseling is understood as a ministry of healing, restoration, and reconciliation.
Students engage in advanced study of marriage and family systems, trauma-informed care, counseling theories, psychopathology, ethics, and spiritual integration. The program emphasizes systemic thinking, relational assessment, and evidence-informed practice while maintaining a Christ-centered approach to care. Growth and development are fostered through reflective practice, clinical analysis, and scholarly research that strengthens both competence and calling.
The Doctor of Philosophy in Christian Counseling MFC prepares graduates to contribute original research, supervise counselors, teach at the graduate level, and lead counseling ministries and organizations. Emphasis is placed on ethical integrity, professional excellence, and spiritual maturity. Graduates are equipped to serve families and communities with skill, humility, and hope, advancing healing and wholeness through faithful counseling practice.
What You’ll Learn
- Advanced marriage and family systems theory
- Integration of Christian faith and counseling practice
- Relational assessment and systemic intervention strategies
- Trauma-informed and family-centered counseling approaches
- Ethics, supervision, and professional responsibility
- Spiritual formation in clinical counseling contexts
- Advanced counseling theories and therapeutic models
- Research methods in marriage and family counseling
- Teaching and leadership in counseling and ministry settings
- Original doctoral research focused on family and relational healing