Counseling Center

Biblical Answers for Yourself and Others

Cornerstone Biblical Counseling Training Center

“For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance
and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” – Romans 15:4

Counseling Seminars

Fundamentals of Biblical Counseling
Next Class Begins: January 2024
Cost: $195
We are offering three seminars that combine both our previous Level 1 & 2 courses to cover the required 30 hours of training for ACBC Certification. These seminars will take place on a Friday to Saturday once a month for three months on the following dates:

January 19-20, 2024
Friday: 6:00pm-9:40pm / Saturday: 9:00am-6:30pm
(Saturdays include a lunch break from 12:10-1:30pm.)

February 23-24, 2024
Friday: 6:00pm-9:40pm / Saturday: 9:00am-6:30pm
(Saturdays include a lunch break from 12:10-1:30pm.)

March 22-23, 2024
Friday: 6:00pm-9:40pm / Saturday: 9:00am-6:30pm
(Saturdays include a lunch break from 12:10-1:30pm.)

Topics include the sufficiency of Scripture in counseling, elements of the counseling process, how people change, conflict resolution, anger, fear, worry, depression, God’s design for marriage, communication, physical intimacy, finances, instructing and correcting children, the single parent, divorce and remarriage, medical issues in counseling, and biblical decision-making.

Registration is full. 
Please contact the Church Office at [email protected] to be placed on a waiting list.
Required Books: 
(Available on Amazon or Christianbook.com)
  • How to Counsel Biblically by John MacArthur and Wayne Mack
  • Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands by Paul Tripp
  • Strengthening Your Marriage by Wayne Mack
  • A Theology of Christian Counseling by Jay Adams

We offer a $25/person discount to groups of 15 or more.

Audit special pricing:
if you previously took both Level 1 & 2: $35
previously attended either Level 1 or 2: $150

Our Philosophy

Thank you for your interest in our Biblical Counseling Training Center. We believe that God “…has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.” (2 Peter 1:3) Our aim is to equip Christians to counsel themselves and others from God’s Word. We are an ACBC (Association of Certified Biblical Counselors) certified training center.

Whether you are seeking counsel for yourself, or want to be equipped to offer biblical counsel to others, our training will help you.

We have restructured how we offer courses. We are offering three seminars that combine both our previous Level 1 & 2 courses to cover the required 30 hours of training for ACBC Certification, and also equip Christians from all walks of life with biblical answers to face their struggles. More details are below.

Location

7920 Santa Rosa Road, Atascadero

If you are seeking counsel,
we recommend the following process:

1)

Contact Your Pastor

Pastors are to be shepherds of their people (1 Peter 5:1-4) and will give an account to God for those entrusted to their care (Hebrews 13:17). We believe each local church should be able to help its people through biblical counseling. If your pastor would like assistance in helping you, please ask them to contact us.

2)

Attend the counseling courses

The classes have helped many couselees with answers they need to face their struggles.

3)

If you ARE a member or attender at Cornerstone Church and still need help, contact our center through the Request for Counsel form. If you are not a member or attender at Cornerstone, proceed to 4).
(Please do not fill this form out for someone else; we will not contact a person who has not personally filled out the form.)

Please also refer to the Consent to Counsel form for various information on our policies, confidentiality, what is expected of the counselee, and other relevant information.

We often have observers present at our counseling sessions. Our purpose is to train people to be able to do this in their local churches, and one of the best ways to learn is through observing. These observers have been through counseling training and have signed confidentiality forms in keeping with Cornerstone Biblical Counseling Training Center's (CBCTC) overall confidentiality policy.

Counseling at CBCTC is donation-based. We find that a monetary investment in the process often helps one take it seriously and work harder at change. An inability to pay will not keep anyone from receiving biblical counseling at CBCTC. If you would like to donate, please make your check payable to Cornerstone Community Church (preferred method), or via the Giving section below.

4)

If you ARE NOT a member or attender at Cornerstone Church please CLICK HERE to find an ACBC Certified Counselor. If a local counselor is not available in person, there are several counselors who do video counseling.

Donations

Fund: Counseling

We do not charge for our counseling. Our resources are available because of the registration fees from our courses and donations received. If you've benefited, or would like to help others benefit from this ministry, your donations are appreciated!

Frequently Asked Questions

How often are these seminars offered?

We will evaluate how our new format went and determine accordingly when we can offer the next round. Once determined, the schedule will be posted on this page.

Do I need to purchase anything else after I’ve paid my registration?

Our course requires 4 books (listed under the course information), which can be purchased at amazon.com or christianbook.com.

What does it mean to be ACBC Certified?

ACBC (Association of Certified Biblical Counselors) is a nonprofit organization who gathered to set guidelines – and thus, certification – for biblical counseling. Cornerstone Biblical Counseling Training Center is an ACBC Certified training center. You can see more about ACBC at biblicalcounseling.com.

If I’m interested in biblical answers, but not in becoming certified, should I still take this course?

Yes! Our course has many biblical answers to offer not only pastors but also everyday christians.

I took the previous Level 1 & 2 courses; how do I access those videos?

If you took our previous Level 1 and/or 2 courses, you were given access to the course videos. You can use the buttons below if you didn't save those links. However, you will need the passwords you were given. Please bookmark these links for future use.

Do I receive anything confirming completion of the seminars?

At the end of the last seminar, we will hand out a “Certificate of Completion” stating you’ve finished the course. This does not signify certification with ACBC. You will need to complete the rest of their requirements (listed below). This course fulfills their requirement for 30 hours of training.

How do I get ACBC certified?

ACBC has set forth the following requirements for certification:

Phase I:
  • 30 hours biblical counseling training (Cornerstone’s Fundamentals of Biblical Counseling covers this.)
  • 10 hours observing ACBC-certified counseling
  • 700 pages counseling reading from ACBC reading list (Required books count toward this.)
  • 300 pages theological reading from ACBC reading list (Required books count toward this.)

Phase II:
  • ACBC Counseling Exam
  • ACBC Theology Exam
  • ACBC application – fill out and submit their application, along with supporting documentation

Phase III:
  • Complete 50 sessions of one-hour-minimum counseling, observed by a Fellow. **Please note, you have 1 year to complete Phase III after submitting your test and application in Phase II.

ACBC’s website goes through this process in depth, if you visit biblicalcounseling.com and click on Certification and select each phase from the dropdown. They also provide a tool to track your progress through the certification progress on the dropdown choice called “Pathway Through Certification.”