What is Christian Counselling?
Christian Counselling is a Christ-centered relationship between two or more persons in which one person seeks to help another person or persons on how to cope, recover and grow using the knowledge, techniques and skills of Christian Counselling developed with the following salient features:
- A deeper integration of theology and psychology with the Bible as the final authority;
- A perspective from the Christian view of personhood in which mankind’s basic problem is sin and our ultimate goal in life is to know God, relate closely with Him, and be Christlike in character;
- The counselling process involves guidance from the Holy Spirit and may include spiritual resources like prayer, deliverance, forgiveness, inner healing and the operation of spiritual gifts.
Any person who is a devoted follower of Jesus Christ and trained in the salient features, knowledge, techniques and skills of Christian Counselling can be involved in Christian Counselling.
The vision of ACCA is to incorporate Christian Counselling as an integral part of Christian practice, ministry and service in Asia to facilitate people across Asia to grow in behavioral, mental, emotional, social and spiritual integrity through professional and lay Christian Counselling.
Our mission is to promote and equip the body of Christ in Asia in Christian Counselling through networking, events and publications.
ACCA will achieve this by:
Promoting Christian Counselling in Asian Churches
- Promoting the development and advancement of Christian Counselling as a publicly recognized discipline in Asia;
- Promoting the appropriate equipping of professional counselors in Asia through teaching, training and professional development in Christian Counselling;
- Equipping lay Christian counsellors in churches;
- Encouraging cooperation amongst professional and lay Christian counsellors, pastors, leaders and the body of Christ in helping those who are needy and hurting;
- Promoting high standards in the theory and practice of Christian Counselling in Asia through the respective national codes of ethics;
- Encouraging Christian counsellors in Asia to teach, research and write in areas unique to Asian Christian Counselling;
- Fostering unity through sharing of information and experiences among Christians of different counselling approaches, modalities, and specializations;
- Initiating and promoting care and counselling as mission for Christ.
Promoting Integration of Spirituality and Theology with Counselling
- Integrating biblical theology, principles and values, with counselling theory and practice that is consistent with the Bible;
- Promoting ongoing growth in spiritual maturity and professional excellence, integrity, and accountability;
- Leading, empowering, networking, and partnering;
- Being a distinctive Christian presence and voice in the field of counseling in Asia.
Promoting Christian Counselling Training Conferences
- Promoting and enhancing the setting up and running of a national association of Christian Counselling in every country in Asia;
- Encouraging the organizing of annual national conferences in Christian Counselling by the respective national associations;
- Encouraging the organizing of regular workshops, seminars, training programs, and promotional events by the respective national associations;
- Coordinating and organizing of an Asian Summit and Conference of Christian counsellors by a national association once every two years.