Harvest ACBC Certification and Coaching

Receive practical coaching from certified counselors as you pursue your ACBC certification

Phase 1: Learning

Step 1: Register with ACBC
Step 2:
- Complete Track 1: Fundamentals Training (In-person or Online)
  - In-person: Discuss options with Pastor Nick.
  - Online: Attend a Track 1 online training hosted by ACBC ($100), One Eighty Counseling Ministries ($90), or First Counseling ($50).
    - Each of these options has different lengths of time and instructors. Feel free to do some research to see what works best for you.
- Read 1,000 pages of ACBC approved reading material (see list here)
  - At least 300 of these pages must be from the Biblical Counseling & Theology category
  - We will provide you with a suggested reading checklist to track your progress
  - We have enough resources in our church library and counselors’ libraries to meet your reading requirement
Step 3: Counseling Observation (10 hours total)
- Watch ACBC approved counselor observation videos
  - Meets the 10 hours requirement
  - Highly recommend taking notes from these sessions on best practices or questions you have
- Work with Harvest’s Counseling ministry to observe or be an advocate in counseling sessions
  - Total of 10 hours
    - The expectation would be that you would continue observing until you have met the 10 hour requirement
  - A sheet for taking notes will be provided and the counselor will interact with you after each counseling session
Track your reading and observation progress with the logs provided on ACBC’s member portal

Phase 2: Exams and Evaluations

Begin working on the ACBC theology and counseling exams
Meet with your coach once a month to track your progress on the exams
Submit final exams to ACBC for grading ($100 grading fee)
Submit character references to ACBC via the member portal

Phase 3: Supervision

After you pass your exams:
- Work with Harvest Counseling to choose a fellow to supervise your counseling
- Notify the ACBC office once the Fellow has agreed to be your supervisor. (No hours may be counted before you have received approval to begin Phase Three from the ACBC office.)
- Please be aware that supervision fees could range from $650-$800.
  - Please speak with Harvest Counseling about options for subsidizing this cost.
- Complete 50 sessions (of at least one hour length) of supervised counseling.
  - Counseling supervision is often completed remotely via email and telephone.
  - You will need to complete and send your supervisor a Case Report for each counseling session.
  - At least 10 sessions must be with the same counselee
  - Audio record a minimum of 5 sessions to review and discuss with your supervising Fellow.
  - You must finish the 50 sessions within one year.

Meet with and review each case report with your supervisor.

After you have completed 50 sessions of counseling that your supervisor is satisfied with, he will submit a recommendation for membership.

Harvest Counseling Training Application

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First Name *

Last Name *

Address 1 *

Email *

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Are you a member of Harvest? *

Briefly describe your conversion. *

Educational background. *

What is your goal in taking this training? How do you plan to use it in the local church or community? *

Type your full name in the box below indicating that you understand that if you observe counseling sessions you will not speak during the session unless spoken to by the counselor and will withhold any thoughts about the session until the counselee has left. *

Type your full name in the box below indicating that you have read and affirm the following confidentiality statement: "Counseling at HBC DSM, including statements made during counseling, shall remain confidential, with the following qualifications and exceptions: 1) Counselors shall be free to discuss counseling sessions and cases with other HBC DSM counselors and the pastors of HBC DSM in order to gain the benefit of additional insight and input; 2) Counselors and pastors shall be entitled to seek a confidential legal opinion or advice from an attorney when it is deemed appropriate and helpful; 3) If any HBC DSM policy concerning the reporting of child abuse or child neglect, or the reporting of elder abuse or elder neglect, mandates a report to the authorities in compliance with the laws of the State of Iowa, then such a report will be made; 4) If a suicide risk is indicated, the counselors or pastors may seek necessary help and make whatever reports or disclosures as they deem to be proper and necessary; 5) If a counselee indicates an intention to commit a crime, such intention may be reported and disclosed to the proper authorities; 6) If the counselee is a member of a local church other than HBC DSM, and if the pastors of HBC DSM deem it necessary or helpful to communicate information or facts to the pastor of the counselee's local church, they may do so." *