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Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Why do I need several certificates even if I only want to be a PC?
A. The Secular Counseling Adds are optional programs, and you do not need them to begin your practice. However, we have found that they add immediate new income and clients to your practice, as well as protect you from State or Association licensing challenges.
Q. Do I have to follow any additional licensure regulations once I get my certificates?
A. Some US States require a tax license to sell products, but since there is no VAT (services tax) in the US so far, no additional license is needed. You can begin counseling the moment your certificates arrive. If you live in UK or Australia, and certain Provinces in Canada, you do have to also get a VAT (tax) license. If you live in a State that has been cracking down on PC's due to TT attacks on the profession, additional Secular Credentialing can allow you to practice with no additional licensure required.
Q. Do I need to join or contribute to a church to keep my certification active?
A. As a non-denominational certification, you do NOT have to "join" a church, leave your own church, or contribute in any way beyond what you are now doing. Your certificate(s) are for life, do not have to be renewed, and are valid if you move. We will send you a new free cert if your name changes.
Q. Does my course help with business as well as the counseling course itself?
A. All PSU courses are designed for those who would like to start their own businesses and practices, so yes, there is a significant amount of material in every course relating to the business and financial success aspects of your practice. Our grads are so successful, so fast, due to the demand, that most are turning down clients due to demand once the word is out about their home practice, office or clinic. In addition, our exclusive and unique secular adds credentialing program is attracting thousands of Pastoral Counselors for additional certification due to expanding into new business areas like career counseling, mortgage and finance, nutritional healing and many others. These both protect your practice, and add significant new clients and income.
Q. Can I do this even if I don't have a lot of experience? What if I get some kind of psychotic or other patient I can't handle?
A. Pastoral Counselors refer to other Therapists just as other Therapists refer to them. The secret is to specialize, and then become known for your unique skill. If a client is suicidal, deeply depressed, schizophrenic or psychotic, they are not good candidates for Pastoral Counseling, and should be refused and/or referred. In addition, many PC's are now focusing their practices on unique areas not covered by TT such as death and grief counseling, substance abuse, spiritual guidance as well as secular programs such as career counseling, credit and finance, mortgage, natural healing and nutrition, and many other areas.
Q. What is the advantage of taking the more advanced courses?
A. It is an indication of the seriousness of your commitment, and can add significant new clients and income to your practice, as well as protect it from challenges. When you realize that you can begin making over $400 a day right away, why would you not want every piece of information to become the best you can be, as soon as possible? Over 85% of our grads take all six primary courses, and many are even addition additional credentials in wellness, nutrition and holistic healing. If you order the most advanced courses, it includes the others at no additional cost, as PSU is here for your professional AND financial success! If you scrimp here, you are scrimping on YOURSELF! Think about the savings compared to other courses that can take 8 years, and cost $200,000 or more! As far as Pastoral Counselor, Deacon and Pastor: those with church affiliations normally get one or more of the advanced foundation certs, those in independent practice generally get the base PC with one or more secular adds.
Q. How does my completion validation work?
A. Unlike other Colleges, PSU validations are always unlimited, and always free. Others charge from $100 to $500 EACH for transcripts! Once your certificates are received, your transcripts become active once you return your final exam.
Q. Your prices are awesome for an accredited program, are there other graduation or matriculation fees?
A. NO, NEVER. What you see is what you get, one price, no hidden charges.
Q. I noticed a shipping fee, but this is an online/ email course. What is the shipping for?
A. Your ship link remains active until course completion, at which time your certificates are sent to your Paypal address of record (the address you put down when you ordered). If you used a spouse's email or Paypal account, be sure to let us know your name for your certificates!
Q. How does the course work?
A. With some emails and ISPs, you get a download when you order. On most systems, you will receive your course by email within 48 hours of your order clearing on Paypal.
Q. Does health insurance cover my client’s visits? How do I bill them?
A. This is a very good question, and is covered extensively in the courses: there is a whole module on insurance in each. First, insurance for all counseling is now limited, as many carriers are reducing benefits to very low levels, so your clients have to carry most of the expense even with the best plans and MD therapists. On the other hand, secular adds are often covered by employers and other client organizations.
It is a lot like Chiropractic used to be: almost no coverage, and then after 10 years of successful inroads with case managers, the policies themselves began to limit benefits in general to save money on the part of the insurers, and limit benefits for the sake of profit. Note that this has not really hurt Chiropractors, most of whom are very wealthy on the business side, and doing great good on the medical side.
The few plans that do cover counseling, independent of workplace referrals, do require almost impossible hurdles, such as MSW's that have to have a signoff by a PhD or MD. Our counselors actually do better, because they can offer better payment plans, more creative billing, discounts for multiple sessions, etc. that network providers are contractually not allowed to provide.
In addition, the best payers (employer referred programs) DO generally cover Pastoral Counseling, especially in the additional secular credentialing areas, as they do not specify WHERE the employee goes (employee choice), but HOW MANY sessions are covered, and at what rate. Still, to be honest, nearly ALL counseling, no matter who intervenes and who pays, is still the client's responsibility today, with the exception of employer rehab programs, and most of those do cover "non conventional" intervention like AA. They WILL cover you for outplacement, career counseling and other secular credential areas in most cases.
One very important point: Even the rare clients that DO have counseling benefits, often prefer to self pay due to confidentiality, and to stay off the radar with their presenting issues. Wealthy divorced parents sending a teen for counseling, for example, may pay via one spouse or the other, so payment plans and agreements are still important, but the vast majority are client direct or family direct. Another example: if you were a patient, and found out that you had to pay 85% +, would you want to be "on the record" with your confidential issues, when you are already paying the majority of the bill? In other words, is 15% worth being on the record, especially when all your other co-pay and deductible amounts need to be met before that small amount kicks in? This is a good question for you or your receptionist/ biller to ask at intake.
There are over 35,000 insurers, and less than 3% now cover counseling unless it is part of an employer rehab program, or a secular outplacement, finance or career program. Many of our grads register at these programs to get direct provider numbers. If you have a large employer in your service area, it is really smart to contact them directly, as a direct provider number there flows through to the AOB process at the contracted insurer. There is a lot more on billing systems, collecting, payment plans, case management, co-pays, deductibles, credentialing, credit cards, etc. in the courses, because PSU focuses on business success as much as professional success in each curriculum.
Q. Is your certificate part of a track to State licensure?
A. It can be a stepping stone, but it is not a track, although many States do NOT regulate your complete credential at all if you have secular components. States generally require advanced degrees (Masters and above), with specific years of practice or apprenticeship, plus work under an MD or PhD for strict therapy licensure. Some States DO count Pastoral Counseling in their time and experience requirements.
From our grad's standpoint, PC, along with your choice of secular adds, is a terminal credential, and is all they need to establish great practices. However, if you do decide to pursue the Master's/ PhD route, there are States where it can help. Each State is a little different, and if you want a State track, you need to check with your own location. Remember, States are not permitted to interfere with Pastoral Counselors, due to the separation mandate, including both levels of client confidentiality, which many clients truly appreciate.
In fact, many of our grads already have PhD's or Masters in unrelated areas, or from other countries not recognized by States or the TT establishment, and their PC and Secular Credentials allow them to protect and expand their practices without interference.
Q. What is the difference in the six levels?
A. Your basic Pastoral Counselor certificate is all you need to start your practice. However, many counselors wish to study more material and get the advanced certifications to protect and expand their practices and gain credibility, often Deacon or Pastor for those with church affiliations, and Pastoral with secular adds for independent practices. You can also start with Pastoral and upgrade later to additional certs for the difference in price, rather than buying each course separately. If you get Pastor, or a bundled secular credential, it also includes the other courses for one discounted price. Grads who want to pursue additional licensure, etc. often get the full Pastoral/Pastor or Pastoral/secular due to the advanced material. It is important to some clients to see your level of certification, others are fine with Pastoral and your skill plus one or two secular specialties if you are not church affiliated.
Q. What Federal Laws allow and protect Pastoral Counseling?
A. The broad doctrine is from the First Amendment (of the Bill of Rights to the Constitution) and was preceded by Article 6 of the unamended Constitution. (Commonly but not legally called “Separation of Church and State”). Many Supreme Court decisions, test cases, and State cases have upheld this principle, which is called judicial review. The essence of these statutes and decisions, as applied to Pastoral Counseling, is the “intrusion” principle, which states that the State has no right to breach confidentiality between a client and spiritual advisor, or regulate the activities of religious practice, including Pastoral Counseling or Care. Some States “encourage” licensing through AAPCCG and other credentialing organizations, but cannot require it, as long as you are not advertising “therapy.” This does not mean you can’t or won’t be challenged, but this is the exact reason many of our grads complete this course: to have a good answer IF challenged by a State, County, City, or competing traditional therapy organization, as well as to show clients their credential(s) from PSU. In addition to the Constitutional protections at the Federal level, Secular Credentialing protects you at the State and Association levels due to non jurisdiction in areas like career, credit, finance, nutrition and other counseling areas. Please note that we can not and do not give legal advice, if you need a legal opinion, please check with your State or your attorney.
Q. I read that a Court held that Pastoral Counseling is more important than Therapy, how can that be?
A. That decision was about confidentiality, not importance. Under certain circumstances, Courts can "pierce" patient/therapist confidentiality. This is much more difficult with Pastoral Counselors, as they also have confessor confidentiality for spiritual guidance, which is much more difficult for the State to open. In practical terms, this gives your clients more confidence in you, and protects your commitment to their privacy even more, which is a great reason to come to you. If a patient is suicidal, contemplating violence, etc. it is your duty to refer them for additional help immediately, including to Emergency if necessary.
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