Lay Counseling FAQs

What is lay counseling?  Lay counseling is made of up lay people, trained specifically to offer brief, non-clinical counseling services to Chapel Hill Church attendees and the surrounding community. 

Are lay counselors licensed?  No, lay counselors are not licensed.  Lay counselors attend an eight month intensive training before they counsel and are required to attend ongoing trainings thereafter.  If the case requires a licensed professional, we are happy to make a referral to a local therapist.

What materials do you use for training? Materials come from a variety of sources.  The bulk of our training materials are from the American Association of Christian Counselors, “Caring for People God’s Way”.  Other materials include webinar trainings or from other credible teaching sources from our local community. 

What kinds of issues do lay counselors help with?  Our counselors are equipped to handle a variety of non-clinical issues including grief and bereavement, fear, loss of faith or identity, self-esteem, anxiety, marital concerns, parenting issues, sin struggles and issues of the like.

Is my information confidential? We make it a top priority to keep all counseling records stored in a password protected storage vault. 

How many visits are allowed? The counseling we provide is usually short term, up to a pre-set number of sessions, determined by specific need of the counselee.  Typically, we offer 8-10 sessions for marriage counseling and up to 15 sessions for individual counseling. 

Is there a fee for lay counseling?  No.  There is no cost for counseling services.  There is a minimal fee for materials for couples in pre-marriage mentoring or marriage counseling.  The fee is typically less than $50

Will you accept donations? We appreciate donations of any value.  Your generous support allows us to continue to provide a much needed service in our community.