Advanced Certificate in Skills for Biblical Counselling
Marriage Counselling
with Aaron Sironi
The Marriage Counselling course will provide you with a basic theological framework and methodology for counselling that will help move couples beyond and beneath complaints to address dynamics, heart movements, and interpersonal patterns.
Next course:
MCO Autumn 2026
Registration window opens 18th May until 6th July 2026
The registration form opens in a new window, and you need to submit the form within 60 minutes of opening.
What to expect
COURSE WORK
This course introduces Marriage Counseling as a complex, dynamic, and yet rewarding form of counselling. This course will provide you with a basic theological framework and methodology for counselling that will help move couples beyond and beneath complaints to address dynamics, heart movements, and interpersonal patterns.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
- Engage a robust theology of marriage, divorce, and remarriage to build a secure foundation for marriage [ministry].
- Identify key dynamics that prevent couples from engaging fruitfully and safely in marriage counselling.
- Investigate what goes wrong in marriage and learn how to work helpfully with struggling couples.
- Track destructive conflict patterns and probe underneath into heart desires, fears, and hidden doubts.
- Develop specific marriage counselling skills in both conjoint and individual marriage counselling.
- Reflect personally upon and apply conflict patterns to close relationships.
COURSE SCHEDULE
This course includes four small group meetings scheduled throughout the term (arranged by students at the start of term), each of which must last for a minimum of one hour. These meetings provide an opportunity to interact with the conceptual, personal, relational, and ministerial implications of the lectures and reading material. After each small group, you will submit a 150-250 word reflection on the content of the group time.
There are also three observation sessions during the term where students will interact with videos of couple counselling taking place.
A participation grade will be based both on your small group reflections and your involvement in the observation sessions. See the MCO Syllabus for more information.
Key facts
Dates of the next course:
MCO Autumn 2026 commences on 7th September 2026.
Registration window opens 18th May until 6th July 2026
Course length:
10 weeks of study with one week mid term break
Workload:
10-12 hours study per week
Advanced Certificate in Skills for Biblical Counselling
The Advanced Certificate in Skills for Biblical Counselling courses will help students develop advanced helping skills for more formal pastoral/counselling conversations. Courses will include CCEF’s Marriage Counselling course, and two new BCUK courses, Counselling Embodied Souls and Advanced Skills Training.
The registration form opens in a new window, and you need to submit the form within 60 minutes of opening.
Meet your teacher
Aaron Sironi is a faculty member and counselor at CCEF, where he has served since 2008. He holds a master of science in marital and family therapy from Fuller Theological Seminary and has earned counseling certificates from CCEF. Aaron is a licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC) and has counseled in community mental health, psychiatric hospital, and outpatient settings. He has a passion for building strong relationships with local churches and coming alongside pastoral ministers through consultation, training, and counseling services. In addition to his work at CCEF, Aaron serves on the board of CCEF Montana, an affiliate counseling office in Billings, MT.
