Lay counselling is the emotional and psychosocial assistance given to people in need by either staff or lay leaders who do not have a formal degree in counselling. In the church setting, many lay counsellors have been rendering this important service to many needy people.

While many Christians have both spiritual and emotional maturity through their studying of the Word of God and life’s experiences, their desire of helping others can be enhanced by undergoing some training in basic people-helping skills.

This course aims to equip participants with the basic skills and knowledge to further strengthen lay counsellors in the church. The training will consist of two levels of 12 hours each.

Level 1 will examine the “what, why and how” of basic counselling skills. Fundamental counselling concepts and techniques will be discussed and examples shown from both secular and biblical narratives. Participants will learn how culture and developmental issues can be a hindrance to one’s effectiveness as a lay counsellor.

The training will also increase one’s self-awareness so that the self will not be a stumbling block to helping others. Participants will see the importance of creating the right therapeutic environment with their help-seeker before any attempt to solve their problems.

Participants will be shown how to build rapport with their counselees through attending skills and body language.  Basic counselling skills such as restatement, paraphrase, reflection and questioning will be discussed, demonstrated and developed.

Level 2 consists of practical sessions where they can practise their learned skills using the triad method.  Practice sessions will be video-taped and transcribed using the 4-column method to help in the consolidation of counselling skills and the heightening of self-awareness.

The video recordings will be reviewed by a trained supervisor on a group and/or individual basis.  When participants are more confident with these attending skills, they can then move on from that “lab environment” to be more effective in helping others as home-cell leaders, people-helpers or lay counsellors.

Dates  2, 9, 16 & 23  August – Level 1, Sept 13, 20, Oct 4 & 11 – Level 2.
Time:  9.30 am to 12.30pm
Venue: NACC, G-10-3A, Setia Walk, Puchong, Selangor or
via ZOOM (for out of Klang Valley Participants)

Payment:
Registration via email and Online Transfer to Bank account, with your full name and membership number (if any) to:
Name: National Association of Christian Counsellors
Malaysia MBB A/C No. 5122 3134 8681

**Important: Please email your registration and bank in or transfer payment confirmation to : office@nacc-malaysia.org otherwise we cannot register you for this event.

Here are some testimonies from past participants:

“The program has been a good eye-opener – no doubt, people helpers in our churches can be more effective with the right basic skills to counsel! Contrary to common thinking, good intentions and compassion alone is never enough. Wrong way of doing right can be harmful sometimes! More importantly, the program was invaluable to make me more aware of my own internal processes when relating to a hurting soul. This is definitely a good place to start if you wish to be involved in a care ministry.” – Lim Fang Say, FGT Subang Jaya

“Contents were very well thought. Fundamentals embraced: SOLER position, counselling protocol and framework. Hand-outs were useful…duration per session were just right. Provides an overview to different approaches/style/techniques. Not just providing training, trainer, ensures there is much sharing from himself, through experience, and, open to the floor for interaction and sharing.” – Shirley, SIB KL

“I have benefitted a lot from attending the Basic Counselling Course.  One of the things which I have learned and put into practice is attending and listening skills. As we practiced the skills in groups of three, we helped and encouraged each other. It is a great learning experience.” – Lee Kok Joo, The Life Chapel

“The video-taped sessions of our counselling was most beneficial – we learned much from analyzing body language, use of counselling techniques and client reactions. I also learned a very key lesson in counselling – not to offer advice, but rather to lead the client to his/her own solution through the use of techniques like paraphrasing and reframing.” – Pamela D, DUMC

“Previous counselling which I have attended, managed only to enhance my basic knowledge in the subject. However, in this course, it has equipped me with practical basic skills with enough confidence in the subject to apply them. The most important thing I have learnt is ‘Active Listening’. In the past, it was a habit of mine to dish out Scriptures and go on an ADVICE spree. With the acquired micro skills, I am confident in myself in playing the role of counsellor.” – Dr Wong Yoke Foong, Christian Life Centre, Setiawan

Conflicts in both church and society often arise from seemingly incompatible needs, values, and perspectives—such as personality differences or doctrinal disagreements. While healthy conflict can foster growth and deepen commitment, unresolved or poorly managed conflict can lead to division, hurt, and toxicity, hindering both individual and collective missions. Mediation provides a structured, balanced, and non-adversarial process where conflicting parties are encouraged to share their perspectives and express their underlying interests. Rather than producing winners and losers, mediation focuses on reaching mutually acceptable solutions that honor the concerns of all parties. This approach promotes the restoration of relationships, fosters honest communication, and emphasizes the parties’ ownership of the outcome. As a biblically-grounded alternative to legalistic or adversarial methods, mediation offers a path to healing, reconciliation, and deeper understanding. While issues may come and go, relationships—especially within the body of Christ—should be preserved and nurtured.

Target Audience
This workshop is open to lay counsellors, church leaders and anyone seeking to help others resolve conflict with love, respect, and understanding—rather than through blame or litigation.

Workshop Objectives
Participants will:

• Gain an understanding of why mediation is a biblically sound and effective tool for resolving disputes among believers and non-believers alike.
• Learn basic communication techniques for managing strong emotions, along with creative problem-solving tools for addressing conflict constructively.
• Be encouraged to envision how churches and community-based organizations can serve as alternative justice platforms—helping resolve disputes before they escalate into legal matters. This reflects our calling to be peacemakers (Matt 5:9) and godly arbiters (1 Cor 6:1–11).

Date:  Saturday, 25 October 2025

 Time:  9:30am to 12:30pm

Hybrid

Venue: NACC, G-10-3A, Setia Walk, Puchong, Selangor

or

via ZOOM (for out of Klang Valley Participants)

Fees:

RM50 for NACC member who sign up full certification program package

RM70 (for members)

RM100 (for non-members)

NACC Contact Hours Awarded: 2 hours