- Christian Approaches to Psychology & Counselling
- Theology for Counselling I: God & Human Nature
- Introduction to Counselling Theory and Methods
- Theology for Counselling II: Christian Metanarrative
- Clinical Psychopathology
- Advanced Therapy I: Christian Cognitive & Behavioural Modalities
- Advanced Therapy II: Christian Narrative & Trauma Therapies
- Physiological Psychology
- Applied Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice
- Assessment & Case Formulation
- Human Growth & Development
The Positions
Pending final approval, Redeemer University invites applications for Subject Matter Experts and Adjunct Instructors in the Master of Arts in Christian Counselling program. Candidates must be aligned with and passionate about Redeemer’s Christian mission of integrating faith in teaching.
Course development contracts will be issued in Summer 2027 with teaching contracts to be issued at a later date. Candidates should possess a relevant doctoral degree in a related field (a master’s degree and excellent experience may be considered). The ideal candidate will have a demonstrated record (or show potential) of excellence in graduate teaching with a combination of relevant field experience.
Course Development Responsibilities
- In alignment with course learning outcomes, the SME will create all course materials and content, which may include any/all of the following: weekly schedule and complete lesson plans, course assignments and assessments, slide decks, population of online course site with related materials, creation of video or audio materials, along with other resources in consultation with the program leadership
- Selection of appropriate resources (i.e. course texts, supplemental materials)
- Regular check-ins with and progress reports to appropriate team members
- Institutional responsibilities in line with the contract
Teaching Responsibilities
- All duties associated with teaching the course(s). Such duties are guided by approved course-level learning outcomes
- Scheduled office hours/availability to meet with and respond to student inquiries
- Non-classroom time made up of preparation of lectures, student consultation, marking or grading, including grade appeals and cases of academic dishonesty
- Institutional responsibilities in line with the contract
Preferred Skills and Attributes
Previous post-secondary course development and/or teaching experience is preferred.
Education/Training/Certifications
Minimum of a master's degree and relevant clinical experience; PhD (preferred) in Clinical Psychology, Social Work or a related field.
Application Process
As a liberal arts and sciences university rooted in the Reformed tradition of Christianity, we seek candidates committed to this framework. Applicants should submit a letter of application, curriculum vitae, evidence of teaching quality, the names of two individuals who have agreed to provide letters of reference should the applicant advance to a later stage of the process.
In addition to these materials, applicants must include a short statement describing their own Christian faith commitment and practice, its alignment with Redeemer’s mission and its impact on their academic and professional work. A range of qualifications will be evaluated, including distinguishing characteristics that demonstrate congruence with Redeemer’s identity as a university in the Protestant and particularly Reformed Christian tradition.
Review of applications begins immediately and the position is open until filled. Only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.
Redeemer University offers equal employment opportunities to qualified applicants. In accordance with Canadian Immigration requirements, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be considered first for this position.
Position reports to: Associate Dean of Social Sciences
Expiry date: Posted until filled (applications will be reviewed upon submission, so please apply ASAP)
Start date: Summer 2027
Stipend per 3-credit course (development): $6,201 plus 4%
Direct applications to: Office of the Vice President, Academic
Application email: facultysearch@redeemer.ca
Course Descriptions
PSY 511 Christian Approaches to Psychology & Counselling
This course examines how Scripture and worldview assumptions shape the theory, practice, and goals of psychology and counselling. Students are introduced to foundational philosophical questions – including epistemology (knowledge & truth), ontology (being & reality), axiology (aesthetics & ethics), and the nature of scientific inquiry – and explore how these questions have influenced the historical development of modern psychology and contemporary counselling models. The course surveys major Christian approaches to relating psychology and the Christian faith, including Christian Psychology,
Transformative Psychology, Christian Integrative approaches, and Biblical Counselling. Particular attention is given to how Scripture, theological commitments, and empirical research are understood and prioritized within these models, equipping students to critically evaluate counselling theories and research through a distinctly Christian worldview.
PSY 512 Theology for Counselling I: God & Human Nature
This course provides a theological foundation for counselling by examining core doctrines concerning the Triune God and Christian anthropology. Shaped by Calvin’s conviction that genuine wisdom arises through a growing knowledge of God and a corresponding understanding of ourselves in relation to Him, the course presents the human person as complex – biological, psychosocial, ethical, and spiritual – and fundamentally relational and meaning-oriented. Students explore inwardness and self-examination, as well as outwardness and Christiformity, attending to how inner transformation is expressed in embodied, relational, and ethical patterns of life.
PSY 530 Introduction to Counselling Theory (2 credits)
This course will introduce students to the major contemporary theories and methods of therapeutic counselling, evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of each approach from a Christian perspective. Students will also be introduced to the basic theories and methods of Christian counselling.
PSY 531 Introduction to Counselling Methods (1 credit)
A companion course to PSY 530, Introduction to Counselling Methods provides extensive skills-practice, role-playing, and videotaped exercises to develop basic nondirective counseling skills for facilitating a strong therapeutic working alliance.
PSY 513 Theology for Counselling II: Christian Metanarrative
Building on the theological foundations established in Theology for Counselling I, this course explores the Christian metanarrative as a comprehensive framework for understanding created goodness, psychopathology, and healing in counselling. Students examine the biblical drama of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration, with particular attention to sin, suffering, and biopsychosocial damage. The course explores how participation in Christ and life in the Spirit shape redemptive living, personal transformation, and therapeutic practice within and beyond the context of the Church and the unfolding new creation.
PSY 521 Clinical Psychopathology
This course explores the nature of psychopathology, with a recognition that concepts of normal/abnormal and healthy/unhealthy have been shaped by historical forces, philosophical ideas and worldviews, and religious commitments. This course includes an in-depth review of various psychological disorders as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), with some exposure to other diagnostic systems such as the Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual. The course addresses relationships between sin, suffering, and psychopathology, as well as the etiology, prevalence and incidence, signs and symptoms, and criteria for differential diagnosis.
PSY 541 Advanced Therapy I: Christian Cognitive & Behavioural Modalities
This course offers an in-depth exploration of Christian approaches to cognitive and behavioural modalities and interventions in counselling. Students develop and apply a therapeutic framework grounded in a Christian worldview and informed by contemporary research, while receiving advanced clinical skills training through supervision of videotaped sessions with counselling clients. The course emphasizes cognitive techniques such as bibliotherapy and Scripture memorization, cognitive restructuring and reframing, imagery, journaling, homework, social skills training, correcting distorted or unhelpful beliefs, fostering identity in Christ, and reframing suffering. Students also develop skills in behavioural techniques including contingency management, role play, exposure and exposure and response prevention, relaxation, and values-guided action, alongside embodied Christian practices such as prayer, fasting, and Christian meditation.
PSY 542 Advanced Therapy II: Christian Narrative & Trauma Therapies
Building on the foundations established in Advanced Therapy I, this course offers an in-depth exploration of Christian approaches to narrative-based and trauma-informed modalities and interventions in counselling. Students develop skills in identifying narrative themes, fostering narrative coherence, and cultivating realistic and hope-filled stories of meaning and change. The course also emphasizes exploring client narratives in light of biblical symbols and stories, the metanarrative of Scripture, and Christian biographies. In addition, students receive training in trauma-informed care, including psychoeducation about trauma, addressing trauma-related distortions in belief and meaning, teaching emotion regulation skills, and reprocessing the somatic, emotional, and behavioural dimensions of traumatic experience. Students must complete a minimum of 150 total practicum hours across Advanced Therapy I & II, including at least 25 direct client contact hours and 50 supervision hours.
PSY 523 Physiological Psychology
This course considers what it means for humans to be embodied souls. After being introduced to various philosophies of the soul, students will explore the physiological bases of behavior with an emphasis on mental disorders, behaviour, cognition and emotion, psychiatric medications, trauma, and other psychological problems that require discernment of biological and spiritual factors.
PSY 520 Applied Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice
This course provides an overview of quantitative and qualitative research methods, including the nature, strengths, and limitations of empirical research in general and of various study designs in particular. Emphasis will be placed on the integration of research findings with clinical practice in ways that align with Christian worldview perspectives and ethical principles. Students will apply research methods to address therapeutic questions using evidence-based approaches by developing skills to formulate clinical questions, identify the best available evidence, interpret and synthesize study findings, and apply them to clinical scenarios.
PSY 532 Assessment & Case Formulation
This course equips students with a theoretical foundation of psychological assessment and applied skills in evidence-based case formulation. Emphasizing a bio-psycho-social-spiritual approach, students will learn how to collect and integrate data from clients and collateral sources to create a case conceptualization and formulate a treatment plan. Students will develop a distinctly Christian conceptualization of mental health and illness that acknowledges complex and dynamic relationships between sin, suffering, and psychopathology. Key topics include clinical interviewing, suicide risk assessment, and treatment outcome monitoring. The course also explores ethical issues in assessment and the role of psychological testing in treatment planning. Practical skills in intake and counselling techniques will be practiced in class through role playing.
PSY 522 Human Growth & Development
This course examines theories and research on individual and family development across the lifespan. Social and personality development, cognitive development and learning, emotional development, gender and sexual development, and developmental expectations are emphasized, including physiological and sociocultural factors.