PC 251 Course at a Glance
Marriage Counseling in the Local Church
Lectures By: Dr. Alfred Poirier
Effective for the Academic Year: 2025-2026
Course Description
This course introduces marriage counseling within the context of pastoral ministry in the local church. It sets forth a Reformed, biblical, and confessional understanding of marriage, divorce and remarriage vis-à-vis contemporary culture. Then, it provides a basic biblical methodology for counseling married couples, including: pre/re-marriage counseling, relational dynamics (conflict, communication, roles, intimacy, family worship), as well as address special issues like headship/submission, sexual intimacy, abuse and adultery, and the appeal to church courts. (2 credits)
Books to Purchase
The books listed below are required readings which students should acquire by the start of the term. Additional required readings will be listed in the course syllabus and available electronically in Canvas.
Estimated Workload
| Lectures | Readings | Assignments |
| 1 | 51 | 1.5 |
| Hours Per Week | Pages Per Week | Hours Per Week |
Course Assignments
The assignments listed below are provided for general guidance for students to reference as they plan and register. Please reach out to support@wts.edu if you have any questions.
- My Family Reflection Paper (15%)
- Small Groups (20%)
- Gottman-Smith Paper (20%)
- Marital Interview Paper (30%)
- Relational Comm. Paper (15%)