The maiden Conference of the Asante Presbytery Counselors Association, held from 8–9 July 2026, brought to light a critical challenge facing churches across Ghana: how to balance the Church’s long‑standing pastoral counselling tradition with the legal requirements governing psychological practice in the country.
For decades, the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) has offered counselling through Ministers, Catechists, Presbyters, and trained lay counsellors who provide spiritual direction, marriage counselling, grief support, trauma care, and conflict resolution. This model has served congregations faithfully, especially in communities where access to professional psychological services is limited.
However, the implementation of the Health Professions Regulatory Bodies Act, 2013 (Act 857) has significantly reshaped the landscape. Under the Act, anyone providing psychological services must be registered by the Ghana Psychology Council, which oversees professional standards, licensing, and ethical practice. While the law aims to protect the public through quality assurance, it presents a major challenge for many experienced church counsellors whose years of practical ministry may not meet the academic and professional criteria required for registration.
This dilemma is particularly evident within the Asante Presbytery. Although the Presbytery accounts for about 14.1% of the PCG’s global membership, it has fewer than 100 registered counsellors, with only a small number accredited by the Ghana Psychology Council. The shrinking counselling workforce comes at a time when mental health concerns—family crises, trauma, anxiety, depression, and substance abuse—are increasing across society.
Addressing participants at the conference, the President of the Asante Presbytery Counselors Association, Rev. Dr. William Owusu Boateng, appealed to the General Assembly to establish structured training and accreditation pathways. Such pathways, he said, would enable church counsellors to meet the Council’s requirements without losing the pastoral and spiritual character that defines PCG counselling. He stressed that the Church must act proactively to avoid losing valuable counsellors whose ministry experience is rich but whose formal qualifications fall short of regulatory expectations.
Rather than viewing the situation as a crisis, the conference highlighted an opportunity. The Church can strengthen its counselling ministry through accredited training programmes, collaboration with tertiary institutions such as the Presbyterian University and the Akrofi‑Christaller Institute for Mission and Culture, and closer engagement with the Ghana Psychology Council. With institutional support and clear pathways, the PCG can preserve its pastoral heritage while meeting national standards.
By embracing professionalism alongside its Christian mission, the Presbyterian Church of Ghana can continue offering counselling that is spiritually grounded, legally compliant, and responsive to the growing mental health needs of society.
By Rev. Bernard Antwi Gyimah
