Our Approach
The Emerge Way of counseling is the integration of Biblical truth with proven psychological insights to help people find rest and live free as Christ intended.
The life influences we all face, both good and bad, act upon our minds and are filtered through our personal histories. These mental constructs impact our interpretations of present events and result in challenging life patterns. Therapeutic interventions are aimed at healing the story we tell ourselves about these past experiences and transforming our view into the most redemptive interpretation possible. This results in a person experiencing the “life that is really life” (1 Tim. 6:19).
The effect of the Emerge Way is a practical sanctification [the process of becoming who God originally created me to be; to become more like Christ] through the renewing of our mind by God’s Spirit. In this transformational model, sin is not seen simply as a behavior, but as something that impacts the mind to think in disruptive ways which undermine God’s image in humanity and on the Earth. Jesus Christ is our Exemplar in the journey of living a life of love and freedom in word and in deed.
Our Partners
Strategic partnerships are a vital part of the work of Emerge. We value not only the clients and work we are able to do in sessions at Emerge locations, but also the many ways our team members serve together with other organizations and ministries in our community and across the nation. Some of our partnerships are as new as this year and others have existed for dozens of years. Some of these include:
Our History
1973
EMERGE established as a Christian mental health center housed in the Bryden Building in Akron, OH.1976
The first class in the EMERGE/Ashland Seminary’s master’s program in pastoral psychology and counseling.1984
The Institute of Pastoral Counseling began for those who desired biblical training without the rigors of a full-fledged graduate program.1985
EMERGE broke ground on a new location at the Mull Road property in Akron.1987
The current location on Mull Ave. in Akron, OH began to serve as EMERGE main headquarters.1990
Expansion began on the Mull Ave. building to accommodate a new Children’s Center.1995
A building expansion began on the Mull Ave. building to accommodate a new Learning Center and an educational wing.1996
Additional services were provided for thousands of pastors across the United States through the Assemblies of God (AG) Emergency HelpLine — a 1-800 number staffed by EMERGE team members.2016
Learning Center remodeling and change of its name to Center of Professional Development.2019
The HelpLine was extended to allow AG ministers and their family members in the US and overseas better access.2020
EMERGE is developing a national counseling referral list to enhance our services to churches, pastors, and other regions of the nation.