New Life University was started in 2008 in response to the many requests for trained “Branches” style counselors from across the country. Branches Counseling Center has become an icon for Christ-centered mental health and spiritual counseling. To propagate that model New Life University is dedicated to training, equipping, and empowering ministry professionals in the area of counseling and life coaching.

The staff and faculty at NLU are largely working professionals, counselors and life coaches who are gifted as teachers. They bring many years of experience with a plethora of education and training. The instruction is online, but that does not take away the opportunity for students to interact personally with the faculty and staff. 

New Life University is not yet recognized as an accredited institution; however, through strategic alliances with a number of colleges and universities and as a Certified Academic Institution of the National Christian Counselors Association, we are able to assist students with obtaining certification in several areas and degrees for pastoral counseling.

Faculty and Staff

DR. MIKE COURTNEY, PRESIDENT

EMAIL: mcourtney@branches.org
Ph.D., Clinical Christian Counseling; MA, New Testament Theology; Licensed Clinical Pastoral Counselor
Mike Courtney is an author, speaker and Life Coach. He has 25 years experience in Pastoral Counseling to families, individuals and couples. He is also a husband and father who lives out his own recovery one day at a time. As director of the recovery center, Mike takes a personal interest in each client, each group and each recovery meeting. Mike is the author of Failure And How I Achieved It: a journey from addiction to hope. He and his wife Doris speak across the country on the intimacy that comes from brokenness.

DR. MARLENA BUTLER, DIRECTOR AND DEAN OF STUDENTS

EMAIL: mbutler@branches.org
NCCA Licensed Clinical Pastoral Counselor-Advanced Certified; FACCT Licensed Clinical Christian Therapist; Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®
Marlena specializes in individual counseling for adults and leads grief recovery groups at Branches. She helps clients as they navigate through anxious thoughts, stress, relationship struggles, life transitions, anger and shame. When not working with NLU students or seeing clients at Branches, Marlena ministers to adults nationally and internationally as the service provider for a nonprofit discipling ministry.