Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is an interfaith model for learning pastoral care and counseling in a clinical setting. Based on the work of Anton Boisen, a minister and psychotherapist, CPE is dedicated to the study of “living human documents.” CPE is open to clergy, theological and rabbinical students, and qualified lay people from any faith tradition. CPE trainees engage in clinical pastoral work and then reflect on their work in individual and group supervision. CPE didactics provide educational opportunities for trainees to explore new areas of learning related to pastoral care and counseling in the clinical setting. CPE is in part about teaching the skills of pastoral care, but it is much more about helping trainees learn to understand themselves and their motivations as they relate to pastoral care work. One unit of CPE consists of 400 hours of training and supervision.
CPE and Pastoral Care at the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children
Pastoral Care at the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children is an important part of the overall care provided by the hospital to patients and families. Pastoral Care is provided by a dedicated group of staff chaplains, pastoral care volunteers, and interns. Through visits with patients and families, staff support, and regular worship services in the Jessie Ball duPont Memorial Chapel, the Pastoral Care Department works to meet the spiritual and emotional needs of all who enter our facility.
CPE at the hospital provides trainees with the opportunity to learn while providing care to our patients and their families. Trainees will learn about child and adolescent development and family systems while also discovering how to use themselves as instruments of pastoral care. The goals of CPE are to learn both how to provide pastoral care and to gain self-awareness, so that these skills can then be used to the benefit of patients and families.
College Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy
The College for Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy (CPSP) is one of three organizations in the United States that accredits CPE programs and certifies CPE supervisors. CPSP was founded in 1990 and provides certification for individuals in the fields of clinical chaplaincy, supervision, pastoral counseling, and pastoral psychotherapy.
CPSP is an international, theologically-based community that is organized around chapters with a grassroots power base. CPSP emphasizes the “recovery of the soul” in pastoral care, counseling, and supervision. The credentials of each chapter, certified member, and accredited center are reviewed annually to ensure an ongoing commitment to quality practice and training.
For more information about CPSP, visit www.cpsp.org.