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CPE began in 1925 when Richard Cabot, a physician and Christian layperson, introduced a fresh way of training theological students drawing on teaching methods used in medical education.
In the same year the Reverend Anton Boisen, who himself had experienced several periods of hospitalisation, began to refine this initiative into an educational process, including a case-study method of theological inquiry. He was chaplain at an USA hospital where, with the encouragement of several people including Cabot, the first group of theological students underwent ‘supervised’ clinical pastoral education.
Amongst the first four students that Boisen recruited was a woman called Helen Flanders Dunbar. She spent a month in that 1925 course doing research, returned to CPE in 1927, and then became an influential leader within CPE for more than a decade.
This group of four students worked during their summer vacation in the psychiatric hospital as orderlies. Each evening, Boisen and the students would meet together to talk about their experiences and what they had observed as they worked with very disturbed patients.
Boisen wanted to discover whether “many forms of insanity” might not be “religious rather than medical in nature.” From his perspective, it was not sufficient that persons who were mentally ill should be treated in, what we would today call, a ‘biological way’. He believed, in the language of the time, that in order to help troubled people, the Church had to develop “physicians of the soul.”
The students were required to write up ‘clinical case studies’ prompting them to think very fully about the “living human documents” with whom they were working. Over time, these ‘case studies’ developed into the written ‘Pastoral Encounter Reviews/Verbatim’ of CPE which direct students towards first-hand living source materials – men and women actually in crisis – rather than toward second-hand statements in textbooks.
CPE has continued to evolve since these first steps in 1925, though the essentials have not changed i.e. an emphasis upon the practical rather than the theoretical; a focus on the “living human documents”; the writing of ‘Pastoral Encounter Reviews/Verbatim’; the desire to help people become more fully integrated in body, mind and spirit – all key aspects of CPE.
Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is education and formation
for the professional work of pastoral/spiritual care.
Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is education and formation for the professional work of pastoral/spiritual care. CPE uses an educational methodology that combines knowledge of theology/spirituality (what we believe), with knowledge of education (how we learn), with knowledge of the behavioural sciences (who we are as human beings). CPE’s methodology utilizes the ‘action-reflection’ model of learning. The ‘action’ component entails practical experience in the work of pastoral/spiritual care within a pastoral/spiritual care setting; this care acknowledges and attends to the human condition, particularly life’s spiritual dimensions. The ‘reflection’ component entails the exploration, articulation and integration of the pastoral/spiritual carer’s experience, the dynamics present, and the theological/spiritual implications. This ‘action-reflection’ process is integral to CPE students’/participants’ understanding and the formation of their pastoral/spiritual care identity and competence. CPE encourages learning from the ‘living human documents.’
The specific content of a CPE Unit will depend upon the particular interests and needs of the students/ participants and the context in which they offer pastoral/spiritual care. The learning process allows for the addressing of the particular learning goals that each student/participant identifies. The process balances the practical experience of pastoral/spiritual care, small group supervision/interaction, and personal individual supervision in an integrated programme of experiential and theoretical education.
A CPE Unit is a total learning process of at least 400 hours of supervised learning, integrating clinical experience, group and individual supervision, personal and collegial reflection, and directed critical reading and recording.
For each CPE student/participant these 400 hours include AT LEAST:
200 hours | ‘practicum’ (i.e. clinical experience in a pastoral/spiritual care placement) of which at least 100 hours is actual face-to-face pastoral/spiritual care; the remaining 100 hours may be spent observing others offering pastoral/spiritual care, preparing and delivering pastoral/spiritual rituals/services, debriefing, inter-disciplinary conferring, collegial conferring, self-care following a particularly challenging pastoral/spiritual encounter, writing notes regarding a pastoral/spiritual care encounter (notes that later may be shaped into a full Pastoral Encounter Review – PER), hand-over, statistical recording etc … |
90 hours | group supervision, and seminars/didactic-presentations (at least 80% attendance) |
10 hours | one-to-one supervision (or equivalents) |
100 hours | reading, reflection, and preparation of written/videoed/oral material |
A CPE Unit must be under the authority of a CPE Centre accredited by an ANZACPE member association.
A CPE Unit can be completed over a minimum of 10 weeks or a maximum of 44 weeks.
A CPE Unit shall be supervised by at least one Provisional or Accredited Clinical Pastoral Educator (CPEd).
A CPE Unit student/participant peer group shall normally consist of no fewer than 4 students/participants and usually no more than 6 students/participants (however, circumstances may warrant exceptions to this norm e.g. 3 students/ participants if insisting on 4 could mean that a Unit may never become available for those 3 applicants; or 8 students/participants if 2 CPEds are facilitating within the same Unit).
The clinical context for a student’s/participant’s practicum needs to be made in dialogue with the CPEd, as the placement can have a significant impact on a student’s/participant’s learning in a CPE Unit.
Each CPE student/participant is required to prepare in written/visual/oral form AT LEAST:
1 | personalised Learning Contract / Learning Goals Statement (mutually acceptable to the student/participant and the CPEd) |
1 | presentation that names and explores their own theological/spiritual understanding and how their understanding informs/impacts the pastoral/spiritual care they seek to offer |
9 | Pastoral/Spiritual Encounter Reviews (PERs) (or equivalents) |
1 | Mid-Term Evaluation |
1 | Final Evaluation |
Each CPE student/participant is required to present within the learning group at least 8 of the above 13 written/visual/oral materials for peer and supervisor feedback.
Students/participants may be asked to complete other papers, presentations and learning journals as required.
(This document was approved at the ANZACPE 2022 AGM.
ANZACPE views it as a ‘living document’ i.e., open to continuous review and adaptation.
ANZACPE is the umbrella organisation
for the seven Associations of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) in Australia and New Zealand)
Foundational CPE
Foundational CPE requires of an applicant an awakened level of personal awareness, pastoral/spiritual formation and professional competency. Further Foundational CPEs build on the awareness, knowledge and competencies achieved in Foundational CPE 1, further bolstering and extending these competencies.
Each Member Association shall determine the process by which:
1) an applicant is granted entry into Foundational CPE study
2) a student/participant is assessed as having met the following Competencies
3) a student/participant is acknowledged as having met the following Competencies
Competencies
Foundational CPE requires students/participants to be able to demonstrate professional experience and development in each of the following four dimensions of experiential learning:
Professional Practice
Demonstrates the capacity to:
1) engage in the pastoral/spiritual care of a variety of people with their unique experiences and circumstances, whilst taking into account their individual cultural, spiritual and social backgrounds
2) listen reflectively
3) identify a person’s pastoral/spiritual needs and attend appropriately
4) initiate pastoral/spiritual caring relationships
5) engage with inter-disciplinary staff
6) manifest professional resilience
7) function ethically as a pastoral/spiritual care practitioner
Reflective Practice
Demonstrates the capacity to:
1) articulate, evaluate and reflect in writing (or by a means appropriate to the student’s/participant’s culture and language ability) on their pastoral/spiritual care practice and its effect on others
2) engage in reflective conversation about their pastoral/spiritual care practice with peers and supervisor
3) articulate how their assumptions, attitudes, values, personal story, strengths and limitations impact or influence their pastoral/spiritual care
4) reflect upon relationships with peers, supervisors and inter-disciplinary staff, and name the ways these relationships impact on self
5) use the action-reflection model to evaluate progress towards their goals and objectives
6) engage in self and peer supervision i.e. demonstrate the ability to hear, engage and reflect upon the support and feedback offered by their CPE supervisor and/or their peer group
7) reflect on the ethical considerations associated with pastoral/spiritual care
Informed Practice
Demonstrates the capacity to:
1) reflect upon particular encounters and pastoral/spiritual experiences within a theological/spiritual framework
2) reflect upon and evaluate the meaning of their pastoral/spiritual role in relation to their theology/ spirituality and their identity as a pastoral/spiritual carer
Evolving Practice
Demonstrates the capacity to:
1) consider and experiment with varied approaches to pastoral/spiritual care
2) explore how the insights gained from their theological/spiritual reflection regarding their pastoral/spiritual experience can be incorporated into subsequent practice
A student/participant will usually have completed a number of Foundational CPE Units before being considered for Advanced CPE.
(This document was approved at the ANZACPE 2022 AGM.
ANZACPE views it as a ‘living document’ i.e., open to continuous review and adaptation.
ANZACPE is the umbrella organisation
for the seven Associations of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) in Australia and New Zealand)
Advanced CPE
Advanced CPE requires of an applicant a heightened level of personal awareness, pastoral/spiritual formation, and professional competency, and may include the intention to seek professional development in a pastoral/spiritual care specialisation. Advanced CPE builds on all the competencies achieved in an applicant’s preceding Foundational CPEs. To reach this level may require a number of Units at Foundational level before acceptance into an Advanced level Unit. Acceptance into an Advanced Level Unit is dependent on evidence of a developing capacity to fulfil the following competencies and will be negotiated with your Supervisor and Centre Director.
Candidates seeking this level of accreditation need to demonstrate the development of a clear pastoral/spiritual care identity, be competent in pastoral/spiritual care practice, be able to constructively engage in peer relationships and interdisciplinary consultation and engage effectively in the action-reflection model of learning.
This certification is achieved through demonstration of the above competencies, the completion of required written materials and engagement with a Review Committee. This committee will determine whether the candidate has satisfied the objectives for an Advanced Level CPE Unit.
Pre-Requisites
In order to undertake an Advanced Unit of CPE a student/participant must have fulfilled the following pre-requisites:
1) At least one certified CPE Unit in an ANZACPE recognised programme.
2) The intention to undertake an Advanced Level CPE Unit must be negotiated with the CPE Centre Director prior to the commencement of the Unit. The Candidate is required to outline their rationale for this request and their goals for the Unit.
3) When a candidate wishes to proceed to Advanced Level in a new CPE centre, the Centre Director shall request a reference from the previous CPE Centre Director in regard to their readiness to undertake an Advanced Level Unit.
4) Those requesting to do an Advanced Level Unit of CPE need to demonstrate the capacity to function at an Advanced Level from the commencement of the Unit as recognised by the Centre Director.
The written requirements and committee process are outlined below.
Competencies
Advanced CPE requires students/participants to be able to demonstrate advanced professional experience and development in each of the following four dimensions of experiential learning:
Professional Practice
Demonstrates the capacity to:
1) provide written documentation (or by a means appropriate to the student’s/participant’s culture and language ability) of effective pastoral/spiritual care of a variety of people with their unique experiences, whilst taking into account their cultural, spiritual and social backgrounds
2) offer consistent respect for people’s pastoral/spiritual needs through the use of various pastoral/spiritual skills, including attending/listening, empathic reflection, confrontation/conflict resolution, crisis management, and the appropriate use of spiritual resources
3) assess pastoral/spiritual needs and to provide an effective pastoral/spiritual response (including during critical incidents) whilst maintaining a clear pastoral/spiritual identity
4) work effectively with multi-disciplinary staff
5) manage clinical practice and administrative functions in terms of accountability, priority-setting, self-direction and clear, accurate professional communication
6) demonstrate a mutual respect for and a working alliance with CPE peers, with pastoral/spiritual care professionals, and/or professionals from other disciplines
7) identify ethical principles in relation to pastoral/spiritual situations
Reflective Practice
Demonstrates the capacity to:
1) evaluate and articulate: a) the quality of pastoral/spiritual care provided; b) relationships with peers, supervisors and professional colleagues; and c) progress towards goals and objectives
2) engage in self-supervision and peer-supervision within the CPE Unit
3) identify and articulate a preferred pastoral/spiritual care style, naming the skills used and assessing their appropriateness, and articulate the effect of experimenting with alternative pastoral/spiritual styles and interventions
4) reflect on the ethical considerations associated with pastoral/spiritual care, and function ethically as a pastoral/spiritual care practitioner
Informed Practice
Demonstrates the capacity to:
1) articulate an understanding (whilst referencing theory) of their pastoral/spiritual care role i.e. an understanding that is congruent with their own personal spiritual and cultural values, basic assumptions and personhood, and that is appropriate to a client’s pastoral/spiritual needs
2) identify general pastoral/spiritual principles from the detail of individual conversations, engagements and case studies
3) consider and explore particular engagements and, with the insights gained, to be able to affirm, reframe or challenge one’s own existing theological/spiritual understanding
4) explore and articulate how any particular situation might inform future pastoral/spiritual care practice
5) engage in group and relational processes (including conflict), and explore the theological/spiritual and conceptual issues arising from these processes
Evolving Practice
Demonstrates the capacity to:
1) incorporate new learning into subsequent pastoral/spiritual practice and professional relationships, and then to evaluate the impact of this changed practice
2) consider alternative approaches to pastoral/spiritual care, to use a variety of pastoral/spiritual stances with people, and to develop a range of strategies
For those who would benefit, there is opportunity to engage in a Speciality study as outlined below (This is optional)
Spiritual/Pastoral Care Specialty Study
As a part of your learning in Advanced CPE you will also undertake a spiritual/pastoral care specialty study, (e.g. aged care, mental health, palliative care, criminal justice, schools, church/faith community) this study seeking to develop the following competencies:
1) familiarity with the theories and methods of providing spiritual/pastoral care in a specialty context;
2) articulation of your own philosophy and methodology in relation to the spiritual/pastoral care in a specialty context;
3) demonstration of the significance of the spiritual/pastoral care specialty;
4) spiritual/pastoral competence within the specialty context.
Written Requirements
The Candidate will be required to provide the following materials typewritten, point 12 font, 1.5 spaced of no more than 10,000 words, plus Appendix, which is not included in the 10,000 words. The document needs to be securely bound and delivered to each member of the Advanced Committee two weeks before the meeting. The Final Evaluation can be presented three days prior to the meeting should this document not be available at the distribution time of the written materials.
The required written materials include:
1) a brief statement of request to the Committee;
2) a report of a pastoral/spiritual care conversation or engagement that includes verbatim evidence, resources used with a person or persons, any ritual used, and an evaluation of the pastoral/spiritual care given;
3) a comprehensive case study and evaluation of pastoral/spiritual care practice with one particular person or family; or the development of a pastoral/spiritual theme over a number of encounters;
4) an essay, not exceeding 2,000 words, on a subject demonstrating the ability to reflect upon a single case or selection of cases, in a manner that shows integration of theology/spirituality with pastoral/spiritual care practice;
5) a report (1000 words) on your chosen speciality context (if this option has been undertaken)
6) Final Evaluation for the CPE Unit.
Appendix
1). Include Final Evaluations of other CPE Units,
2) An updated autobiographical statement, including an account of the candidate’s spiritual journey and development,
3) A copy of this document (Advanced CPE Guidelines)
4) When the Candidate has conducted their clinical practice in a context other than the CPE Centre, a letter of support from their Pastoral Services Co-ordinator.
Advanced Review Committee Arrangements and Purpose
The Centre Director, in consultation with the Candidate and Supervisor will be required to form a Review Committee of five professional people and to make the necessary arrangements.
The Committee shall consist of:
1) the Candidate’s supervisor
2) two Member Association Supervisors in addition to the Candidate’s supervisor (with a maximum of one Provisional Clinical Pastoral Supervisor), preferably one of whom to be from a different CPE Centre
3) a representative from the Candidate’s practical placement (NB a CPE supervisor may fulfil this role)
4) a representative from the Candidate’s spiritual/cultural tradition (NB a CPE supervisor may fulfil this role)
The Centre Director, in consultation with the Supervisor, determines who will Chair the committee. The Review Committee is required to ensure the candidate is competent in all four phases of the experiential cycle of learning; professional practice, reflective practice, informed practice; and evolving practice as outlined in the Objectives for an Advanced CPE Unit.
Each member association will determine the recommended scheduled honorarium the Candidate pays to each member of the Committee to cover travelling and any out-of-pocket expenses
(This document was approved at the ANZACPE 2022 AGM.
ANZACPE views it as a ‘living document’ i.e., open to continuous review and adaptation.
ANZACPE is the umbrella organisation
for the seven Associations of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) in Australia and New Zealand)
Download the CPE Brochure by right-clicking and selecting Save Link As, or left-click to view.