What is Clinical Pastoral Education?
Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is professional, postgraduate training for ministry. It brings pastors, priests, rabbis, imams, and other students together to provide supervised spiritual care to people in crisis. Students learn through hands-on clinical practice and peer reflection to build deep self-awareness and counseling skills.
Core Structure of CPE
- Action-Reflection Model: Students care for people in real-world settings and then analyze those moments.
- Standard Unit: One unit equals 400 total hours, split into clinical practice and educational theory.
- Supervised Groups: Participants meet in small peer cohorts with a certified educator.
Common Settings
- Hospitals and medical centers
- Hospices and nursing homes
- Prisons and military bases
- Community and crisis response organizations