Clinical Pastoral Education

The Awakened Heart Sangha are hosting a course in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE). Mary Waterford from Canberra, Australia will conduct the CPE programme. Mary is a Clinical Pastoral Education Supervisor and coordinator of pastoral care in palliative care in Canberra. Mary has wide experience and a passion for pastoral care across the diversity of belief traditions that make up our world. It promises to be a very interesting course.

The introductory course is being held at:

Hermitage of the Awakened Heart, Ynys Graianog, Ynys, Criccieth, Gwynedd, LL52 0NT

email: hermitage@ahs.org.uk; tel: 01766 530839

Dates and Cost: 
14 – 18 May
£225 full board or
£125 if staying off site

If you would like to apply for the Introductory Course, please contact Shrimala Devi at shrimala@ahs.org.uk or phone 01766 810847
See also:  www.buddhism-connect.org   and   www.hermitageoftheawakenedheart.org

Clinical Pastoral Education is training for pastoral care, involving the acquisition of skills, personal development and spiritual integration. It is an experiential adult learning process.

It began as a movement in the 1920’s in the USA, and since then has spread throughout the world. Successful completion of a unit is recognised world-wide. Courses at The Canberra & Region Centre for Spiritual Care & Clinical Pastoral Education are authorised and accredited by the NSW College for CPE www.cpensw.com, which is an affiliated body of the Australia & New Zealand Association for Clinical Pastoral Education.

The trainee learns how to be effectively present to the person and to relate appropriately to the emotional and spiritual life of the person, enabling the person to draw on their own inner resources to help with their current situation. The trainee learns also to call on all their own resources, including their spiritual and inner life, to best provide care for the person in need.

The Canberra and Region Centre covers pastoral and spiritual care for all contexts including hospitals, prison, parish, mental health and aged care.

Introductory Course

This is a 40 hour unit designed to introduce the concepts of pastoral care and the nature, scope and philosophy of CPE. It includes:

• what pastoral care is today
• the history of CPE
• a look at the philosophy underlying pastoral care
• basic communication skills
• the concept of action/reflection
• the importance of feelings and emotions in developing empathy
• the relationship of thought, feeling and action
• Group work with a practical component