Clinical Pastoral Education(CPE) is education to teach pastoral care to clergy, students and, others. CPE is the primary method of training hospital and hospice chaplains in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and many countries today. CPE is both a multi-cultural and interfaith experience that uses real-life ministry encounters of students to improve the ministry and pastoral care provided by caregivers.
What CPE involves
Participants typically:
- Provide spiritual care in settings like hospitals, hospices, prisons, mental health facilities, or the military
- Work directly with patients, families, and staff
- Receive supervision from certified educators
- Participate in group reflection and case presentations
- Explore communication skills, ethics, theology, grief, trauma, and multicultural care
Common goals of CPE
CPE is designed to help people:
- Develop pastoral/spiritual caregiving skills
- Increase self-awareness
- Learn to respond compassionately in crises
- Understand how beliefs, emotions, and relationships affect care
- Integrate theology/spirituality with clinical practice
