The Pastoral Counseling Education Program at VIPCare is designed to meet requirements for membership in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors at the Certified Pastoral Counselor, and the Fellow levels.  (See description of AAPC Certification Requirements in the Education Catalog.)

Pastoral Counseling Education Program Application

Scholarship Application,  Student Record

Application for Clinical Eduation, Application for Supervision of Pastoral Coounseling Part II

Pastoral counseling education at VIPCare is simultaneously clinical and academic education.  Clinical education means that the primary learning is through the living human document of experience with people, rather than through reading and theory.  Clinical learning includes:  (1) providing pastoral counseling;  (2) being in individual and small group supervision using audio or video tapes of that counseling; (3) reflecting psychologically and theologically on the living human document as presented in case studies with peers, faculty and interdisciplinary consultants.  Personal psychotherapy is encouraged for all pastoral counseling students.

The educational experience is grounded in faith through opportunities for worship, reflection on scripture, pastoral diagnosis, theological reflection and sharing our spiritual journeys. The primary psychological orientations of clinical education at VIPCare are psychodynamic, solution-focused, and systemic.  Psychodynamic theory discovers patterns carried from personal history to present dilemmas to interpersonal experiences between the client and therapist, or between the pastoral counselor in training and the supervisor.  Discovering these psychological repetitions can free us to move toward different choices.  Solution-focused pastoral counseling enters the clients' frames of reference to set goals, to emphasize strengths and to discover steps toward solutions. Systems theory looks at the family, community and societal contexts for ways to make those interactive systems healthier. Individual faculty work from various perspectives including psychodynamic, solution-focused, interpersonal, Jungian, family systems, existential, gestalt, cognitive-behavioral and other theories.

Perspectives from both faith and the behavioral sciences are valued.  We challenge one another to integrate what we believe and know with how we live and counsel.  Students and faculty are an ecumenical group seeking to learn from our theological diversity.  We seek to embrace difference, honoring the spiritual healing paths of one another and of our clients.  Pastoral counselors in training can expect both a professional/personal formation process, and learning of skills and theories compatible with their personhood.

A multi-factorial view of difficulties in living undergirds VIPCare's education program.  Biological, genetic, family, societal, ethnic, spiritual, religious, developmental and situational perspectives weave through our quest for understanding and healing.  Pastoral counselors are ministers who are also mental health professionals.  We seek to be healers who bridge the gap between the sacred and secular, between body and soul.  We seek to address the whole person: mind, body, emotions and soul. We seek to enable ourselves and our clients to experience the sacredness of life available as we learn to "love thy neighbor as thyself."