What is CPE?

Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE)

Clinical Pastoral Education is interfaith professional education preparing adult students for a spiritual care practice. It brings theological students, clergy, and laypersons of diverse cultures, ethnic groups, and spiritual orienting systems into supervised encounter with persons in times of struggle, crisis. grief. A major focus of the course is the integration of one’s personal history, spiritual orienting system and the behavioral sciences in the practice of spiritual care.

Educational Methodology

CPE is am educational experience that uses the clinical method of learning. This dynamic and creative process works with an action (real-life spiritual care encounters) and reflection on the action (using resources such as written reports of visits, peer group discussion and feedback from peers and a Certified Educator) to learn something new and build a spiritual care practice over time. It is a process, and when engaged with the process, learning happens.

The JED Center is accredited by the ACPE to offer Level IA, IB, IIA, IIB CPE.

Level IA – Introduction to Spiritual Care

Level IB – Foundations of Spiritual Care

Level II A – Intermediate Spiritual Care

Level IIB – The Clinical Practice of Spiritual Care

Note: Institutions interested in partnering with The JED Center in the training of chaplains may contact info@thejedcenter.org for additional information