Program Philosophy

Where Introductory and Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) residency are primarily experiential learning, Supervisory CPE is a balanced blend of academic and experiential learning. The academic components of Supervisory CPE are:

1. Reading assignments in specific texts broaden and deepen the Supervisor Education Student (SES) knowledge base;
2. "Position papers" — graduate level academic papers required by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education’s certification process — demonstrate knowledge acquisition, competence of command the knowledge through its theoretical application, and the SES ability to be conceptually articulate; and
3. Written reports that demonstrate the SES ability to do reflective learning.

These three academic tasks support the development of the cognitive and theoretical aspects of CPE supervision.

For the experiential aspect of supervisory education, exposure and practice comprise the other educational components. These occur in the context of a relationship between a Certified Supervisor and the SES. Further input to the educational process occurs within a SES peer consultation group.

The core of Supervisory CPE is a mentoring relationship between a CPE Supervisor and the SES through which the SES takes developmentally incremental steps of increasing supervisory responsibility in a CPE group until the SES is competent to lead a CPE program independent.

The peer consultation group lends further objectivity to the process by providing a means of external review on both the academic work of the SES and his/her practical work.

Initially, learning to do supervision occurs through modeling — observing a certified supervisor and dialoguing with him/her about the theory and dynamics of supervisory interventions and individual and group dynamics. When a conceptual knowledge base is sufficiently established, the SES assumes the role of supervisor of a Level I CPE program. Continued learning occurs through reflection on the application of conceptual knowledge through the supervision of the CPE group.

Review of the practice of supervision occurs from direct observation by one’s supervision and through reviewing video recordings of supervision of CPE groups and individual supervision. Participation in the Academy for Supervisory CPE and Clinical Review Day further enhances the Supervisory learning process.

Supervision of Clinical Pastoral Education requires the integration of knowledgeable and skills several disciplines and sub-disciplines: theology, pastoral/spiritual care, psychology, adult education, group facilitation, human resource management and recruitment, and program development and planning.

Competence in CPE supervision commences when the SES begins to demonstrate the ability to synergistically integrate the necessary skills from these disciplines into his/her work with CPE students with increasing independence from his/her trainer.