Clinical Pastoral Education is the premier method of teaching and growth for Chaplains, Pastors, Social Workers, Nurses, Corporate Chaplains, Clinical Chaplains, First Responder Chaplains or anyone who deals with those who care for people.
As long as there are people who are going through crisis or difficult times, there is need for those who provide care to have the spiritual and psychological tools necessary to do spiritual care.
Who Needs to take CPE
Nurses, Doctors and other caring professionals are sometimes called upon to do triage. There can also be a spiritual triage that is needed and since Doctors and Nurses are often there first, it would be helpful if they receive specialized training to do spiritual triage until the patient’s minister, clergy or chaplains arrive.
People have three main needs. There are others of course but these three are basic.
- Physical needs
- Social needs
- Spiritual needs
We are tripartite beings.
When any one of these three parts of who you are is damaged or not fulfilled, you feel broken and in need. It is sometimes hard to navigate life when we have one of these three parts of us that is broken or in need. Healthy lifestyles and healthy eating habits will serve you over the long hall.
You have a physical body which is the most obvious part of who you are. Your physical body is also it seems, the most demanding part of our tripartite nature. If you’re hungry, it demands food. If you’re cold, it demands warmth, if you are sick it seeks to be well.
We also need social interactions. Your social self needs relationships with others that are healthy, mutually invested by others and not one-sided. We need Family, friends and business relationships. These healthy relationships are very important to our overall well-being. Who you place around you is important to your intellectual and psychological growth. Damaged relationships are damaging to our psyche. It is said that if you show me the five people you are around the most, I can show you your future.
Thirdly, sometimes the most neglected part of us, is our spiritual self. We are spiritual beings. Too many times we try to fill up this spiritual side by concentrating on the other two parts of us. We think if we exercise enough or if we meet the “right” person in our lives we will be fulfilled.
Spiritual Neglect
The truth is, if we neglect this third part, the spiritual part of our being, we will live lopsided, unfulfilled lives. People will sometimes become aware of this third part during times of brokenness or trouble in their other two parts. When this occurs, we can find ourselves in a spiritual crisis as a result.
We have Doctors and nurses who sometimes see this spiritual need first. People are broken and they recognize this third area of their lives and how lopsided they are, and they need spiritual care providers to help them get back into balance.
Clinical Pastoral Education fills the gap that most traditional clergy training misses. Traditional Bible Schools/Universities and Seminaries teach you a lot of history, Hebrew and Greek but have very little “On the Job” training dealing with hurting people, who are the most likely people we deal with as spiritual care providers.
CPE is the premier method of training for Chaplains and other spiritual care providers who are on the front lines of triage for spiritually broken and hurting people. It includes an internship where you do spiritual care and then classroom interactions with other care providers where you explore the patient encounter, your role, possible triggers and how your current and past relationships influence your spiritual care.