Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling Major

This major is a program that prepares individuals, including but not limited to, ordained clergy and other counseling professionals to respond to the emotional and/or spiritual needs of patients and families in health care emergencies and other situations, and to consult with and counsel other health care professionals.

Includes instruction in advanced interpersonal communication; individual and small group counseling; interdisciplinary teamwork; crisis management; extended care relationships; self-analysis; medical ethics; pastoral care art; spiritual dimensions of human growth and health; counseling psychology and therapy; and applications to grief, death, emotional collapse, injury, individual/family adjustment, and chronic illness situations.

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Search for colleges that offer a degree in Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling Major (use the College Search feature and enter "clinical pastoral” in the major search field). Read the school’s department pages, they are often loaded with useful and specific information about the field.

What can you do with a major/degree in Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling Major?

If it is your ambition to be a Clinical Pastoral Counselor or Pastoral Patient Counselor, you may work in a variety of settings including (but not limited to) temples, churches, correctional facilities, hospitals, hospices, domestic violence centers, military bases, and other houses of worship.  Your focus will be that of a range of counseling services to help people through various life situations and provide comfort.

 

Trade Associations and Professional Organizations in Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling Major

Professional associations are groups of professionals dedicated to topics in specific fields. Professional associations provide a wealth of online resources, some of which are geared specifically towards students. These organizations typically also host conferences and events, providing great opportunities for learning and networking across your field of interest.

 

 

Publications/Magazines in Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling Major