It is offered to persons who have an existing identity in a helping or counseling profession. This includes clergy, religious workers, social workers, institutional counselors, education specialists, psychologists, community health workers, and other in the health care professions. Our programs are particularly directed toward persons seeking professional certification as health care chaplains as well as clinical pastoral education supervisors. The experience-based curriculum incorporates a cooperative, interdisciplinary approach to care. Students are dually enrolled in a CPE program and a University curriculum.
Academic credit is granted for course work.
Students receive instruction from an inclusive faculty in areas such as cancer, pediatrics, substance abuse, corrections, transplantations, and trauma care. The Department of Patient Counseling provides chaplain services and supervision for the Department of Pastoral Care at the Medical College of Virginia Hospitals and Physicians . The mission of the Program of Patient Counseling is to educate persons to provide pastoral care for the human spirit. To work holistically with other disciplines and to promote and interpret the place of clinical spiritual care. To provide sensitive and competent pastoral care to patients, families, and staff in which the dignity of culture and life experience of each individual is valued.