Graduate Diploma of Pastoral Counselling

GradDipPastCounsell

Graduate Certificate in Pastoral Counselling Skills

GradCertPastCounsellSkills

Fees apply

These courses provide ordained ministers of religion and lay church workers with appropriate professional skills and knowledge in pastoral counselling. Pastoral care and counselling skills are exercised in a variety of institutional settings within the overall framework of the Australian Christian Churches at the corporate and congregational levels of denominations, universities, military, corrective services, police, ambulance, trade and industry, etc.

Enrolment through

Canberra Campus

Study mode

Distance education

Normal course duration

Graduate Diploma: Full-time 1 year (2 sessions)

Graduate Diploma: Part-time 2 years (4 sessions)

Graduate Certificate: Full-time 0.5 year (1 session)

Graduate Certificate: Part-time 1 year (2 sessions)

Articulation

The Graduate Certificate articulates with the Graduate Diploma and credit is awarded in the Graduate Diploma for the Graduate Certificate subjects.

Admission criteria

Applicants should hold an undergraduate degree or equivalent in theology, or a bachelor degree with a major in psychology. Applicants who hold a LTh or ThDip with ordination and pastoral experience will also be considered for admission.

Graduation requirements

To graduate students must satisfactorily complete 64 points (eight subjects) for the Graduate Diploma. and 32 points (four subjects) for the Graduate Certificate.

Enrolment pattern

Part-time

Graduate Certificate

Session 1 (Autumn)

PSY402 Counselling Skills

THL222 Pastoral Theology Classical and Modern

or

THL434 Spiritual Direction

or

THL122 Pastoral Care and Counselling**

Session 2 (Spring)

THL428 Advanced Pastoral Counselling

[ ] Elective

Graduate Diploma

Sessions 1-2 as above

Session 3 (Autumn)

THL429 Towards a Psychology of Religious Experience

[ ] Elective

Session 4 (Spring)

THL433 Graduate Seminar on Pastoral Counselling Cases

[ ] Elective

** Only to be undertaken by students who have not previously undertaken studies in pastoral counselling. For these students, this is a required subject.

Restricted electives

PSY401 Advanced Personality Theory

THL435 Pastoral Care of the Aged

WEL409 Grief and Loss

THL430 Counselling Survivors of Trauma and Sexual Abuse

THL436 Independent Guided Study in Pastoral Counselling

THL431 Group Dynamics and Counselling

THL445 Psychosocial and Spiritual Development in Older People

THL447 Pastoral Care in Mental Health and Dementia

THL451 Ethical and Theological Issues in Ageing

Residential schools

In every session there will be a two to three-day residential school for the subjects coded THL except for THL434 which has a five-day residential. These are normally held in January, April/May, July or September. The Psychology subjects (PSY) also require attendance at residential schools in April/May or September.

Inquiries

Academic Administrator

Damian Palmer

School of Theology

St Mark’s National Theological Centre

Telephone: (02) 6273 1572

Facsimile: (02) 6273 4067

Email: dpalmer@csu.edu.au