Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is an interfaith professional education program for ministry and spiritual care. It brings participants into supervised encounters with persons in crisis. Out of an intense involvement with persons in need and feedback from peers and educators in a supportive environment, participants develop a new awareness of themselves personally and professionally. The process of reflection on practical experience enables the development and integration of intercultural, interpersonal and interfaith skills.
CPE is open to persons from many vocations, disciplines and religious traditions. Theological students, seminarians and clergy use CPE both for personal and professional growth in the formation process and as a continuing education opportunity. Healthcare providers of all disciplines also use CPE to integrate skills of spiritual caregiving into their work within their own disciplines.