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Charles Sturt University’s Graduate Diploma of Pastoral Counselling enables you to make a difference in people’s lives by providing spiritual and psychological support to those who need it most.
This award has professional accreditation by the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) as an approved postgraduate counselling training program.
Our course develops your knowledge and skills to minister in areas of specific relevance, including pastoral counselling in crisis situations or in circumstances involving relationship difficulties. Our training covers a wide range of counselling theories and models, integrated into a Christian framework. Those working in chaplaincy settings or other work areas where embedded counselling is an integral part of the job role will benefit from the detailed skills and knowledge about counselling they will acquire in this program.
Charles Sturt University’s Graduate Diploma of Pastoral Counselling will equip you for – or enhance your performance in – a wide range of people-centred professions, faith-based or otherwise. These include counselling, pastoral care, aged care, school welfare, grief counselling, care coordination and institutional or congregational chaplaincy. The course also provides a solid foundation for further study in the discipline, or you could use your pastoral counselling studies to articulate into further study for ministry.
Options
We understand that life brings changes along the way. Our flexible course structure means you could exit this course midway with a Graduate Certificate in Pastoral Counselling. (See Early Exit Point below.) You could also further your studies through our Master in Pastoral Counselling course after gaining this Graduate Diploma.
Interested in this course?
Our course advisors are well placed to match your background and educational objectives to the course that would best suit your needs.
Just fill out our online form and one of our course advisors will get in touch with you.
Ask for a course advisor2 years part-time
Online (Distance Education) with compulsory Residentials in Canberra.
View our Residentials calendar. (Includes Residentials for subjects across our courses.)
- Applicants should be able to demonstrate personal suitability to undertake professional practice as a pastoral counsellor, including self-awareness, relational capacity, personal ethical practice, being able to reflect on and learn from experience, and being open to positive and challenging feedback; AND
- Applicants should hold an undergraduate degree in theology, psychology or equivalent. Applicants with degrees in any other disciplines are encouraged to apply; OR
- Applicants without an undergraduate degree will be considered, with evidence that they are able to undertake tertiary studies in this area (such as a letter of motivation and two professional or academic references), as assessed by the Course Coordinator.
- Pastoral Counselling: Theory and Professional Issues
- Pastoral Counselling: Grief and Loss
- Pastoral Counselling: Crisis Intervention
- Pastoral Counselling: Relationship and Family
- Pastoral Counselling: Mental Health and Trauma
- Spiritual Direction in the Christian Tradition
- Applied Pastoral Theology
Graduate Certificate in Pastoral Counselling (Exit point only)
The Graduate Certificate in Pastoral Counselling will equip you to offer pastoral care and counselling as a part of your ministry or job role in a skilled and disciplined way, whether you are caring for others in your ministry or at your workplace. This foundational course teaches pastoral counselling skills and theory with opportunities for self-reflection, all integrated in a Christian theological context.
It covers the core subjects for the Graduate Diploma, which are:
This counselling graduate diploma emphasises face-to-face practical sessions for role play and hands-on learning. This course includes emphasis on applying course learning to the student’s background context for all assessment tasks.
This award has professional accreditation by the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) as an approved postgraduate counselling training program.
A Graduate Diploma of Pastoral Counselling enables you to make a difference to people’s lives by providing spiritual and psychological support to those who need it most. You will develop the skills and experience to offer counselling across a wide range of settings – from pastoral and clinical practice, church and community work, to lay and ordained ministry – to help them with any issue, be it personal, family, marital or faith.
